La Marmotte 2011 - Entry?

Kléber

As said above you get a boost from overtaking people but you can get stuck in a slow group of 100 wheelsuckers between the Glandon and Telegraph. Advantages and disadvantages!

jonginge

Kléber wrote:

As said above you get a boost from overtaking people but you can get stuck in a slow group of 100 wheelsuckers between the Glandon and Telegraph. Advantages and disadvantages!

Haha. Yes, we had that last year starting from the second pack: 3 brits pulling a group of about 50. Not particularly happy. I'd been promised an easy ride between those two cols

sharrow

Looking at the site I see 206057 as my number - presuem just loose the 20 on the front to get the bib number?

jonginge

Doesn't seem likely. Where in the site?

To find the info:
Click on Inscriptions/registrations tab
Fill in red login form on RHS
Fill in the DOB information on the resulting popup dialog
Click on your name (row shows an id, name etc)

The above process should show a table with a row for each sportcommunications event you are entered for. It should show the dossard number. For example:

EPREUVE(S) DOS. CAT.
...............................................................................................................
Marmotte 659 D Homme de 30 a 39 ans


HTH and sorry if i'm teaching you to suck eggs

sharrow

Hmm - they have got all my details (which can't be from a previous year) but I show up as "No Registration"!

Time to do some chasing me thinks!

Fingers crossed

airbusboy

Well i'm in. I didnt recieve any emails due to using an incorrect email address :oops:

When logging in the website it says i owe $17 (euros).... but i know i paid the full amount when i signed up, any ideas.......

renrag1967

did you pay for a timing chip? you need this and its about that price. You get 10EUR back at the finish tho.


PS is anyone around Fife doing this? im in dunfermline and usually head into Fife for training.

alanp23

As a first time Marmotteer, I have a few questions that I hope someone can answer. We are going over as a small group and will have a car and a driver with us that we are hoping can provide us with some support.

Is this something that other people do and what are the practicalities of it. The roads are closed but I imagine that it is some sort of rolling closure that we can work around.

Do we need this or is there sufficient feeding stations along the route?

alanp23

thanks

GeorgeShaw

If you're thinking of driving around during the event, then don't. The last thing n thousand riders want is a big lump of moving metal trying to navigate through them. And there will be more than a few idiots trying.

But if you're thinking of staying put all day, then that's not a problem. I think some of the organised tours and bike hotels/B&Bs there do something like that. On top of the Galibier is a favourite, I believe. The top of the Glandon is usually a complete mess, so keep away.

renrag1967

AlanP, i have to say i agree with George. Ive done the Marmotte the last 4 years and have never ever seen anyone attempt to drive around at the same time providing support to riders. Its just not a practical proposition with that many cyclists on the road, honestly, particularly in the earlier parts. Ive seen tourist cars get stuck on the Glandon due to volume of riders etc. Basically unless your driver can ride a motorcycle id say forget this idea, you'll only **** -off other riders.

There are sufficent and well stocked feed stations and bascially you need your back pockets and saddle bag full of gels, tubes, pump etc...and two 1ltr water bottles!

Look on youtube for "La Marmotte 2009" and you will see a good video (dodgy music) thats shows what its like, by a guy call ... standringr.

Only idea i can think of (as George suggests) would be to get ur driver to park up somewhere on the route, some of the supported trips have vans than do this half way up the Glabier.

Hope that gives u some perspective. Enjoy your training and the ride!
G

alanp23

Yes, setting up somewhere along Telegraph/Plan Lachat is the plan.

We weren't thinking of having him driving round with us. As you say, it would be madness to have him driving with thousands of cyclists around and I had assumed that the road is closed whilst the majority pass through.

Thanks for the advice, chaps. Its always welcome.

GeorgeShaw

There is a feed station in Valloire, but be aware that it's a few km beyond Valloire (towards Plan Lachat). As the climb from Valloire to Plan Lachat is (comparatively) easy, I'd be tempted, if you're going to do it, to site yourself close to the top of one of the climbs.

As stated before, the Glandon is impossible - narrow roads, lots of riders and a complete scrum, although you might find some space at the fork with the road to the Croix de la Fer (which is off the route). So I would suggest the top of the Telegraphe, which is a big road and has some parking at the top and beyond, or either side of the tunnel at the top of the Galibier.

The roads aren't closed, BTW. The road from Bourg to the Maurienne valley has big warnings on it, and locals are sensible enough to stay off it. Because of the number of riders of greatly differing speeds on narrow roads, nosing along here is really going to upset people. Otherwise, there will be traffic, especially in the Maurienne valley and the descent from the Lautaret to Bourg. Once over the Glandon, riders are more or less sorted into their ability classes and the roads are much bigger, so the traffic is less of a problem.

tanaysmith

I would suggest having someone on the Galibier and driving the 'wrong' way round in the morning to get there.

If they are going to go on the Glandon they need to be prepared to start early and realise they are not going to get off the hill until 90% of the field has gone past which is going to be quite a few hours.

One word of warning, we had someone waiting at the top of the Galibier last year and not only can it be very windy and wild up there, they can be waiting for a very, very long time as they need to get up there before the first riders arrive and it was many hours before I hauled my arse up that mountain.

Having said that, someone to hand out some warm clothes for that decent was no bad thing.

maddog 2

tanaysmith wrote:

I would suggest having someone on the Galibier and driving the 'wrong' way round in the morning to get there.

