Marmotte Pit Stop Strategy......and accom ?

Thomas the Tank Engine

.....any Marmotte vets out there think just using 1 bottle on the bike is a do able option ? I do all my UK Sportives on a 1 bottle strategy and it works fine (providing the feed stations haven't run out of water!) , and it would save lugging an extra 750 grams up 5000 metres ! .....and no , I can't diet to lose some excess weight as my wife already complains there's nothing to grab hold of !
My only reservation would be the heat factor requiring me to up my fluid intake , and with just 1 bottle...... :?

Any advice would be gratefully received........

.....oh , and I've not got any accomodation yet...anyone riding the Marmotte got room for a housetrained 40 something ?
Cheers

Kléber

Sure if you want your kidneys to resemble dried prunes by the end of the day

Who knows what the weather will bring, it could be cold and damp, but take another water bottle. You will lose far more time from the gradual but unnoticeable effects of dehydration that you will for taking a 500/750ml water bottle and it's much better to have the drink with you, when you want it, rather than being reliant on the water stations.

cookiemonster

take it - you dont need to fill it if for some remarkable reason its not needed...

richa

For accommodation try: www.alpe-vacances.com
Search on the site for available accom (although I usually just email them). This is the tourist office for the region. Should help you find a room if there's one out there.

As for water bottles - I would say 2 bottles is a must. On a 9hr/gold strategy the time gaps between feed stations is something like:

Start to Glandon: 2:00
Glandon to Telegraphe: 2:00
Telegraphe to Valoire: 0:20
Valoire to Galibier: 2:00
Galibier to Bourg: 1:00
Bourg to AdH: 1:30.

If it is hot (and it can be very hot) then that is a long time to be surviving on 1 bottle.

lfcquin

I heard that the water stops tend to be very busy and often run out of water. I was told not to rely on them and carry as much water as possible. Is that scaremongering or does it sound right?

Thomas the Tank Engine

Thanks chaps......2 bottles it is then !

richa

lfcquin wrote:

I heard that the water stops tend to be very busy and often run out of water. I was told not to rely on them and carry as much water as possible. Is that scaremongering or does it sound right?

In addition to the feeds there are some additional water stations. Last year I saw one of these had run out but think the full feed stations are unlikely to be dry. I won't be carrying more than 2 bottles.

russell_in_france

After six Marmotte events, I take two bottles and enough food to get me to the feed at Valloire without stopping at the Col du Glandon. There are normally hundreds of people trying to get some food here. That's 100km of riding in the mountains to get to the first food stop and the bottles are normally about empty when I get there.

I then eat and fill my pockets in Valloire to get me to the Galibier. Then at the Col du Galibier, I again eat and fill my pockets as you have an hour of descending to the foot of the Alpe d'Huez, so you can eat and drink to get some energy back.

After that, it's only the Alpe d'Huez that's left and you can get some water halfway up the climb.

Russell
www.grenoblecycling.com

agnello

This will be my second. Russell has described the strategy I was intending to take this time!

I will probably top up with water (will carry a few sachets of high5) at the foot of the Telegraph.

coulcher

Being France there are of course fountains & taps in many villages you can fill from as well.

Ones I remember:
- Valloire in the town after you descend from the Telegraph summit & feed stop. The official feed stop is a little after this just outside the town but at least you could fill your bottles quickly here.
- Col de Lauteret - across the road at the t-junction where you join from descending Galibier and start descending Lauteret.
- Alpe D'Huez - about 6 switchbacks up from the bottom at the turn off to La Garde.

Make sure your bottles are full after Valloire because there isn't much opporunity to refill until the top of Galibier and this is probably the most draining section of the course. There's a cafe about halfway where you can buy something. For those who stayed at King of the Mountains, Guy & Helyn are always near the top of Galibier with great sandwiches & had my Red Bull ready for me last year. A lot of belching but it provided a good kick.

Like Russell says I think carrying most of your own basic food for the day is a good tactic. Your jersey gets lighter as the days wears on. Another reason to carry 2 full bottles is to pour it over yourself to keep your core cool. On the hot days it's only when you reach about 2,000m+ that the temperature becomes a little more bearable so the lower section of Telegraph & Galibier can be tough.

naylor343

Use both bottles at the same time and do not empty one first then move onto the second. Some of the roads are pretty rough, especially the descent from the lauteret. Sods law is if you loose one bottle it will be the full one, this way at least you have something in each bottle.

big_phil

OMG - you need 2 bottles - I rode in 2007 and used 2 750 ml bottles and topped them both up at every feed stop- and if memory serves well the Marmotte is quite good for food and extra water stops..You run the risk of high temperature and you really do not want to get dehydrated...when I rode it was around 40 deg C by the time we got to the foot of Alpe d'Huez.....

Thomas the Tank Engine

Thanks again everyone....onwards & upwards !

