Who's doing the Marmotte,

Abdoujaparov

Yep, I'm getting pretty excited about it too, but my recent trip to the alps has made me a little apprehensive. Climbing for long periods at altitude makes you feel weak as p*ss so I've had to adjust my starting pace down a little. Funny how I spent the first couple of miles on the colombiere (which is only cat 1!) thinking I was taking it really easy only to realise towards the top that I probably started a couple of mph too fast!

The feeling after conquering a few cols was great though and I reckon the feeling after doing the Marmotte will be ten times that.

jonginge

Abdoujaparov wrote:

Yep, I'm getting pretty excited about it too, but my recent trip to the alps has made me a little apprehensive. Climbing for long periods at altitude makes you feel weak as p*ss so I've had to adjust my starting pace down a little. Funny how I spent the first couple of miles on the colombiere (which is only cat 1!) thinking I was taking it really easy only to realise towards the top that I probably started a couple of mph too fast!

The feeling after conquering a few cols was great though and I reckon the feeling after doing the Marmotte will be ten times that.

The colombiere is a nice climb but as with many alpine climbs the last couple of km are a bit steeper and, obviously, a bit more open. You can see the cafe at the top of the colombiere from about 3k away and it only seems to inch closer...

Feeling much happier now after completing the 127mile Magnificat in a half-decent time at the weekend. A bit of recovery, then some 1-2hr tempo/threshold sessions and one last long ride and I'm done. Hopefully it will be enough

Alain Quay

Please can someone tell me, as I 've looked about and can't locate this info
and want to do it in 2011:

1) is there a cut off time or minimum speed - i.e. as you know the Etape has a 20 kph requirement with broom wagon

2) is it better to stay on Ale d'Huez or is it easy enough to travel back down after the
event?

3) Is car traffic on descents a problem or is it closed to traffic?

4) out of interest, is there a medal/certificate for finishing?

Someone mentioned Piscine campsite. Have stayed there a few times - very
nice & good pool - & 95% Dutch campers.

many thanks

skavanagh.bikeradar

1) is there a cut off time or minimum speed - i.e. as you know the Etape has a 20 kph requirement with broom wagon
There is a simple cut off time at the bottom of Alpe d'Huez. If you arrive after it you can still cycle up it but you don't get a time and are recorded with a different category to those inside the time limit. I can't remember what the cut off time was, but it shouldn't be a worry unless you start at the back and then suffer a lot.

2) is it better to stay on Ale d'Huez or is it easy enough to travel back down after the
event?
Lots more accommodation on the Alpe as it is a deserted ski resort. And of course when you finish you are not far from a shower and a bed. On the downside it is an out of season ski resort and even with a load of cyclists present it is still a ghost town. The atmosphere is all in Bourg.

3) Is car traffic on descents a problem or is it closed to traffic?
It isn't a closed road route at any point. BUT I hardly saw a car all day. The only time it is a major worry is on the way off the Lauteret.

4) out of interest, is there a medal/certificate for finishing?
Yes and some food if you can stomach it. I couldn't.

Alain Quay

Thanks !

Abdoujaparov

JonGinge wrote:

The colombiere is a nice climb but as with many alpine climbs the last couple of km are a bit steeper and, obviously, a bit more open. You can see the cafe at the top of the colombiere from about 3k away and it only seems to inch closer...

Feeling much happier now after completing the 127mile Magnificat in a half-decent time at the weekend. A bit of recovery, then some 1-2hr tempo/threshold sessions and one last long ride and I'm done. Hopefully it will be enough

Yep, those last couple of k were interminable! Seen the profile of the mountain now (should have really checked properly before) and it does kick up nastily at the end so not surprising I slowed.

What do people normally do for a taper? I know how a running taper should look, but haven't ever tapered for a sportive before. The thing is, I'm going to be in the alps a week early which will be great for acclimatisation and a couple of training rides, but the temptation to do too much will be quite high. I'm thinking 10 days before the Marmotte I'll have a couple of rest days, then an easy ride, then the week in the alps before the Marottte will look something like this:

Sun: 80 miles with two or three cols
Mon: 50 miles with one or two cols
Tues: Rest
Wed: 40 miles easy
Thurs: Rest
Fri: Rest
Sat: Race

It takes me a little while to recover because I don''t have a great training base.

