oetztaler radmarathon

formerlyknownasbonj

anyone thinking about entering this: http://www.oetztaler-radmarathon.com/ in 2010?


any opinions on it?

I'm thinking about it. doesn't look like you can enter yet though.

galatzo

This looks mental.

Got a friend who lives in Innsbruck which would be dead handy but this looks really hard (for me anyway).

Like the fact that route is subject to change upto an hour before the event depanding on weather conditions even though it's held at the end of August !

Been to a couple of areas on the route (Brenner Pass and Kuhtai) and as beuatiful as you would expect

How would this compare to an average years Etape or another well known euro sportive / fondo ?

formerlyknownasbonj

not to be underestimated, but at 238km, it's "only" 50% further than your average british sportive.

knedlicky

It's harder than any Etape or the Marmotte (a fact ignored by the French and unknown to the Brits), but it's no longer the hardest cyclosportive in Europe since the Swiss 'upgraded' their Alpen-Brevet.

The route is changed when heavy snowfalls/avalanches occur, blocking roads. But this only happens about once per decade. Still, you have to be aware that at higher elevations there may be temperatures about freezing.
I was in the Alps at the end of August this year and it snowed on higher ground (over 1500 m), not enough to block roads but enough to make one wary on a bike. Other times, though, it can be 30 deg C at the end of August, even at altitude.

Although I haven't done the event, I know most of the roads and the wonderful scenery, and so from that aspect, if you're up to it, I'd highly recommend it.
I think you can already register.

formerlyknownasbonj

why is it harder than the etape or marmotte - is it mainly climbing, distance, or conditions? or a combination/all three?

where on the site is the link to register? can't seem to see anywhere where you can.

pedylan

formerlyknownasbonj wrote:

why is it harder than the etape or marmotte - is it mainly climbing, distance, or conditions? or a combination/all three?

where on the site is the link to register? can't seem to see anywhere where you can.

Interesting question - what makes a course "hard"?

I can't find total climb figure on the course info but consider this. The four major climbs total over 100km in road distance and nearly 4900m in vertical ascent. The rest of the course takes in a distance of over 130km and will involve other climbing.

By comparison the 2008 Etape du Tour was 169km and its two set piece climbs (Tourmalet and Hautacam) covered 38km in road distance and 2500m of climbing. Total climbing was around 3000m if I remember correctly.

Clearly this course is a beast - specifically four hard individual climbs, high total climb gain and a very long distance.

Where to enter is irrelevant at my level of fitness. :oops:

knedlicky

formerlyknownasbonj wrote:

why is it harder than the etape or marmotte - is it mainly climbing, distance, or conditions? or a combination/all three?

I’d rate it harder than the Marmotte for several reasons - it’s about 55 km longer, there is more climbing (about 30 km and 600 m more – total figure is about 5510 m), and it has the steeper sections of the two events. The Kuhtai Sattel has 1 km at 14.5%, the steepest km in the Marmotte is 11%. Measured over shorter 500 m distances, the whole route has several 12-18% stretches. I don't think any 500 m in the Marmotte is over 12%, even though there are several at that gradient.
Also, the major climb (Timmelsjoch/ Passo Rombo) comes after 160 km when the legs are getting weary (I know Alpe d’Huez also comes after 160 km, but it’s not half the length of the Timmelsjoch).

It wouldn’t be right to say it’s harder because of the conditions, because any event can get bad weather, however from what I’ve heard, after a heatwave in 2000 (the heat causing riders to abandon), it’s been cold and raining or hailing most years since, if not for the whole route, then by the time they’re half or three-quarters way around. About 2003, it had to be radically shortened and re-routed because the Timmelsjoch was blocked by snow.
This summer, though, it seems they had good weather, once it had warmed up (it was only 6 deg C at the start).

I wouldn’t say most Etapes compare to the Marmotte nevermind the Ötztaler Radmarathon, even if Etapes do sometimes include difficult climbs.

knedlicky

formerlyknownasbonj wrote:

where on the site is the link to register? can't seem to see anywhere where you can.

