Marmotte timings

Tim Sluman
Tim Sluman Posts: 34
edited May 2011 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Riding La Marmotte this year (I last rode in 2008 and 2009) but I've heard they have neutralised the descent of the Glandon.

Can anyone advise how this works with regard to timings.

Cheers

Tim

Comments

  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    They take the descent time off the official figure, published later on the website. However, my certificate was printed with the descent left in. Not bothered to be honest. My ride buddy (CJCP) and I didn't spend too long at the feed at the top of the glandon and just got on with it.

    Edit: I really, really enjoyed the descent off the Glandon
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    what Jon said.

    Just go off your computer readout.

    I still went flat stick off the Glandon - who are they kidding :wink:
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • TheStone
    TheStone Posts: 2,291
    I'm planning on being so far behind at the top of the Glandon that I'll have an empty road to descend!

    How strict are they with cutoff times?
    exercise.png
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Not sure exactly. Someone in our group got a timed 11+hr ride. You have to reach the base of the Alpe by a certain time of day to actually be classified with a time. Unlike the etape, though, they don't stop you riding up the Alpe if you're beyond that limit
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • TheStone
    TheStone Posts: 2,291
    JonGinge wrote:
    Not sure exactly. Someone in our group got a timed 11+hr ride. You have to reach the base of the Alpe by a certain time of day to actually be classified with a time. Unlike the etape, though, they don't stop you riding up the Alpe if you're beyond that limit

    That sounds good. Not fussed if I don't get classified, would just like to get round in one piece. Realistically, around 11hrs would be my aim.
    exercise.png
  • rowman
    rowman Posts: 111
    Why is the decent of the Glandon neutralised? I know a Dutch guy was killed about four years ago on one of the upper bends? If anything the first few bends of the Galibier are a bit dodgy with some spectacular drops, tight hairpins and lots of very tired cyclists
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    My certificate was also printed with the glandon descent left in which actually downgraded me from gold to silver.

    No biggie, but one of the organisers had told me everyone would be given 30 mins for the neutralised descent and on that basis I'd have got gold.

    Anyway, if they're going to neutralise any of the descents the glandon is the one to do cos the course is packed with riders at that point. By the galibier it has thinned out nicely and I had an absolute blast on that one. It's seriously fast.

    Even without the number of riders, I thought the glandon was more dangerous. Some of the corners are tighter and steeper than they first appear so be careful!
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Yep, Jon and I had an absolute blast down the Glandon - preferred it way, way more than the Galibier, where I got the feeling I was on a bloody big mountain.

    The Glandon was fun, but as said above, it is tight at the top. A chap who was riding close to Jon and I had a tyre blow-out in the first couple of kms, presumably due to overheating rims.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    When I did a couple of years back I was making good time, so there weren't too many crowds as I went down the Glandon. I saw a couple of people lying in fields being attended to having not made corners though. I thought I was going fairly fast but some guys shot past me. I remember one big guy almost took me out as he couldn't keep his line about half way down on a fairly innocuous bend.

    It is probably the first alpine descent a lot of the riders have made; inexperience, adrenaline and some bravado are not a good mix at 70kmh. Still I wouldn't approach it differently the next time.
    The Master
    The Moser
    The VN
  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    Everything is relative. The decent off, say, Honister or Wrynose is much hairier.

    Those two are fast and bumpy. Most of the Glandon is on excellent tarmac. It's a fantastic descent.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    maddog 2 wrote:
    Everything is relative. The decent off, say, Honister or Wrynose is much hairier.

    Those two are fast and bumpy. Most of the Glandon is on excellent tarmac. It's a fantastic descent.


    :lol: Totally, those descents on the Fred in the wet and the cold with rivers of water running off them and hurtling down at 20-40 mph was seriously squeaky bum time on Sunday

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