+1

I echo what has been said. Top of Glandon is way too busy and too early anyway. Top of Telegraph is pretty busy too. I'd say somewhere on the upper slopes of the Galibier (but not right at the top) - great views and there is space to park.

The food situation is good so you don't need much external support anyway, but the Galibier is where you'll probably start to tire and it's a long old climb.

greeny12

Frankly if anyone needs vehicle-based support on the way up the Glandon they're f*cked anyway!! The ride has hardly started by that point.

I went with Veloventoux last year and they pitched their support van about 2km shy of the top of the Galibier, which was just about perfect. There was loads of room up there too - I passed several laybys and pull-ins that were empty and there are no big groups slogging up that climb anyway, so parking roadside is fine also, so long as you're tucked in a bit...

gsk82

i'm going with veloventoux on sunday 26th june, returning sunday 3rd july. i've been looking at flights recently and there isn't really much around other than from london. craig has told me that he's picking up from marseille, nimes and avignon, unfortunately no one flies to nimes or avignon on anything like a regular basis!

what flights are the other veloventoux guests using? does anyone know of anything from the north that doesn't involve transfer?

RickyG

Hi guys,

I have a quick question about the medical certificate. I've had it stamped by my doctor, scanned into the computer and emailed off to info@sportcommunication.com along with my Dossard number and details.

My question is should I be expecting an email back at some time to say they've received it and my entry is fully validated?

Also, roughly when do they send out the entry packs to your home address?

Thanks in advance!
Rich

timmyflash

Any suggestions for last minute accommodation? Yes yes, i know i'm more than late!

Was meant to be four of us doing it (plus potential girlfriend coming to support) and thinking of booking a chalet, but not much communication with other guys (only emailed them through the lady, don't know them personally), so might have to go it alone and just get a room.

Any suggestions for either?

Cheers and hope training's going well!

TheStone

RickyG wrote:

Hi guys,

I have a quick question about the medical certificate. I've had it stamped by my doctor, scanned into the computer and emailed off to info@sportcommunication.com along with my Dossard number and details.

My question is should I be expecting an email back at some time to say they've received it and my entry is fully validated?

Also, roughly when do they send out the entry packs to your home address?

Thanks in advance!
Rich

No, they don't seem to email. When you go into the site, the pdf version of your entry should change from RANDON.... to your age category.

Mines taken a few weeks, but has now changed.

RickyG

TheStone wrote:

RickyG wrote:

Hi guys,

I have a quick question about the medical certificate. I've had it stamped by my doctor, scanned into the computer and emailed off to info@sportcommunication.com along with my Dossard number and details.

My question is should I be expecting an email back at some time to say they've received it and my entry is fully validated?

Also, roughly when do they send out the entry packs to your home address?

Thanks in advance!
Rich

No, they don't seem to email. When you go into the site, the pdf version of your entry should change from RANDON.... to your age category.

Mines taken a few weeks, but has now changed.

Thanks, I see where you mean. I'll keep checking back on the pdf to confirm it gets updated.
Rich

gsk82

booked my flights last night.

out: stansted to marseille on sunday 26th 1130 with ryanair (for my 3 days at ventoux)

back: lyon to stansted on sunday 3rd at 1530 on easy jet

cost 100 quid each with ryanair charging 20quid for luggage and 40 for bike

will anyone on here be doing similar flights and travelling down from hull area? i couldn't beleive it when i couldnt find flights to marseille, nimes or avignon from the north on those dates without a wopping big wait for a connecting flight

airbusboy

Evening,

I realise it's a slight thread creep but does anyone know of any reasonable accommodation on the top of alp d'heuz? or any other ideas?

Rgds

de_sisti

airbusboy wrote:

Evening,

I realise it's a slight thread creep but does anyone know of any reasonable accommodation on the top of alp d'heuz? or any other ideas?

Rgds

You're leaving it a bit late, aren't you mate. If all else fails, why not consider camping at the
bottom of the Alpe.

airbusboy

Oh...... i'll pack a tent then.

narbs

airbusboy wrote:

Evening,

I realise it's a slight thread creep but does anyone know of any reasonable accommodation on the top of alp d'heuz? or any other ideas?

Rgds

I'm hoping that once the ski season ends the hotels will put up their vacancy details. I can't believe that every hotel room in Alpe d'Huez has been booked already, there must be thousands.

harrywolper

Hi

Friend of mine is trying to enter but it dies not seem to work? Is the race full please?

Thanks, Harry

GoodRiddance

Yes. The race is full.

malcolmfrost

I'm hoping that once the ski season ends the hotels will put up their vacancy details. I can't believe that every hotel room in Alpe d'Huez has been booked already, there must be thousands.

There are but a lot of them shut down during the summer, Ad'H is relatively deserted!

narbs

malcolmfrost wrote:

I'm hoping that once the ski season ends the hotels will put up their vacancy details. I can't believe that every hotel room in Alpe d'Huez has been booked already, there must be thousands.

There are but a lot of them shut down during the summer, Ad'H is relatively deserted!

Good point! Still, managed to get a room via the accommodation office there, so hopefully everything's sorted.

Just need to decipher the Grenoble - Bourg - Alpe d'Huez bus timetable now.....