Etape 2010

Hugh A

That was a warm one! Having had a lot of trouble with training due to a knackered knee, I knew I was never going to get a decent time, so rather relaxed through it all and stopped frequently to rest and take photos.

Although I finished reasonably comfortably ahead of the wagon I was horrified by how long it had all taken. Lets face it - however long it takes, it was still a tough day and it was great to have people by the side of the road offering water to tip over you in the heat. Note to self not to bring arm-warmers, gilet and a vest which sat in my back pocket like a lead weight when soaked by all that water! I should have logged on and paid attention to what some were saying here.

Mind you I was glad I decided to take a tube of Nuun tablets which helped to keep low-fitness cramp at bay when I ran out of energy drink. All in all a really enjoyable day. I had always wanted to climb the Tourmalet from that side and it was great to be doing it at last. Next time I'll try it a bit earlier in the day without two cols and 100 miles under the wheels.

Well done to all who got round, whatever the time.

We also elected to park further away - in Campan about 20km downhill from the finish. It was a long descent with a lot of braking action but better than sitting in one of the cars we were passing on the way down.

ugo.santalucia

Mccaria wrote:

That is 2 etapes done for me and a tale of 2 cramps. Last year cramp set in on the Ventoux and I had a painful 10k walk to the top. This year my left thigh started cramping at the bottom of the Solour and I spent the rest of the ride easing back and trying to fend off the full onset of cramp. With 3k of the Tourmalet to do my left thigh seized up completely if sat down so did the final 3k out of the saddle to finish in 9hr 36min.

Initially I was disappointed by the time and to be afflicted by cramp again, but after a few days I am a bit more sanguine and happy that at least I got to cycle up the Tourmalet, something I couldn't do at the Ventoux. It seems like I am susceptible to cramp in hot hilly conditions, so here's looking forward to a cold and wet Etape sometime in the future!

Sounds like lack of training to me.

For an event like this, you look at 2500 miles in the legs during the spring/early summer and some long rides at sustained average speed.

Cramps are sometimes associated to lack of electrolytes, in my experience is more lack of training

MrZ

Personally don't think anyone who completed that ride in 91/2 hours could be accused of lack of training... Was a tough, hot one

AlainR

It was hell. Hot, grueling, tough and just plain ridiculous. I loved it!

I did a recce of the Marie Blanque on Friday so knew it was a tough start to the day. As such, I set off at a nice easy pace, warming up nice and slowly to ensure I reached the MB in a good state. I popped in my earpiece, played some Killswitch Engage and tapped my way up. Like others, I had to walk a few hundred meters, which wasn't ideal, but not the end of the world.

Upon reaching the top, I had to wait about 10 minutes for my riding buddy - We then set off on the decent, which was great!

The valley section was hit with some reasonable pace, before hitting the soulor. By this time it was pretty darn hot. Despite my mind telling me to do otherwise I tapped my way up the Solour uninterrupted, which was gave me a real push.

Once again, I waited for some 30 minutes for my riding buddy at the top. Not great for the time, but a wonderful way to take in the experience. The views were nothing short of fantastic!

The Solour decent was the highlight of the day; amazing. I was surprised at the slow pace of many riders on the decent and the somewhat awkward road position people were using... Despite that it was great.

Finally, Tourmalet. What a climb. A serious mental challenge in the heat helped only by the amazing fans with refreshing cold water. Seeing others stopped in what looks like blissfully cool shade is like an oasis in the desert. Nonetheless I 'powered' my way up in 1:47, which I was quite happy with.

Having never ridden any Cols before, I approached the day with caution, aiming only to complete it. As a result of that (and waiting for my buddy) my overall time wasn't great, but I was very happy with my performance nonetheless (9:48 official net - 08:12 actual ride time on my Garmin)

Having sworn that I would never ride up the Tourmalet again, we went up again on Tuesday to watch the Tour....

Kléber

6888 riders finished this legendary stage before the time limit. A lot of participants were eliminated during the Tourmalet climbing, most of them were not enough prepared and trained.

http://www.letapedutour.com/2010/ETDT/p ... /index.htm

popette

my 2p http://2010etape.blogspot.com/2010/07/l ... -ride.html

I'm one of those awkwardly positioned sh!tting myself descenders I'm afraid. This is something I really need to work on before next time (of course, I'm doing it again!) I didn't use to feel so wobbly on my old bike and don't remember worrying at all on last years Etape. I wonder if it's something to do with the amount of spacers I have up front - can that affect handling? There are times where I feel I'm just not going to get around the bend.