I had a look at the website and it seems I was wrong - you can’t yet register.
But as soon as it opens, if you are interested, you need to act quickly. There is a limit of 4000 participants and I think the last year or two, there were so many applications, that they closed registration early and then had to have a draw to decide who would get a start number.

Why not try to get one of the start places they are reserving for riders who intend to take part with a bike 25 or more years old and wearing old cycling clobber?

(Thinks … I’ve got a woollen TI-Raleigh jersey and there's an old Quinn Bros 5-speed racing bike with leather saddle in the cellar. The saddle is perforated, so with lots of little holes all over it, presumably to ventilate. The gearing is something like 48/14-16-18-20-23 … sounds ideal)

Kléber

They have a lottery to enter the Austrian race.

It forms part of what I think of the select group of the "hardest" sportives in Europe:
- Oetztaler Radmarathon
- Alpenbrevet
- Marmotte
- Ardechoise Marathon
- Gran Fondo Sportful

All of these have >5000m of vertical climbing. You can argue about each one being hard in different ways, for example the Marmotte is "only" 175km but then it has some relentless climbing. The Ardechoise Marathon has no HC climbs but it is up and down and without any cool mountain air. The Alpen Brevet and Oettaler are very tough very tough. The GF Sportful is the old GF Campagnolo and features a lot of climbing in a short place.

You can of course find longer and harder events but you leave the realm of cyclosportives and head into the likes of touring events like P-B-P or competitive "Ultracycling" where you're lucky to find 50 starters.

PinaF413

I know this is very late, but maybe for 2011 this will be useful to somebody.

I did this race in 2008 and it is probably one of the hardest rides I have EVER done, and I live in the Italian Alps!!

The course is either going up or down, there is a little bit of flat around Innsbruck, but that's about it. so you seem to spend the entire day going up.

It was 5°C at the start, got up to 30+ in the middle of the day, and upon arrival at the peak of the last climb it started raining very hard, temperatures dropped to 8°C ish.

When I crossed the line I said NEVER again, I now await to see if my name is drawn for 2010.

I would say do this, but DO NOT under estimate the race, it's a beast, but if you complete it you will talk about it for years to come, so far it is THE cycling experience of my life.. bar none.

galatzo

I'm waiting to hear if I've managed to get a place today too.
I don't think I could have estimated properly how tough it is or I probably wouldn't have entered.
Never done anything remotely like this before.
Chose it for a few reasons, my mate lives in Innsbruck, I'll be 40 in September and it's at the end of the summer giving me plenty of training time.
Fingers crossed.

akastana

well looks like all us brits got in! Congrats! Now to get some training in! Not long now!

galatzo

What have we done ???

Actually I can't wait.
I've got so much training to do it's unbelievable, I was actually dishing out a curry when my wife was on the website and confirmed I was on !

5 1/2 months to go.

Amazed all the UK entrants got on, wonder if any other country got 100% entry ?

I'm on the Dragon Ride if anyone wants to meet up to see how things are going (or not)

Be good to keep in touch to see how we are all progressing

Good luck all.

Rich

akastana

Yeah, pretty unusual that we all got in, I guess having a wider international participation increases the profile of the event, still, getting one of the 4000 places out of 14000 is pretty awesome! The roads round there are great, spent two summers in St Anton am Arlberg so have ridden a lot round there, the hospitality of the Tirol is fantastic too, can't wait to get stuck into some grostl! Am up in the Stirlingshire area so if anyone is up here riding then let me know, can show you some nice hills to train on!
Keep on keepin' on!
DL

BlackBear8

I also noticed higher participation / lottery winners from outside Austria/Germany this year. Good luck too everyone!

As far as the difficulty level, I thought it was very very hard. I did Tourmalet/Aspin/Tourmalet a month before the Oetztaler and thought Tourmalet was very easy in comparison. You really can't gauge it by distance as the speed is below 15kph for hours and hours and hours. There is no one climb that really puts you under, it's just the incessant climbing that wears you down over time.

