Etape 2010
Comments
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oh how right you were !! it started to go v slow when I arrived 1/2 way up, people were walking on the left side and that caused havoc. On the right I saw a poor bloke fall and not unclip, he ended in the ditch and the first thing to touch was his head hitting the water (luckily he was ok) . I got past that, and managed to keep going, behind me there were 3 crashed with people falling sideways taking out 5-6 people :shock:berliner wrote:Re Marie Blanc, There's strong possibility you will end up walking some of it.
Marie Blanque was hard, Soulour long, Tourmalet was painful with hours in the legs. Made it round though, will check position later.
in short, very enjoyable, very hot, perfect views when you didn't have tunnel vision
, and I found some great packs to ride in between the cols. 0 -
that was another hot one then! Hard going from the off. We had averages 19mph to the bottom of the Soulor, including the Cote de Gaye and the Marie Blanque. Mental. Managed to drag myself through the heat on the Tourmalet and finished 852nd, so I managed to crack the 1000 as I had hoped. Plan not to ride a bike for 6 months, but will probably be out on Wednesday!
Well done to all that rode, it was harsh!0 -
Well done all that was a hard day. Very hot and unrelenting. I ended up in the medical tent after finishing which ruined the evening!
Good effort Gumball
I've got a full right up of my day here http://www.amateuretape.com/?p=502Tri Coaching
https://www.h3otriathlon.com0 -
Nice ride as well! My buddy spent 25 mins passed out 3km from the top and awoke to 6 by-standers and 3 riders trying to revive him. He got on and finished in a similar time.
Since your graph has time on the y-axis it's easy to see how fatigue caused your VAM to decrease over 4 stages - comparing the steepness of your progress on the MB, the Soulor, and the Tourmalet before the water stop and after it.
You climbed the MB fast (I can see where you walked a bit, didn't hurt your VAM too much!) and you climbed the Soulor well as well. Where your VAM goes off a cliff is the end of the ride when fatigue, heat, and lactic acid are highest. Your HR didn't like the walking on the MB - were you a bit aggravated by it all? Looked like you tried to make up time AND the grade was over 12% since, like me, your HR tracks close to grade. For my weight (81kgs) I like climbs up to 8% then from 9% on my power:weight kills me.
A horizontal summation of elevation gain shows about ~6.5 hours of your total ride time was climbing. How the heck does one train for that in the UK? Lesson learned is to do a recce trip in May or something once the passes are open.When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.0 -
Oh yeah, 2 things, from the numbers (I work in finance and love this stuff) it looks like you over-cooked it on the MB and especially the 30 kms from there to the beginning of the Soulor where your HR is very peaky and you might have burned a lot of matches. I mean, you were on the flat and were at 90% of your max HR (180bpm) while chasing fast wheels. One has to balance this with the frustration of; a) riding alone and burning more fuel and time, and b) being in a slower but crappy group that doesn't ride together well. IME groups of slower riders on long sportives usually lack good cohesion.
b) How was the vallium? Glad you feeel better.When a cyclist has a disagreement with a car; it's not who's right, it's who's left.0 -
Hi FJ, Thanks for your comments. You are right about me going to hard from MB to Soulor. I was actually with a good group who were of a better standard than I am. As I was on my own I stuck with them which I knew could be a bad decision even as I was doing it.
b) Thanks and feeling fine again today. Didn't notice the effect of the Valium at the time until I wondered where I was an hour later and had drifted off for a while! Should actually say how great all the medical staff were all to everyone in the medical tent.Tri Coaching
https://www.h3otriathlon.com0 -
Ooof, that was tough!
Had a particular problem with very painful big toes, a combination, I suspect, of the pressure exerted on them by protacted climing and the heat.
My first time riding in mountains, so was pretty pleased with my 8hrs02 / 1167 position. The support from the roadside was fantastic and really made a positive difference for me I think, expecially the very welcome soakings on the Tourmalet!0 -
That was a tough one, certainly one of the toughest of the eight I've done and definitely more difficult than last year. Only 6,888 finished out of 10,000 signed up, including Eric Zabel at 152nd and the ubiquitous Alain Prost at 450th. As forecast it was a really hot day again.
Highlights included a quick start. Although wearing a number in the high 6,000s, our group managed to get there early and were near the front of the pen. I managed to cane it, including bunny hopping down the pavement at one point and luckily missed the traffic jam up the top of the Marie-Blanque. Superb descent of the Soulor. Great mountain scenery if you had time to look up off the road ahead.
Groups formed on the flat, at one point there were five of us going through and off (including one of the many Sky riders) at a good pace for 20km, only for me to look over my shoulder and see a group of hundreds of cyclists behind us all sucking wheel (grrr!).
