Marmotte 2012

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  • mattpage
    mattpage Posts: 122
    Whats the deal with the licence/medical certificate? Just had an email to send them something.

    Can I use send them my BC racing licence?
    Also, is there a way to get a better start number? Pretty disappointed with a 7xxx number. I'd like to get away in the first group in order to get a good time.
    Twitter: @mattpage24.
    Strava.
    Website: www.acycling.com.
  • Leroy42
    Leroy42 Posts: 78
    Just received that mail as well. It seems that you can upload a cert/licence now. We have never been asked for it on the registration the day before.

    It turns out that I won't be able to make it to Bourg unil late Friday evening, so am hoping that me buddies will be able to pick up my registration when they arrive on Thursday. Anybody done this before?

    Cheers
    So this little yellow braclet makes me a better cyclist?
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    mattpage wrote:
    I'd like to get away in the first group in order to get a good time.
    What sort of time are you aiming for?
    Rich
  • dbg
    dbg Posts: 846
    What does it mean when its says you will be classed as a randonneur if you don't send the med cert?
  • mattpage
    mattpage Posts: 122
    RichA wrote:
    mattpage wrote:
    I'd like to get away in the first group in order to get a good time.
    What sort of time are you aiming for?

    Close to 7hrs, ideally below.
    Twitter: @mattpage24.
    Strava.
    Website: www.acycling.com.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Matt - last year I just emailed them a scan of my racing licence and they seemed happy with that - seem to remember they change your entry from provisional to confirmed or something on their website so you know they have received it and accepted it .

    As far as starting time goes I think the very first relatively small group are riders who have done it before with very fast times - a mate of mine was in that and he ended up finishing just about top 100 - then I think there are two mass starts behind that set off some time apart but within those starts you line up in the order you showed up not by number order. I seem to remember all of us who went as a group standing together before the start and we didn't all enter at the same time.

    Again I could have it wrong but if you can get to the start earlyish maybe 45 minutes before the off and get to near the front of your start then you should be able to pick up the faster guys from that group and it wont really matter what your number is or which of the mass starts you are in. I've only done it once though so if someone can correct that then great.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • mattpage
    mattpage Posts: 122
    Just had my number changed to 144, so that should make a big difference! :)
    Twitter: @mattpage24.
    Strava.
    Website: www.acycling.com.
  • alanp23
    alanp23 Posts: 696
    From memory last year, the starting times were 7.00am for the elite riders (I think it might have been about the first 300). The second start is at 7.30am, I think it is up to number 3000. The rest all start from 7.50am. We turned up about 7am, got ourselves sorted and joined the end of the big queue about 7.30am. As said above, your position in your pen is dependent on when you turn up. The numbers are in different colours so you wont be able to sneak off in an earlier start.

    However, the timing doesnt start until you go over the start line. I think we actually passed over the line at 8.10am. So your starting position wont actually affect your overall time. If you are going to do a 7 hour time then you will have plenty of fun overtaking people. :D

    Good luck! Its a great day out.
    Top Ten finisher - PTP Tour of Britain 2016
  • lmrt
    lmrt Posts: 935
    mattpage wrote:
    Just had my number changed to 144, so that should make a big difference! :)

    Matt, how did you manage that? Did you email them? (I'm in the 6ks I think, hoping for an 8 hour ride, good luck with your 7!)
  • mattpage
    mattpage Posts: 122
    lmrt wrote:
    Matt, how did you manage that? Did you email them? (I'm in the 6ks I think, hoping for an 8 hour ride, good luck with your 7!)

    Just emailed them and attached a scan of my racing licence.
    Twitter: @mattpage24.
    Strava.
    Website: www.acycling.com.
  • Alain Quay
    Alain Quay Posts: 534
    " the timing doesnt start until you go over the start line. I think we actually passed over the line at 8.10am. "

    Thanks a lot for this. So me having a number near 7000 would start at 8.30am-ish? And just aiming to finish
    :oops: , I would need to be at the base of alpe d'huez by 6 pm i.e. 9 - 9 1/2 hours later ?
  • lmrt
    lmrt Posts: 935
    mattpage wrote:
    lmrt wrote:
    Matt, how did you manage that? Did you email them? (I'm in the 6ks I think, hoping for an 8 hour ride, good luck with your 7!)

    Just emailed them and attached a scan of my racing licence.

    Cheers Matt. I just checked out your blog so I'm guessing you'll have an elite licence. I don't expect I'll get fast tracked to the front with a lowly third cat licence!!!