Effort wise (physical and emotional) you really can not look at the distance at all. Everest base camp to the summit is just 12km not to be confused with a local 12km hike

galatzo

20 weeks to go
(8 to the Dragon and then 12 to Austria)

Hopefully I'll get my bike back this week and start training :shock:

Any reviews and experiences on this would be much appreciated as most of it is in German on the net.
Are there ANY flat bits between climbs or is it straight up again as soon as you come down ?
Can anyone break the ride down in to approximate times for each climb ?
Do many get excluded by the time limits ?
What gearing did everyone use or are planning on using ?
I'm on 53-39x12-27 now and will change to a 48-34x12-27 just before it although I am worried I'll just end up grinding slower if I do this.

Can't wait, although every so often I see picture of the Timmlesjoch :twisted: and wonder quite what I have let myself in for !

akastana

I'm using 12-29 x 53/39(Campag) its my euro sportive special, got me round the TirolWest, Maratona, Etape and the Marco Pantani (only just got me up the Mortirolo though, compact might have been better there!) my dad has gone into fear mode and installed a triple this year, despite managing the 2007 etape (The longest/hardest one). I usually train using the same gearing but this year am using a 12-25 so i don't 'get used to' the big ratios, hopefully this will give me a few get out of jail gears. In regards to the hills round there I spent a lot of time there in 2006 & 2008 and rode most stuff, they tend to be pretty similar to tough pyrenees stuff or Italian dolomites, road surfaces are good in general, heat in the valleys can be a killer or at that time of year you might even get snow, can be pretty random! Can't wait, not long now and fitness getting better, Radar ride to go first, should be a good gauge.

heliphil

This will be my first big sportive, I can't wait.... I'm using 50 / 34 , 13/27 hopefully that will get me up the climbs OK....

ps I doubt that all the brits got in - I thinks its just the entry list hasn't changed after the 'lucky' 4000 got in !!!!!

galatzo

Brave or mad for a first big one.
What's the biggest you've done till now ?
Mine was the Dragion a few weeks ago which went pretty well I think but Austria will be another world of pain.
Can't wait

heliphil

to be honest I did the 100 mile sportive in Essex ( Flat) a couple of weeks ago ands thats it.....

galatzo

Glad someones in the same boat as me then
Got ten days in Majorca coming up which'll give some useful climbing practice.
Clock is really starting to tick now - 9 weeks on Sunday :shock:

heliphil

what time did you do for the Dragon ???

heliphil

any advice on what to wear to combat all the different temps/ weather for this ride ???

FransJacques

formerlyknownasbonj wrote:

why is it harder than the etape or marmotte - is it mainly climbing, distance, or conditions? or a combination/all three?

where on the site is the link to register? can't seem to see anywhere where you can.

Holy cow, check this out: http://www.oetztaler-radmarathon.com/ma ... index.html

First of all, no etape in the last 10 years has been over 200kms. Second of all, add up 1200 + 777 + 1130 + 1759 and I'm not mathemetician but I'm sure it's over the average 3000 vert meters of most etapes. Even les 3 Ballons has more vert meters (4000) than most etapes.

In short, vert meters and heat make rides hard. Distance is a secondary concern. The full Roubaix sportive is not hard even with 275 kms until you hit the cobbles, then it's hard.

I'd love to do this but I think my calndar is full. I bet the organization would be amazing, if a little heavy...

galatzo

@heliphil

8hrs for the Dragon although sure I could have easily gone under 7 1/2.

What to wear ? I'm taking just about all my kit and then checking with organisers day before for an accurate forecast. Hoping shorts , jersey, gilet and armwarmers will suffice as don't want to carry anything more than absolutely necessary.

Dropped 4lbs in 10 days ! Think I managed 8 or 9 rides while I was there with no ill effects on the marriage ! Back to Majorca in 27 days for another 2 weeks training so I may still get under the 12 stone mark yet.

May try the Tour of the Black Mountains on 27th July if your about for it ?

heliphil

I will be in Cornwall that week - hopefully with bike !!!! - I'm hoping my sub 11 stone figure will help on the climbs

galatzo

Sub 11stone... not something I tought I'd ever aspire to !

At the moment I'll be happy if I can arrive at the start line under 13stone still !

galatzo

Anyone else cacking it ?