Spun up the first half of the Tourmalet, making regular use of the many supporters pouring cold water on me and felt confident that I was on target for a silver time. Nice cold can of Coke from the guys at the Cyclefit tent (many many thanks!).
Then sailed past the final water station on the Tourmalet and out of the short wooded section and bonked badly; took ages to do the last 5km to the top. Finished in 8h56 (frustratingly just outside the silver target for my age) with a visit to the medical tent and a saline drip for dehydration. Wasn't offered any valium though! Despite that, after 15 minutes felt fine. Thanks also to the medical support, which was fantastic.
Next year? We're overdue an Alp or two but as always with the Tour nothing is totally predictable.
Well done all who finished and particularly those within the first 1000. Chapeau!0 -
Amazing atmosphere, scenery and a tough day to say the least! It was carnage at the back of the field!
On that score does anyone know the reason the timing mat was pulled away at 18.48? Us souls grovelling further down the mountain were told by several officials that the timing would finish at 7pm due to the traffic jam on the Marie blanque. Struggled to the line by 18.53 to a medal but no official time!0 -
anyone know if we can get a full list of all entrants and times ? would be interesting to see, specially what my time to Soulor was like, and then afterwards0
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boondog wrote:anyone know if we can get a full list of all entrants and times ? would be interesting to see, specially what my time to Soulor was like, and then afterwards
All they give on splits is time up Tourmalet
http://org-results-letape.letour.fr/2010/0 -
MrZ wrote:On that score does anyone know the reason the timing mat was pulled away at 18.48? !
The elimination time was 18:30 ..they removed the mats @ 18:40 to the best of my knowladge
Tough decision in my opinion for those near the finish...I think they should make the cut off point at about 5 km to go and let the ones past get a time.
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Casbar wrote:MrZ wrote:On that score does anyone know the reason the timing mat was pulled away at 18.48? !
The elimination time was 18:30 ..they removed the mats @ 18:40 to the best of my knowledge
Tough decision in my opinion for those near the finish...I think they should make the cut off point at about 5 km to go and let the ones past get a time.
Original elim time was 18.30 for sure but we were all told at drinks station at Super Bareges that this had been revised to 19.00. if you look at the results last timed finisher was 18.48 which i guess was when the mat was taken away
At the end of the day we were lucky to get any extra time and a medal but seemed a bit odd it was cut off at 6.48 and not 7 as advised. Miscommunication, logistics or "French logic" perhaps! At this point people were battling desperately to get there in time and though by that point most of us would have struggled to hit 6.30 when you then get told a revised time and the objective is just to finish your survival plan and pace naturally adjusts accordingly. i was elated when i got to the top then thought "sh@t where's the timing mat!!"
Slight disappointment didnt last too long though - Good excuse to do it next year now!0 -
MrZ,
I see what you are saying...However you know you got to the top of the Tourmalet....that is what matters. Well done, as this one was a hard one !!0 -
Afraid that was a disaster for me, started at 7:25 and got to the bottom of MB at 9:40, ie 2:15 to do 54k and a 4th cat climb. Only 10 min ahead of Norbert's lorry. struggled up MB and got the first tap on the shoulder 100m from the summitt and ignored it, got tapped again 1k later and stopped and took all identification off and rode down to Asson to meet my wife. Rest of the afternoon in a very deserted campsite.
Reason?
Picked up a continuing stomach bug that has left me a stone lighter but also wouldn't let me eat more than a couple of mouthfuls at a time. Unlike Lance, any power I had has gone.
So it's Etape 1 me 1 at the moment, the decider next year!
A very well done to everyone who completed.
P.S. as a DNF can I wear my t shirt
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First of all congratulations to all who completed it, it looked like a tough one this year.
I was thinking of doing the Quebrantahuesos next year, which has similar entrants (around 9K), but i am a bit put off by your accounts of riders walking up the marie Blanque end clogging up the road (the same climb is featured).
Frankly and maybe a bit brutally... but if one can't climb 4 km at 12-14% when relatively fresh, shouldn't he think of doing something else?left the forum March 20230 -
I was lucky, but for riders behind they approached a wall of people walking, there was no chance for them to get through.ugo.santalucia wrote:Frankly and maybe a bit brutally... but if one can't climb 4 km at 12-14% when relatively fresh, shouldn't he think of doing something else?0 -
Well, managed to complete it despite a number of obstacles in my way. Most notably my bike not turning up, courteousy of Easy Jet, at the same time as me. I was bikeless. Fortunately an incredibly helpful local MondoVelo shop sorted me out with one (at a price). It meant buying kit as well as this was in my bike bag also.