    Back to your original question I think. You'll defo be better off in the front ranks if you are going for a 7 hour time. Further back, there's an awful lot of rider traffic and bottleneck on the Glandon, so you can't go up fast even if you wanted to. I rode it in 2005 with around a 3k number. To some extent a high number will be OK for me, as it will prevent me from overdoing it on the Glandon and blowing later.

    Cheers & good luck.
  • speshsteve
    speshsteve Posts: 352
    Has anyone used the med certificate service thats advertised on the cyclosport website. I've applied and paid my 65 quid but not heard diddly as yet

    Steve
    My Marmotte 2012 Blog:
    http://steve-lamarmotte2012.blogspot.com/
    cervelo R5 VWD
    Spesh Roubaix
    Genesis Equilibrium
    Spesh FSR Stumpy Expert
    Spesh M4 Stumpy
    Brompton SL2
    Giant TCX
    Canyon Grandcanyon 29er
  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    £65!! Went to my GP for a well person check up and she signed mine for nowt when she found out I was doing it for charity. Even if she'd charged it was only going to be £5.
  • alanp23
    alanp23 Posts: 696
    Alain Quay wrote:
    " the timing doesnt start until you go over the start line. I think we actually passed over the line at 8.10am. "

    Thanks a lot for this. So me having a number near 7000 would start at 8.30am-ish? And just aiming to finish
    :oops: , I would need to be at the base of alpe d'huez by 6 pm i.e. 9 - 9 1/2 hours later ?


    No... sorry, I obviously wasnt clear enough.

    There are three pens, one starts at 7.00am (including Matt!), then next starts at 7.30 and the third at 7.50am. Entry to the pen is based on your number. I dont know about how you get into the first two pens, but the pen for the 7.50am start is a long lane that you basically join at the far end. The other end of the lane leads straight into the high street where the start is.

    It is then first come first served. So if you want to turn up very very early, I am pretty sure that you would be at the front of the third pen and get away close to 7.50am. You'd then get a reasonably clear run.

    I've no idea what time you would need to arrive to get that far up the front. Like I say, we started queuing about 7.30 and were probably about 2/3s of the way back.
    Top Ten finisher - PTP Tour of Britain 2016
  • speshsteve
    speshsteve Posts: 352
    twotyred wrote:
    £65!! Went to my GP for a well person check up and she signed mine for nowt when she found out I was doing it for charity. Even if she'd charged it was only going to be £5.

    Got my certificate this morning....oh my god think I've been properly ripped off!

    Plain sheet of A4 with he most basic print out that says ....yea your fine and a dodgy stamp in the corner. I think I have just paid for the services of Dr Nick as in the Simpsons

    "Hallo everybody!"

    "http://images.wikia.com/simpsons/images/c/c9/Drnick.png"
    My Marmotte 2012 Blog:
    http://steve-lamarmotte2012.blogspot.com/
    cervelo R5 VWD
    Spesh Roubaix
    Genesis Equilibrium
    Spesh FSR Stumpy Expert
    Spesh M4 Stumpy
    Brompton SL2
    Giant TCX
    Canyon Grandcanyon 29er
  • derek48
    derek48 Posts: 67
    I go to my GP every January, have a routine blood test and ECG and give him my medical certificate to sign and stamp. No problem, no charge and he's happy that I'm keeping myself fit and healthy. Quote ' Keep doing what you're doing'!
  • apt_starfish
    apt_starfish Posts: 12
    Anyone worked out the consequences of not supplying a medical cert other than being called a randonneur... do the rules stipulate no medical cert no ride? also on a similar theme can a medical cert be presented when registration takes place as happened when I did Etape du Tour a couple of times?
  • I am the god of hell fire
    I am the god of hell fire Posts: 326
    apt_starfish wrote:
    Anyone worked out the consequences of not supplying a medical cert other than being called a randonneur... do the rules stipulate no medical cert no ride? also on a similar theme can a medical cert be presented when registration takes place as happened when I did Etape du Tour a couple of times?

    Well, heres how it worked for me....
    I printed off the medical cert form from Sport Communication, got my GP to sign and stamp it then scanned it and emailed back
    My classification then changed on the website and it generated a letter for me to print and bring to the Alps saying that I was cleared to ride

    So at a guess no certificate = no Marmotte and also you shouldnt bank on just turning up on the day with it

    Cheers
  • wallace_and_gromit
    wallace_and_gromit Posts: 3,696
    If your GP won't do the medical certificate deed for free, joining BCF as a bronze member (£13.50 for the year) is a good option. This comes with a provisional racing licence, which the Marmotte folk were happy with for my entry this year. (Scanned copy thereof, uploaded via their website.)