What do you think?

inseine

Sun: 80 miles with two or three cols
Mon: 50 miles with one or two cols
Tues: Rest
Wed: 40 miles easy
Thurs: Rest
Fri: Rest
Sat: Race

You know better than us what you need but it looks OK to me, though I'd have a light spin of up to an hour, flat (!) on the Friday.

JSB24

doesnt look like tapering to me in anyway, nothing to be gained so close to the event in terms of fitness apart from tiring yourself IMO.

Abdoujaparov

It's a balancing act between getting the most out of my holiday and not tiring myself out for the event.

Reckon I might take it a little easier in the first few days of the week though.

Cheers

cjcp

I'm doing it. Driving down with JonGinge.

Like JG, feeling a little better prepared after completing the Magnificat in an ok time. Just got to buy that compact...

ketsbaia

Christ, I'm cacking it. Magnificat time was considerably slower than I thought it would be, although I did linger a bit too long at the feed stops than necessary.

Plus I woke up at 6am yesterday morning with an intense stabbing pain in my shoulder that spread to my chest. Went to hospital to check it out and my heart/lungs were given a massive clean bill of health (reassuring), but it still hurts when I breathe too hard. Absolutely no idea what caused it, but if it comes back in early July I'll be Donald.

And it's only two weeks away.

*fear*

greeny12

ketsbaia wrote:

Plus I woke up at 6am yesterday morning with an intense stabbing pain in my shoulder that spread to my chest. Went to hospital to check it out and my heart/lungs were given a massive clean bill of health (reassuring), but it still hurts when I breathe too hard. Absolutely no idea what caused it, but if it comes back in early July I'll be Donald.

And it's only two weeks away.

*fear*

All them cheeky fags mate!

ketsbaia

Pah! Ain't touched one for months, fortunately.

inseine

And it's only two weeks away.

*fear*

If I need a laxative I only need to think about the Marmotte and I'm running to the bathroom within 5 minutes.
It can't be that bad, can it? I think i know the answer!

greeny12

ketsbaia wrote:

Pah! Ain't touched one for months, fortunately.

Wasn't referring to the past months!

the other me

I'm doing it for the first time this year, and I can't wait!

Have done a few sportives in reasonable times and am feeling ok.

Not really sure what to do now though (ie with 2 weekends left to go) - what balance of training would be the most beneficial.
I don't want to wind down to soon, but equally don't want to do too much and not be fresh for the big day.....

I have at least had the foresight to keep both weekends reletively clear, so I can do as much or as little as I like.

airegin

I think someone asked about this before but the cut-off time is to be at the foot of alpe d'huez by 6pm. It's quite a generous cut-off time, and I think they will still allow you up if you insist you feel ok.

I remember the last time I rode la marmotte, riding back down alpe d'huez to get back to my flat after the event at around 8.45pm, and the last rider was about half way up with the broom wagon and the first aid car accompanying him. Would he really have passed through the foot of alpe d'huez at 6pm??

If you don't get to ride up alpe d'huez whether through missing the cut-off or by deciding to carry straight on to your flat in Bourg d'Oisans you can get a certificate for doing the "Marmottan" as opposed to the "Marmotte".

LikeUStoleIt

it's always difficult to know what to do in the last two weeks of training.

the literature for ironman (which is what i've been doing for the last couple of years) suggests that you can't really add any more base fitness in this period, but you can add a bit of 'sharpness' to your fitness.

most of the advice is to (a) pull back overall volume, (b) do 'race simulation' workouts, and (c) start to rest up a bit and clear any fatigue from all the training.

so, trying to apply this to marmotte it's obviously tough to do anything like the galibier in the uk, but my plan for (b) is to do some 1-2 hour threshold efforts this coming week as an attempt to simulate the climbs, but not do any long steady rides.

i never managed to get as much ironman training in as i wanted to, so i (desperately) clung onto a quote from joe friel who said that it was better to arrive at race day 10% under-trained than to arrive 5% over-trained.

good luck to everyone with the last of their training!

maddog 2

I'm going to train right up to going, and certainly pretty hard next week.

