La Morzine Vallee D'Aulps
xio
Posts: 212
I realise it's a long shot, but anyone here doing the above this weekend? - just wondering what to expect, from an organisational point of view (have ridden most of the cols before).
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Done this one twice but not this year - off to the Ventoux for a few days instead. Organisation is first class - you can register the afternonn before in the main square in Morzine which is where the event starts. Mass start - two years I've done it maybe a few hundred riders and quite hectic at the start - if you are fast you'll be in the midst of the action but I hung back a bit. Finish in Montriond with pasta - though I went for a beer in the square!
Enjoy - its a great event - is it finishing on the Joux Plane or the Ramaz this year?0 -
Joux Plane this year - they obviously thought Ramaz was too easy ;-) Have ridden JP twice before and skiied the top of it plenty of times. There's no getting away from the fact that it's hard, but the views are great if the weather's good (forecast is), and the descent is pretty awesome.
Thanks for the tips - wasn't sure if it'd be the town square (presumably you mean the tourist office) rather than under the suspension bridge. One other thing - do you remember what happened over the medical forms? - have emailed them a copy of my one for the etape, but had no reply as to whether or not it's acceptable.
Really looking forward to this.0 -
Yes - the tourist office square for the start and registration. You can take medical form with you to the registration if you are worried though the e-mail one should have been accepted - one year I forgot the thing but managed to blag my way through - if you haven't got one they register you as a radonneur and you don't get an official time.
Climb that killed me was the middle part of the Joux Vert up to les Lindarets - lost a lot of time in that section!!
Paul0 -
I'm doing it along with about 30 other London Dynamos* (our club sportive this year).
Interestingly this link:
http://www.valleedaulps.com/cyclosporti ... ERTIR.html
says that the route has been changed because the JP is closed, bumping the climbing up to 4000m.
The metcheck forecast says sleet for Sunday. ;-(
* waiting for smartarse replies about not being in the park, doing the park ride in the Alps, etc0 -
Might have known the Dynamo would be there - they haunt me everywhere I go ;-)
I just saw this morning that the route changed too, but I can't see your forecast - last I looked it said 9-18 degrees and dry. Let's hoe I'm right on this one.....
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the Joux Verte is a lot harder than the 5.9% it claims to be. Everyone tells me I'm nuts when I say parts of it are at least as hard as the Joux Plane. Once you get above Les Lindarets it's lovely though - it looks steeper up there than it feels in your legs (which is rare).0 -
Col d'encrenaz is a long drag but not overly steep except for a 2km section when you are on the main road up to Praz de Lys - here it gets up over 10% and is constant - last time I did it there were lots of guys flaked out on this section. After that its a false summit and then a gradual drag to the col - lovely ride in good weather.
Have fun0 -
I've put this route together. Can't be too certain/accurate as the details are hard to find.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Mo ... Aulps-2009
Anyone know if there's a time limit? I'll get dropped on the Joux Vert. Could be a long day on my own.
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Looks about right from what I've seen, except the finish is up by lac Montriond, not back in the centre of Morzine. Which also means you'll ride right past the front door of the apartment with about 5km to go. How tempting will that be?0
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HOW HARD WAS THAT???????
Despite climbing the best I ever have, I got dropped by everyone on the Joux Verte. Before half way up, it was just me and the broom waggon (a van with a broom tied the the side). Was within 5 metres of my back wheel most of the day.
In the end I gave up and bailed out before the steeper part of Encrenaz and rode up to Morzine. Still over 3600m of climbing and 10 hours. What was the total for the full course?
Will get fitter and try again next year.0 -
I bailed at 160km - I was about 500m from my apartment with a hot shower and a bed. All I missed was the drag up to the lake at the end. How weak is that? - had a shower and a kip, got dressed and drove up to the lake and still passed the lantern rouge on the way up...0
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4km? You could have ridden that in 4 minutes...if you were Bradley Wiggins... on a velodrome... Good to hear the etape training going well although you need to develop a winner's mentality, never let the hills beat you. Did Khanh get to the end before the broom wagon?0
