La Marmotte 2011 - Entry?

Brian B

You'll be in good company as I dont sleep much anyway and I probably will get no sleep the night before this but will after.

Snoppy

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

EDIT: A good deal on flights to Geneva for £130 inc my bike on the Wed and returning on the Sunday will give me an extra day to prep for the race. Booked -yikes!

Hi

I am booking up too and going from Glasgow. Interesting that you have booked a flight or have you as yet Glasgowbhoy?

I was doing a little looking up and I see you can do a flight from Glasgow to Chambery father than Edinbrugh to Geneva? Might be a better option for some.

I would be looking to go for a max 5 days, hire a car and camp to cut costs. I hear Alpe d'huez has good camp sites. Also I am looking for a hard case bike bag/box to carry/protect the bike on the plane if anyone has ideas.

glasgowbhoy

Snoppy wrote:

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

EDIT: A good deal on flights to Geneva for £130 inc my bike on the Wed and returning on the Sunday will give me an extra day to prep for the race. Booked -yikes!

Hi

I am booking up too and going from Glasgow. Interesting that you have booked a flight or have you as yet Glasgowbhoy?

I was doing a little looking up and I see you can do a flight from Glasgow to Chambery father than Edinbrugh to Geneva? Might be a better option for some.

I would be looking to go for a max 5 days, hire a car and camp to cut costs. I hear Alpe d'huez has good camp sites. Also I am looking for a hard case bike bag/box to carry/protect the bike on the plane if anyone has ideas.

Hi mate, I looked at Champery as an option as it's only 70km from Bourg but there doesn't seem to be any public transport between the two. Geneva is further but easy to get to Grenoble and on up to Bourg, The price from Edinburgh was pretty good too.

gsk82

signed up with velo ventoux yesterday, cant wait.

thats the hard part done, now just need to ride my bike.

glasgowbhoy

Worth a watch for those who haven't been before

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kldC4Mv_VeM

ghresort

Forget the crowds just do these rides on your own, its safer, its harder(no drafting) and most of all cheaper without the hassle of registration or in the Europe case lack of registration! Plus you can pick the month(Sept is great) I highly recommend it I do many of the rides each year over there.

glasgowbhoy

ghresort wrote:

Forget the crowds just do these rides on your own, its safer, its harder(no drafting) and most of all cheaper without the hassle of registration or in the Europe case lack of registration! Plus you can pick the month(Sept is great) I highly recommend it I do many of the rides each year over there.

Everyone to their own. I enjoy the 'event' and the enjoyment that goes with an organised set up

Breathebike.com

You might also want to look at the Time Megeve 12 June 2011 as part of your training. Next year the route has changed to take in the Col de la Colombiere. There is also the JPP event adjacent in Les Carroz the following weekend.

If you need any more info locally contact us in Chamonix at www.breathebike.com

Bon courage!

Breathebike.com

Have a look also at the Time Megeve 12 June 2011 which is great for build up to the tape or marmot. Next year it takes in the Colombiere with a light route change. If you can stay a week in the alps, the following Sunday is the JPP event adjacent in Les Carroz.

If you need any more information locally contact us at www.breathebike.com based in Chamonix.

Bon Courage!

Kléber

What's "JPP"?

The Time event is good, I've done it in the past and you get to ride with Time sponsored riders, eg the Bbox riders. But not sure who Time is sponsoring in 2011. A rider died in the Time-Megeve this year, but in general the safety of the event is very good.

the flying smith

im driving down around the 24th on my jack jones coming back on the sunday after the marmotte ,im going too be riding the tropee de l oisans if anyone is interested in going their on the cheap i have room,i no the area quite well and will be camping in bourg

chieflordy

Kléber wrote:

What's "JPP"?

The Time event is good, I've done it in the past and you get to ride with Time sponsored riders, eg the Bbox riders. But not sure who Time is sponsoring in 2011. A rider died in the Time-Megeve this year, but in general the safety of the event is very good.

Jean Pierre-Papin (the footballer)

http://www.cyclo-jpp.com/

Alain Quay

How scary are those Marmotte decents, with so many amateurs flying down them?

I've done an etape and to honest I hated the decents and just wanted to get down
them slowly and safetly without bursting tyres or being hit by another cyclist.

greeny12

Alain Quay wrote:

How scary are those Marmotte decents, with so many amateurs flying down them?

I've done an etape and to honest I hated the decents and just wanted to get down
them slowly and safetly without bursting tyres or being hit by another cyclist.

The descents are horrible if you don't like them, exhilaring (I'm sure...) if you do. I hated every second of them and it's one of the big reasons I'm not doing it again next year...

Alain Quay

Thanks. I thought as much. I am deferring on this one, as I'm not a confident descender - not
on those kind of gradients anyway.

avoidingmyphd

Kléber wrote:

What's "JPP"?

It's a sportive "organised by" the 90's football Jean Pierre Papin. Starts in Cluses with a summit finish into Les Carroz.
It isn't the weekend after the Time Megeve, though, it's 3 July.

ketsbaia

There are only two descents really - Glandon, which IMO is the worst, and Galibier, which is the longest. But if you're not confident going downhill, they're scary enough. By far the worst thing on the entire ride is the tunnels at La Grave, though. I'm taking halogen headlamps with me next time.