It's a personal thing but I find I lose a bit if I rest too much before the event. More mentally than physically it seems. I like to build some momentum.

Fitted my 33t ring and the 11-28 cassette last night ! 8) Bike is ready!

brucey72

http://www.bison-fute.equipement.gouv.f ... &langue=fr

I see from the above website that the Col du Galibier remains closed! Is it usual for it to still be closed because of snow at this time of year or is there possibly another reason for it's closure such as roadworks?

ketsbaia

From that link, it looks like the reason for the closure is because they're reopening the tunnel.

cjcp

LikeUStoleIt wrote:

but my plan for (b) is to do some 1-2 hour threshold efforts this coming week as an attempt to simulate the climbs, but not do any long steady rides.

+1. Will do some one or two turbo sessions, too.

Good luck to all with the last bit of training.

ju5t1n

My lead-up will be this...

Sunday: Reading Summer Road Race, 54 miles (fast)
Monday: Club evening chain-gang
Tuesday: Decorate daughter’s bedroom, and 25 mile evening pootle
Wednesday: Mammoth drive from Banbury to Bourg d’Oisans ...might break out a couple of caffeine gels for this one
Thursday: Practice spin up Col du Glandon
Friday: Practice spin up l’Alpe d’Huez (to sign on etc.)
Saturday: Race!

ketsbaia

Wow.

Mine is:

Try and recover from left calf strain
Try and do some early morning hill reps after the above
Maybe get a lumpy 40-odd miler in at the weekend
Try and do a 2-hour turbo session simulating one of the climbs
Panic
Train to Valence
Panic some more
Bit of a spin on Friday to make sure the bike's working well after the journey. Panic. Sign up.
Race

ju5t1n

Right now it’s next Wednesday’s drive that worries me most, 12+ hours on my own.

Remember to register on Friday in l'Alpe, it’s worth riding up there if you’re staying in Bourg, it really helped me to get a feel for the climb last year. It’s not that tough in isolation, honest!

cjcp

ju5t1n wrote:

Right now it’s next Wednesday’s drive that worries me most, 12+ hours on my own.

Can't say I'm looking forward to that either. Got two club mates with me though, so that'll help. Getting a Eurostar across after rush hour, so I can get more sleep. Got a 6am ferry to France last year with little sleep the night before. The drive to the Dordogne was knackering.

forward_loop

Galibier is open - although there is still snow at the top.

Was passing last weekend. Dutch are already arriving and setting up camp. Weather over the weekend was terrible with really heavy rain for three days. A little stint up to Croix de fer entailed - shorts with tights over. long sleave base layer, windproof tri top, bike jersey, arm warmers, hat under helmet, and water proof layer. Temp at the top was 8 degrees feeling like 2-3 in the wind.- and this is 600 metres short of the galibier.
Tuesday was a lot warmer but my mate still needed leg warmers over the galibier.
Roads oK but with some grit around on the hairpins.
looks like warm weather has just hit though. Its so changeable at the moment so keep an eye on the weather.
Also - lots of Americans around :?

forward_loop

it seems that the whole website has been redone since I last looked.

I have printed off my "lettre de confirmation" - but there dont seem to be any references now to a medical certificate :?:

Does anyone know the score with this one. ? Is one still needed ?

Also - although Garmin are a sponsor there doesn't seem to be a download. Is There an offical garmin file ? I know the route but the course option for timing would be useful - (to ensure I dont get scopped up by the broom wagon!)

dizzydane

I'm also lost as to what to do with this medical certificate. I'm collecting mine this evening and read on another forum that it should be emailed over prior to arrival...

Can anyone advise on what information/docs we need to take with us to register?

ketsbaia

I'm just gonna rock up to registration with my doctor's certificate and see how it goes.

Am now thinking about insurance. Has anyone got any recommendations for insurers at all? I'd like to cover the bike against theft or damage on the train and myself in case of necessary medical treatment. Or is the latter covered through the race's insurance?