It was a fantastically hard day on Sunday. I watched the start in Pau today - we were standing right next to all the stars, it was amazing. Then we came home to watch the finish on TV - they are just incredible. Great to watch on TV as well as to do it for real.

I thought of Frans Jacques and Wild Moustache's advice while I was riding. I also now own a Kleber keyring after catching it from the caravane.

Mccaria

No Ugo it was not lack of training. Lot of miles done, lot of long rides, including the likes of the King of Downs and plenty of 80+ mile rides averaging 16 mph on reasonably hilly terrain. Some people seem more susceptible to cramp than others, unfortunately I seem to be one of them.

Kléber

Mccaria wrote:

No Ugo it was not lack of training. Lot of miles done, lot of long rides, including the likes of the King of Downs and plenty of 80+ mile rides averaging 16 mph on reasonably hilly terrain. Some people seem more susceptible to cramp than others, unfortunately I seem to be one of them.

Don't rule it out. You might have thought you prepared well but how many intense efforts for 30 minutes did you do? Those climbs can be relentless, the "King of the Downs" features tiny hills that end after a minute or three.

Well done Popette for finishing, I remember your previous tales, glad to see all's going well.

sooterkin

If anyone is interested I took a few snaps (well, about 2000 snaps actually) before, during and after the Etape at Pau, Gan, Argeles-Gazost and Bagneres.

They are all hanging off this page:

http://photography.2upltd.co.uk/etape.html

Cheers

Geoff

56mph

popette wrote:

my 2p http://2010etape.blogspot.com/2010/07/l ... -ride.html

I'm one of those awkwardly positioned sh!tting myself descenders I'm afraid. This is something I really need to work on before next time (of course, I'm doing it again!) I didn't use to feel so wobbly on my old bike and don't remember worrying at all on last years Etape. I wonder if it's something to do with the amount of spacers I have up front - can that affect handling? There are times where I feel I'm just not going to get around the bend.

It was a fantastically hard day on Sunday. I watched the start in Pau today - we were standing right next to all the stars, it was amazing. Then we came home to watch the finish on TV - they are just incredible. Great to watch on TV as well as to do it for real.

I thought of Frans Jacques and Wild Moustache's advice while I was riding. I also now own a Kleber keyring after catching it from the caravane.

Great blog, well done.

I wouldn't have thought the number of spacers would have any effect on your descending, I'd say it's probably lack of confidence which feeds into a nervous or jerky handling of the bike which feeds back into further lack of confidence which....

For me the descents are the best part by far. Tips I've picked up include anticipating the turn, i.e. looking far enough ahead to plan your line and then stick to it; braking before the turn then just letting the bike flow through it; and making a conscious effort to weight the outside leg. Above all relax and enjoy . The worst thing is making any sudden change of line or braking suddenly as that can be very dicey. I guess there's no substitute to practice and getting confidence by doing.

What an amazing stage for the pros yesterday. Weather was cr*p (wondering though if it would have been better for us Brits than the heat..) and Schleck's winning time of 5h03m is totally awesome.

Casbar

Mccaria wrote:

No Ugo it was not lack of training. Lot of miles done, lot of long rides, including the likes of the King of Downs and plenty of 80+ mile rides averaging 16 mph on reasonably hilly terrain. Some people seem more susceptible to cramp than others, unfortunately I seem to be one of them.

I dont know if your training was enough or if it was just the heat or the fact that you suffer from carmp easy. But I know that I used to suffer from cramp a lot and this solved it for me

prepare my drink bottles with 150 ml of flat Tonic Water. The " Quinine " in the tonic water is great aginst cramp..This year I went a step further and took Quinine tablest from a day days before the race.......No Cramp at all

You also need to drink a lot and take some salt and magnesium

Works for me ....Hope this helps next time

niedermeyer

Re the descending.....at both the Etape and the Marmotte this year I've seen some of the most horrible riding I've ever witnessed - it seems to be getting worse as cycling becomes the 'new golf'.

I think spending the winter mountain biking on gnarley singletrack would do a lot of newbies no end of good, learning to let the bike go where it wants and relaxing the death-grip that a lot of riders seem to have on their bikes. Either that or getting a motorcycle license to learn how to brake in a straight line then pitch the bike in.