    You get platinum membership of Wiggle - minimum 12% discount on everything - via this, which quickly recoups the membership fee.

    Very excited now. Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • narbs
    narbs Posts: 593
    I am the god of hell fire wrote:
    So at a guess no certificate = no Marmotte and also you shouldnt bank on just turning up on the day with it

    Cheers

    There were plenty of people last year showing medical forms as they registered.

    They don't give any forms more than a cursory glance in my experience - this year I sent them a scan of my 2011 race licence and my registration is now complete.

    I've also used the medical form I submitted for the Ronde Picarde in 2008 three times, using a bit of cut n paste to change the date and each time it's been fine.
  • dbg
    dbg Posts: 846
    My brother tried to get his form signed by his doctor and he flatly refused, said they don't sign any forms for fear of comeback!
  • Alain Quay
    Alain Quay Posts: 534
    A blog on this issue from a Marmotter of a few years ago:

    "I think some quick purchases of wordart were made along with the colditz guide to producing documents!"

    Clearly the standard of authenticity was/is not too high.
  • James F
    James F Posts: 3
    HI All

    Not sure if I'm being monumentally stupid here but I can't find a link to the medical form on the site, anyone point me in the right direction. I'm sure 2 years ago when I did it the form came on the email????

    Ta
  • James F
    James F Posts: 3
    Please ignore above, just found it.....
  • sampras38
    sampras38 Posts: 1,917
    dbg wrote:
    My brother tried to get his form signed by his doctor and he flatly refused, said they don't sign any forms for fear of comeback!

    Doc signed mine with no issues today..;-)
  • narbs
    narbs Posts: 593
    For those of you going by train, Eurostar have finally released tickets for sale for the Marmotte weekend for the London - Paris leg. Got a return for about £65 this morning.

    Last year I think I saved a few quid booking Eurostar now and then the Paris-Grenoble section when that becomes available from SNCF.
  • Alain Quay
    Alain Quay Posts: 534
    A little tip that may save some frustration when uploading your doctor's cert. /racing licence to the organisers' website:

    When you upload the doc, the text in the little box showing the source and name of the file you've uploaded,
    is in white text against a white background! But if you run your cursor over it you can read it.
    I wasted 20 mins working that out.
  • Full Merckx
    Full Merckx Posts: 143
    List of Scottsh sportives for those from the north wanting to use them as training rides.
    01/04/12 Sportive Dunfermline 50,71 & 95 miles
    http://www.sportivedunfermline.org/

    15/04/12 Scottish Bike Show Sportive 65 & 100 miles
    http://www.thescottishbikeshow.com/sportive.html

    22/04/12 Buchaille Mhor/Beag Sportive 140 and 170km
    http://www.nofussevents.co.uk/event/Buc ... tive/2763/

    28/04/12 Sportive Kinross 44,68 & 87 miles
    http://www.sportive-kinross.co.uk/

    12/05/12 Bealach Beag 43 miles
    http://www.handsonevents.co.uk/Events/C ... rngorm.htm

    13/05/12 Etape Caledonia 81 miles
    http://www.etapecaledonia.co.uk/

    13/05/12 BordersCiclista 76 miles
    http://www.bordersciclista.com/

    19/05/12 Vitus Road Sportive 48 & 95 miles
    http://www.roadsportives.co.uk/selkirk.php
  • Full Merckx
    Full Merckx Posts: 143
    26/05/12 Skye Mhor 95 miles
    http://www.handsonevents.co.uk/Events/C ... rngorm.htm

    27/05/12 Robert Millar Sportive 75 & 95 miles
    http://www.glasgowwheelers.com/robertMillarSportive.php

    02/06/12 Bethany Christian Trust Sportive 72 & 102 miles
    http://www.bethanychristiantrust.com/?p=4230

    02/06/12 Cairngorm 100/50 Challenge 50 & 100 miles
    http://www.handsonevents.co.uk/Events/C ... rngorm.htm

    09/06/12 Highwayman Challenge 100km Audax
    http://southcarrickdaviebell.wordpress.com/

    17/06/12 Trossachs Ton 100k and 100 miles
    http://www.action.org.uk/trossachs_ton

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