Anyway got to my start pen at 6:30 and waited 20 odd mins to cross the start line. The bottlenecks occurred in the villages ahead of MB to slow us down, but the biggest by far was the 2km walk up MB. Very disappointing because I was feeling good but you simply had to stop because everyone else ahead had done so. It was inevitable that it was going to happen for those of us in the penultimate pen looking for a 9-10 hour finish. Too many ahead of us were not prepared for what was in store.
After the summit of MB though it was yet another fantastic experience. The descents were thrilling and the groups that formed helped pull you along. The climb of Tourmalet,, although tough, was exhilarating because of the crowds that packed the ascent and their willingness to throw themselves into the event. The dowsing of cold water on many occasions was very welcome. The Brits near the top of the climb with their Allez Wiggins banners played the only decent music I heard on the day!
In the end my time was 10:18 so slightly disappointed but a great day nonetheless. It was, in my opinion, the toughest since Foix-Loudenville in 2007.
Fortunately I had agreed to meet my daughter and Sister-in-law at Bagneres De Bigorre as we had been told that access to La Mongie would not be possible. That was good fun weaving through the gridlock of cars trying to get off the mountain. Bit of a cycle after that was escaped but large numbers were doing the same so groups were formed.
It really is a great day despite the hype, the cost and ever increasing numbers of entrants. The latter is a major concern because the routes they choose just cannot accommodate those numbers.
I am also getting a bit tired of the mountain top finishes. It makes it extremely difficult for spectators who are part of the day for those of us who go under our own steam. Those with me, met me in Asson but after that all they could do was spend hours in a location miles away with no awareness of what was going on. The finish in Loudenville was on the flat and so you could be seen crossing the line and easily join up again.
Despite the gripes and, I suppose, familiarity breeding contempt it is a great occasion and worth at least doing once.
Oh, and my bike turned up on the Monday afternoon.0 -
I agree that it was as tough as Foix-Loudenvielle.
What a total nightmare about the bike not turning up. The same happened to me on BA a few years ago (before you had to pre- book bikes) but I thought that now the airlines make you pay in advance for carrying your bike they would know exactly how many they need to fit on the plane. How naive of me...
Since my BA episode I always pack my pedals and all my kit in a separate bag, filling out the bike box with water-bottles, gels, bars, etc.
Yes it's easy to knock the Etape as it's expensive and the logistics are always a nightmare. I'd steer clear of any of the travel companies. I've ridden quite a few gran fondi in Italy which are much less hassle (since the route is circular, typically starting and finishing in the centre of town, and you can always decide on the ride if you want to go the full distance or a shorter one) but then you can't claim afterwards that you rode the deciding stage of this year's Tour (although, in fact, last year's Felice Gimondi followed part of the Giro stage that finished in Bergamo).0 -
keep the accounts coming! loving it.
good that it was a hard one this year. I am an 06, 07 and 08 veteran and remember the Foix - Loudienville ride in particular as hard. If this was anywhere close to that then it was obviously a toughie!0 -
I'm a big lad so I was never going to be fast, having said that it took me a bit longer than I thought, 10.50, but I was never in any danger of the broomwagon.
I was tapping my way up the MB fine and pasing many others so was disappointed to have to walk for 1km, though we did mange to start again for the last 700 metres. The descent was awesome. I teamed up with a couple of other guys on the flat stretch and was surprised when I peeled off my stinit at the front to see I was leading about 50 others into the wind! I did dive into the middle of the bunch for the remainder of the stretch and stayed there.
I found the Souler tough, a real steady grind, but at least the consistency of the gradient allowed you to keep a steady, but slow pace. The Tourmalet was tough. On its own, not as hard a climb as Ventoux last year, but considering what had gone before it was tougher. I knew from a long way out that I would need a brief stop or two on the way up, which I took just to get the heart rate down. No walking though, which was a target of mine since I had to walk some last year.
Overall a great, hard day. Tougher than last year but I was better prepared. The crowds were amazing throughout, those providing water on the Tourmalet were life savers, particularly considering they must have been doing it for hours by the time I came through. Chapeau.
The Etape is expensive, they certainly had too many entries for the course this year, but it's hard to beat it. (Admittedly I havent done any other European sportives) I got the impression this year though, that there were a lot of people on the course that were never going to make the finish, a lot walking on MB. (I know it was steep but it did come very early in the day). Has the Etape become a social type event to enter, regardless of fitness?
Anyway I love it. May well be back. Chapeau to all finishers.0 -
"Has the Etape become a social type event to enter, regardless of fitness? "
Probably yes. Or at least the average standard of riding (both in bike handling and fitness terms) is well below anything i've experienced elsewhere outside the UK.