Handling skills deffo need improving before we start getting banned from events like these because we are such liabilities!

nevman

My first one, having started cycling in January-11.16 finish wasnt the important bit-it was to finish the challenge in one piece.
I cannot imagine how to prepare for such a ride other than by lots of different types cycling-distance,sustained effort,types of weather etc but it was the mental effort that was most important.
All sorts of bad thoughts crowded in on the ascent of the Tourmalet-so many people walking,sitting in the shade-I saw one male asleep in the woods just after the last water stop,what was going on?To keep going against those odds was my achievement;congratulations to all who started and thanks to FJ for the best advice on BR about backing off 5%

Mccaria

kleber,

If the cramp had hit on the Tourmalet then I would certainly factor in fitness as a possibility. As it is the cramp was before the Solour, the only climb of note was the Marie Blanque which was taken pretty steady because of the number of cyclists on the road. Did plenty of 30-60 minute efforts at 300+ watts in training.

Casbar

Looks like I will need to try the tonic water, maybe with the occasional gin ! Thanks for the tip. I had a tube of magnesium sulphate tablets that I was eating like Smarties.

crown_jewel

I have had cramping issues from time to time, including in the 2008 Etape when it was cold as hell. I also use tonic water now and it helps a lot.

clanton

Just got back from France having spent a week camping, cycling and hiking near Gavarnie. Like all it seems I found the Etape tougher than I'd been expecting, having done the Marmotte in 08 I had the Etape pegged as a lot easiser, partcularly as I'd trained harder for this so I was a little disappointed in my time - officially 9h26 thugh I made it 9h02.

I also got caught in the shuffle up the Marie Blanc but I think in fairness to the riders this wasn't due to a lack of fitness. There was an ambulance and a few motorbikes as well as a mavic van all parked on the side of the road and causing a narrowing of an already tight climb - I think a few people wobbled, unclipped/fell and couldn't get going again until things levelled off at the penultimate hairpin, this set off the domino effect bringing us all to a halt. In all I think I lost 20 minutes to bottlenecks.

Aside from that I had a great day. The atmosphere was great, I loved the descents especially off the Solour and I now know just how tough a climb the Tourmalet is. I suspect I will go back again one day, not next year but in a few year's time.

nevman

If you have a 9xxx or 8xxx number, first of all good luck, second of all, when you're back, please tell us how many Brits were around you in your pen at the beginning vs French. ASO has been doing this for years (I first noticed it in 2006) and it assures a self-fulfilling prophecy of many UK riders not finishing. One of the reasons I won't go any more. Despite a ~1200 scratch placing in 2008 my 2009 start number was 5xxx. This year I'm going fly fishing in Scotland instead - taking the MTB tho :-)

FJ-I was in the last pen and can honestly say there werent that many Brits in there with me which surprised me given what had been posted before.
At 20k I was in amongst the 7000 numbers and at 40k it was more 5000 so it seems to be possible to hop through but there it sort of ended-a long slow slog in searing heat but simply the best day on a bike
Thanks for the advice-it certainly helped me to get through the day and wouldnt rule out another Etape even with all the hassles. :P :P

tawnycam

This was an annoying nightmare in a bubble car for me!

Was riding well, just under half way, in a decent group when a slower ride moved out and took out my front wheel. Resulted in some lovely road rash and a sheared rear derailleur cable.

Spent 15 minutes sulking by the side of the road, watching others stream past before deciding to attempt to ride fixie style (on the 34 x11) for 25km to the feed station at Ferrières. Made it there in good time only to find no Mavic van and "The Fat Controller" saying that one wasn't expected, fuming. Sat there for over an hour and a half before one turned up 5 minutes before the broom wagon, they didn't have the right bit to then fix it. Handed back my timing chip, called my OH and head back up the road to Asson to get picked up there.

Accidents happen and I can live with that be still annoyed having paid a large amount for entry that they didn't have the support vehicles indicated on the route map!!

So unfinished business with the Etape, will be seeking entry for 2011!!

Snoppy

Does anyone know if all the times are up as I still cant see my finish time. Pretty much sure I was about 11hrs or so and was not over taken by the broom wagon.

Rodrego Hernandez

Timing mats were removed at 6:40, anyone not included on the official results is a non-finisher.

Casbar

A friend of mine called ASO with a similar problem. It seems that one of their trucks damaged one of the timing mats around 6 pm...He doesnt have a time either. No idea if they will do something about it

airwise

My first Etape and my last.

Organisation was poor. The massed start guaranteed chaos and bottlenecks, The descending was, shall we say, unpredictable. Oversubscribed and over rated from my point of view, Italian GF's knock it into a cocked hat for atmosphere and quality,

Still. The route was good and the road side support enjoyable. Tourmalet was a hard climb at the end but still it was a route you could attack rather than just survive. If only the traffic wasn't so terrible. I was sadly carrying a hamstring injury which meant I had to freewheel or take it really easy on the flats. I think everyone came past me in the first 50km. It was funny to see how many of those I met up with again as the terrain went up and down though.