And I might take my sunglasses off when going through them too.

richa

Alain Quay wrote:

How scary are those Marmotte decents, with so many amateurs flying down them?

I've done an etape and to honest I hated the decents and just wanted to get down
them slowly and safetly without bursting tyres or being hit by another cyclist.

4 climbs. But only two descents (Glandon & Galibier).

The Glandon descent is neutralised so you can take it as gently/slowly as you like (timing mats stops the clock at the top/restart at bottom).

The Galibier descent isn't too bad. Roads are wide and visability is good. The crowds are well dispersed (6hrs into the race) by this stage too. The thing to watch are the tunnels, but they are not too bad (and you could always take a light if concerned).

Tom Butcher

How bad can the descents be - I mean I'm not a fantastic descender but I can get down Wrynose, Honister etc no problem in the wet and I'm guessing the Glandon isn't as steep just longer (it better not be any steeper anyway !) It's all relative isn't it - if you regularly ride with very good descenders you can think you are average - ride with non club cyclists you probably look like Savoldelli.

I'm hoping to get in the Marmotte next year so I'll find out anyay.

ketsbaia

Tom Butcher wrote:

How bad can the descents be - I mean I'm not a fantastic descender but I can get down Wrynose, Honister etc no problem in the wet and I'm guessing the Glandon isn't as steep just longer (it better not be any steeper anyway !) It's all relative isn't it - if you regularly ride with very good descenders you can think you are average - ride with non club cyclists you probably look like Savoldelli.

I'm hoping to get in the Marmotte next year so I'll find out anyay.

I didn't find them too bad, they're certainly not that steep, but I quite like descending (although I'm definitely in the 'keen amateur' rather than 'descending snob' category).

They do go on for ages, though. I think I'd prefer them if it were certain there would be nothing coming the other way.

Road Red

Looking forward to my first Marmotte this year.

I may be missing something here,but I am far more concerned about the 4 bits of the road that go up rather the two bits that go down!

I'm by no means a great descender, but I'm a big lad (which helps velocity) and am prone to feelings of invincibility, so I can keep off the brakes reasonably well. However, one of the highlights of this year's Etape was being passed by a very good descender, I tried to stay with him but didnt last very long. A joy to watch though.

daverow

That was me

Alan Chaffee

On the Marmotte this year, loads of people with exploded tyres from overheated rims from dragging brakes all the way down Glandon (a few even on the downhill bit on the way up the Glandon.)

forward_loop

Alpine descents are completely different to anything you will find in the UK. If this is anyones first time out - it would be very beneficial to try one or two out before the day - and regardless of wether its timed or not when you start going down the Glandon take notice of the Marshalls - for the first few turns you should be going slowly enough to read the plaque, commemorating the Dutchman that didn't !
Down the Galibier I think they had also put in some cobbled gulleys across the road to help the meltwater iirc. - which come as a shock
If you are in the first few thousand - you will also be subject to riders coming from behind taking the racing line (there are very few vehicles there on the day) some will let you know - some wont, Dont cut corners and DO NOT have a "rest" on the descents, maintaining a reasonable level of speed is safer than going very slowly, you will need all you senses about you.

Will Young

Spot on Forward Loop. Only other thing to add would be to be aware of what is over your your shoulder at all times. You will pass or be passed by descenders of every persuasion - some that have had their brains removed. Take the speed of before the bends and as Forward Loop says, don't stop unless you want to get up close and personal with a Flying Dutchman! To an earlier post, these descents are no where near as difficult or severe as the Wrynose, Hardnott etc., where you really struggle to get the speed of the bike

daverow

Good people, read this;

http://www.flammerouge.je/content/3_fac ... escend.htm

Try and visualisze as much of this technique as possible and apply it to whatever decending you are able to do throughout your training. The technique described here is the smoothest and safest way to decend provided you are a confident bike handler. practise practise practise.

In the etape this year there was over an hours worth of decending much of it at high speed and on busy winding roads full of hairpins, spectators and slower riders. Being aware of your surroundings and being able to 'read' the corner before you're there are invaluable in maintaining good, safe progress off the mountain.

"Passage canadien" means 'Cattle grid' and I can assure you, at 45 mph, there's little traction when crossing these metal monsters. Make sure you're balanced and off the brakes when crossing them or there'll be tears...

de_sisti

Swissair are charging 70 Euro each way to take a bike if you're thinking of flying into Geneva. :shock:
Anyone prepared to pay that much?

TheStone

Do we have a date for entries opening? Was expecting early Dec.

renrag1967

Just tried website again, still crashing with script errors.... Sigh. Hoping 2011 will be my 5th time on the trot.

Ive emailed Remi to see whats going. Im camping in Bourg, always good.

daverow

Whereabouts in Bourg are you staying? I've opted for 8 nights at Camping La Piscine just over the river at the foot of the Alpe. Not sure how good the campsite is but, provided the sun's out and the beer's cold i'm sure it'll be splendid.

Does anyone know what the time ratingsare for finishers? Gold, Silver Bronze..etc.. WOuld very much like to elevate myself above the all encompassing 'bronze' category..