If you can get clear of the masses it's a great event though.0 -
The day before the ride for me was a total disaster so i was just glad to be on the start line in the end - i got 2 punctures riding between the hotel and the sponsors village. I then spent 2 hours at the mavic tent and in the village hunting for an inner tube with removable core. Unbelievably none of the stands sold them so i had to get one from a very helpful guy at the hotel.
After starting towards the back i finally got away at 7.20 only to puncture again within 6 miles. I didnt have a very good pump and wasnt sure if there was a Mavic car behind. I was also slightly worried about being eliminated so i rode the next 18 miles fairly tentatively with a front puncture to the Mavic service area at Oloron St Marie. There an American dude did a great job with my wheel by applying new rim tape which was causing the repeated punctures. By the time i left the service area in the town the course was deserted so i had to put the hammer down a bit to get back into the groups. By the time i hit the bottom of the Marie Blanque it was getting busy again and i had 2km of walking at the top like most others.
From then on things improved until coming down the Soulour i got a bit excited. A bend tightened up on me and i ended up going over the bars head first into what seemed to be the muddiest ditch in the entire Pyrenees. I landed on my head and was incredibly lucky to have a soft landing otherwise i could have been in all sorts of trouble. From then on at every feed stop i was trying to wash the mud out of my hair and basically my entire body which was covered in the stuff. It was only halfway up the Tourmalet when the crowds at the side of the road stopped exclaiming as they saw this guy who looked like he'd been thrown in a ditch ride past!
Finished in 9hr 45 in the end. Disappointed with the time as i was expecting 8hr30 but overall it is a great experience the Etape. You can say what you want about the expense and the sometimes challenging logistics/organisation but the feeling when you finish is amazing. Ill be back again next year and in all probability the year after that.0 -
1911 is the centenary of the first time the Galibier was used in the Tour, so an Alpine one next year perhaps?0
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gray700 wrote:The day before the ride for me was a total disaster so i was just glad to be on the start line in the end - i got 2 punctures riding between the hotel and the sponsors village. I then spent 2 hours at the mavic tent and in the village hunting for an inner tube with removable core. Unbelievably none of the stands sold them so i had to get one from a very helpful guy at the hotel.
After starting towards the back i finally got away at 7.20 only to puncture again within 6 miles. I didnt have a very good pump and wasnt sure if there was a Mavic car behind. I was also slightly worried about being eliminated so i rode the next 18 miles fairly tentatively with a front puncture to the Mavic service area at Oloron St Marie. There an American dude did a great job with my wheel by applying new rim tape which was causing the repeated punctures. By the time i left the service area in the town the course was deserted so i had to put the hammer down a bit to get back into the groups. By the time i hit the bottom of the Marie Blanque it was getting busy again and i had 2km of walking at the top like most others.
From then on things improved until coming down the Soulour i got a bit excited. A bend tightened up on me and i ended up going over the bars head first into what seemed to be the muddiest ditch in the entire Pyrenees. I landed on my head and was incredibly lucky to have a soft landing otherwise i could have been in all sorts of trouble. From then on at every feed stop i was trying to wash the mud out of my hair and basically my entire body which was covered in the stuff. It was only halfway up the Tourmalet when the crowds at the side of the road stopped exclaiming as they saw this guy who looked like he'd been thrown in a ditch ride past!
Finished in 9hr 45 in the end. Disappointed with the time as i was expecting 8hr30 but overall it is a great experience the Etape. You can say what you want about the expense and the sometimes challenging logistics/organisation but the feeling when you finish is amazing. Ill be back again next year and in all probability the year after that.
Spend all year training and go through this because you didn't learn basic mechanics. A very expensive lesson and one all should pay attention to.0 -
Pictures are now up on http://www.maindruphoto.com/index.php?cPath=1792
And there's video of everyone too - click on the mysportstv lin at the bottom of the individual results page on http://org-results-letape.letour.fr/2010/ to see yourself (or your friends).
Try number 32 (Jean-Christophe Currit, the winner) to see how fast the lead group were going!0 -
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!0 -
TimB34 wrote:Pictures are now up on http://www.maindruphoto.com/index.php?cPath=1792
And there's video of everyone too - click on the mysportstv lin at the bottom of the individual results page on http://org-results-letape.letour.fr/2010/ to see yourself (or your friends).
Try number 32 (Jean-Christophe Currit, the winner) to see how fast the lead group were going!
For a contrasting video flavour of the back of the field hell, try punching in number 5862. I particularly like the camera 2km down from the finish where people are getting towed to the finish by the lorry carrying all the swept up bikes!0 -
who's worked out how to save the videos ?0
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MrZ wrote:For a contrasting video flavour of the back of the field hell, try punching in number 5862. I particularly like the camera 2km down from the finish where people are getting towed to the finish by the lorry carrying all the swept up bikes!
Motorised doping! Here's the link.0