Maybe the ASO should limit numbers to 5000 in future.

MaxCap

I saw a number of Livestrong Etape 2010 tops during the ride to Tourmalet. I now want one but can't find one for toffee. Does anybody know of anywhere or anyone who may be able to help?

Max

Rodrego Hernandez

MaxCap wrote:

I saw a number of Livestrong Etape 2010 tops during the ride to Tourmalet. I now want one but can't find one for toffee. Does anybody know of anywhere or anyone who may be able to help?

Max

Probably a one-off for the etape. Should be available on ebay when Lance goes to jail.

Mccaria

Etape postscript

Finally got home after a couple of weeks in France.

For the Etape I used a Garmin 500 which has a temperature setting. Don't know how accurate it is, but on previous rides looks to be in the right ball park.

On the Etape the highest recorded temperature was on the lower slopes of the Tourmalet where it peaked at 96.8. For the Torumalet the temp range was 96.8-78.8 and most of the climb was in the mid to high 80s.

Did the Tourmalet again 5 days later on the Friday (the day after the Tour went through when it had turned wet, cold and miserable). Peak temperature was 62.6 on the lower slopes, trough was 55.4 higher up the mountain and most of the ride was below 60.

FransJacques

Mccaria wrote:

That is 2 etapes done for me and a tale of 2 cramps. Last year cramp set in on the Ventoux and I had a painful 10k walk to the top. This year my left thigh started cramping at the bottom of the Solour and I spent the rest of the ride easing back and trying to fend off the full onset of cramp. With 3k of the Tourmalet to do my left thigh seized up completely if sat down so did the final 3k out of the saddle to finish in 9hr 36min.

Initially I was disappointed by the time and to be afflicted by cramp again, but after a few days I am a bit more sanguine and happy that at least I got to cycle up the Tourmalet, something I couldn't do at the Ventoux. It seems like I am susceptible to cramp in hot hilly conditions, so here's looking forward to a cold and wet Etape sometime in the future!

Drink more and get salt tablets and take them. Oh yeah, drink more. Did I also mention you need to drink more? Stuff with salt. End of. Us fat, pudgy white, pasty-skinned northern europeans with our maritime climate aren't used to July weather. If you didn't take 2-3 days beforehand to acclimatize to the heat you're effed.

I blame the quick in-quick out package guys who advertise you only have to take 1 day off of work and ride the etape. What's the point of that? You're already tired and stressed before you start.

Since 05/06 (my estimate) the etape has been taken over by tick-box folks who have also done the London marathon, the London triathlon and, yes, now they're all doing the London-Paris. Lemmings. Is it good for the "sport"? (Sport? I'd call it a scene, it's not really sport when you just do it once to get the t-shirt and the photos to bore your buddies with) Ask yourself that when you had to walk up the MB or in 2008 when we had to walk up that funny potted plant street early on the stage. As you can tell, as a life-long road racer turned sportiver i'm not totally enamoured with the dip in/di out set who have no clue so they walk into Cyclefit and say "what can i get for £5000?" then plug up the road with their lardy butts. Rant over.

Westerberg

FransJacques wrote:

Mccaria wrote:

That is 2 etapes done for me and a tale of 2 cramps. Last year cramp set in on the Ventoux and I had a painful 10k walk to the top. This year my left thigh started cramping at the bottom of the Solour and I spent the rest of the ride easing back and trying to fend off the full onset of cramp. With 3k of the Tourmalet to do my left thigh seized up completely if sat down so did the final 3k out of the saddle to finish in 9hr 36min.

Initially I was disappointed by the time and to be afflicted by cramp again, but after a few days I am a bit more sanguine and happy that at least I got to cycle up the Tourmalet, something I couldn't do at the Ventoux. It seems like I am susceptible to cramp in hot hilly conditions, so here's looking forward to a cold and wet Etape sometime in the future!

Drink more and get salt tablets and take them. Oh yeah, drink more. Did I also mention you need to drink more? Stuff with salt. End of. Us fat, pudgy white, pasty-skinned northern europeans with our maritime climate aren't used to July weather. If you didn't take 2-3 days beforehand to acclimatize to the heat you're effed.

I blame the quick in-quick out package guys who advertise you only have to take 1 day off of work and ride the etape. What's the point of that? You're already tired and stressed before you start.