DTM12

2 x 700ml bottles for sure, and some sort of electrolyte formula containing 700mg plus of Sodium per litre. and aim to finish both bottles before the next fill up. Dont underestimate the catastrophic potential to fail by becoming so dehydrated that you cramp so badly you cant move. It happened to me last year on the marmotte through unwise decision making in my fluid/salt intake, when I was on for a good time. It took me the best part of 4 days to get over it.

APIII

If you come across a feed station offering a weird green drink on Alp D'Huez, refuse it at all costs. It's some sort of grim menthol thing. Really bad.

russell_in_france

APIII wrote:

If you come across a feed station offering a weird green drink on Alp D'Huez, refuse it at all costs. It's some sort of grim menthol thing. Really bad.

But your breath smells great.

musto_skiff

Anyone got a gpx file for the route?

schweiz

musto_skiff wrote:

Anyone got a gpx file for the route?

here you go...

http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... urse=58324

musto_skiff

schweiz wrote:

musto_skiff wrote:

Anyone got a gpx file for the route?

here you go...

http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... urse=58324

Thanks ... is that plotted or the gathered track from a previous year?

cakewalk

Anyone got a definitive list of of where (in distance) the official stops are - and where other water stops might be found?

schweiz

musto_skiff wrote:

schweiz wrote:

musto_skiff wrote:

Anyone got a gpx file for the route?

here you go...

http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... urse=58324

Thanks ... is that plotted or the gathered track from a previous year?

I downloaded the track from a cycle tour holiday website. I'm guessing it was a gathered track. I imported it into BRT and then BRT applied my average speeds and climbing speeds to create a new track time.

schweiz

cakewalk wrote:

Anyone got a definitive list of of where (in distance) the official stops are - and where other water stops might be found?

from the sport communication website...



Distances are here: http://www.grandtrophee.fr/GT/parcours/1.pdf

knedlicky

I take two bottles on cyclosportives like the Marmotte, one 750 ml with something isotonic which agrees with me (not all don’t) for the latter half of the event, and one 500 or 750 ml with just water. If the first feed is within 60 km, I’ll initially have the latter only half-full, because I will have sufficiently ‘pre-loaded’ enough water at breakfast, and between breakfast and the start. Therafter, I get this bottle filled at every feed station.

I let the isotonic gradually deplete until it’s empty when I’ll then half-fill it at a feed station with an isotonic drink I think I’ll like - I find the milky-type ones best, sort of orangey-pink (not green, these might be Sirop de Menthe in water, but I think that’s good too if pure sugar with mint flavour is wanted (you find similar offered on Italian cyclosportives as well, where the sirop is added to milk - even better!) Towards the end, I might opt for coke, if available.

In the Marmotte, if you run short of water, there’s often a couple of inofficial dutch feed stations around Valloire (I remember one at the top of the Telegraphe and another in Valloire village, on the left), who surely wouldn’t refuse a non-dutchman water. There’s also a fountain with drinking water in Valloire on the right in the village.

Lots of spectators offer water going up Alpe d’Huez but I didn’t take anything as I thought it might affect my rhythmn. Instead, in anticipation of the climb, I did a mini-preloading session at the Bourg feed station and then went up with just one 2/3 full water bottle, the other empty – the idea seemed to work despite temps of about 30 deg C.

Coulcher mentions the feed station locations. The feed station at Valloire is outside the village, in the direction of Galibier. At the time this miffed me, because from the flyer I saw, I expected it before or in the village. So failing to come across it, like several other riders, I stopped in the village and drank from the fountain, eating my own fuel/food. Others bought food in cafes or boulangeries.
When back underway, I did make a brief stop at the official station, to just to have a look, but I’d already eaten and drank enough at the above-mentioned fountain in Valloire to have skipped it. And I think I wasn’t alone in having done this.

Russell mentions skipping the Glandon feed and first stopping at Valloire. Except for getting more water at Valloire, I think I’d do it the other way around. The stop at the top of the Glandon gives you a first breather, good if you’ve never rode such an event before, and you can then eat anything you pick up at the feed, or have brought with you, on the descent or in the valley or around Valloire, so you’re ready for Galibier (the Telegraphe is just a minor inbetween!)
Remember power bars take up to 45 mins to kick in, so it’s advisable to eat them a bit in advance, not when at the Valloire feed (or the Bourg feed, for the Alpe d’Huez climb).

Thomas the Tank Engine

Thanks for the advice again.....if you see someone in a red white and blue Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers kit lying face down on Alpe d'huez :oops: , you'll know I got it wrong ! lol

musto_skiff

What is the lowest gear you guys are using?

30 x 25?

34 x 27?

agnello

The latter for me musto

Just about enough

musto_skiff

I know you can get a Campag 13-29 ... can you get a Shimano compatible 13-29?

Tiny Explosions

34 28 (simply cos I can get an 11-28 cassette!) will be my lowest gear

schweiz

34/28 here

dave milne

34/25 or 34/26 if I can get the indexing sorted

richa

Hnmmm. I have opted for a 34/27.

Was tempted to go 34/28 or even 33/28.
(by exchanging to BBB 12-28 and a DA Specialities 33t).

Hope I haven't errored.