Since 05/06 (my estimate) the etape has been taken over by tick-box folks who have also done the London marathon, the London triathlon and, yes, now they're all doing the London-Paris. Lemmings. Is it good for the "sport"? (Sport? I'd call it a scene, it's not really sport when you just do it once to get the t-shirt and the photos to bore your buddies with) Ask yourself that when you had to walk up the MB or in 2008 when we had to walk up that funny potted plant street early on the stage. As you can tell, as a life-long road racer turned sportiver i'm not totally enamoured with the dip in/di out set who have no clue so they walk into Cyclefit and say "what can i get for £5000?" then plug up the road with their lardy butts. Rant over.

you seem to spend your life on this forum trashing the Etape. Oh yeah, you're a 'proper roadie', not like all these damned newcomers who think they have a right to ride dropped handlebars all of a sudden. They'll be shaving their legs next and thinking their one of us!!!!

Don't listen to this fool - the Etape is a wonderful experience - largely because of the thousands of other 'tick boxers' that this guy loves to sneer at.

Mccaria

FJ - that's some tangent ! I have been riding bikes (including spells racing to a mediocre level on road and track) for 25+ years. Unfortunately this cramp was no respecter of having served an appropriate apprenticeship, when it was clearly meant to attack a list ticking newbie.

I suppose blaming it all on Cyclefit takes the heat off of Wiggle

airwise

FransJacques wrote:

Drink more and get salt tablets and take them. Oh yeah, drink more. Did I also mention you need to drink more? Stuff with salt. End of. Us fat, pudgy white, pasty-skinned northern europeans with our maritime climate aren't used to July weather. If you didn't take 2-3 days beforehand to acclimatize to the heat you're effed.

I blame the quick in-quick out package guys who advertise you only have to take 1 day off of work and ride the etape. What's the point of that? You're already tired and stressed before you start.

Since 05/06 (my estimate) the etape has been taken over by tick-box folks who have also done the London marathon, the London triathlon and, yes, now they're all doing the London-Paris. Lemmings. Is it good for the "sport"? (Sport? I'd call it a scene, it's not really sport when you just do it once to get the t-shirt and the photos to bore your buddies with) Ask yourself that when you had to walk up the MB or in 2008 when we had to walk up that funny potted plant street early on the stage. As you can tell, as a life-long road racer turned sportiver i'm not totally enamoured with the dip in/di out set who have no clue so they walk into Cyclefit and say "what can i get for £5000?" then plug up the road with their lardy butts. Rant over.

Well said that man. Spot on. You might want to add La Marmotte to the lemming's current list but otherwise I couldn't have put it better myself.

stagger

Drink more and get salt tablets and take them. Oh yeah, drink more. Did I also mention you need to drink more? Stuff with salt. End of. Us fat, pudgy white, pasty-skinned northern europeans with our maritime climate aren't used to July weather. If you didn't take 2-3 days beforehand to acclimatize to the heat you're effed.

I blame the quick in-quick out package guys who advertise you only have to take 1 day off of work and ride the etape. What's the point of that? You're already tired and stressed before you start.

Since 05/06 (my estimate) the etape has been taken over by tick-box folks who have also done the London marathon, the London triathlon and, yes, now they're all doing the London-Paris. Lemmings. Is it good for the "sport"? (Sport? I'd call it a scene, it's not really sport when you just do it once to get the t-shirt and the photos to bore your buddies with) Ask yourself that when you had to walk up the MB or in 2008 when we had to walk up that funny potted plant street early on the stage. As you can tell, as a life-long road racer turned sportiver i'm not totally enamoured with the dip in/di out set who have no clue so they walk into Cyclefit and say "what can i get for £5000?" then plug up the road with their lardy butts. Rant over.[/quote]you seem to spend your life on this forum trashing the Etape. Oh yeah, you're a 'proper roadie', not like all these damned newcomers who think they have a right to ride dropped handlebars all of a sudden. They'll be shaving their legs next and thinking their one of us!!!!

Don't listen to this fool - the Etape is a wonderful experience - largely because of the thousands of other 'tick boxers' that this guy loves to sneer at.[/quote]


what exactly are you not enamoured about with folk that can spend 5k on a bike and then ride it slowly ? I'm not one, but its their money eh?.

Should fat people not be allowed to ride bikes then?

not done the etape but saw plenty of larger folk doing the marmotte, some v slow, some defo not- well done to anyone who finishes i say

do something else if yer dont like it

I find that the 'time served to be part of it' attitude in any sport pisspoor and is usually trotted out by bitter old cynics