Marmotte 2012

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Comments

  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    Matt you fill them yourself like any other sportive. Don't be British and try to queue it won't work, just push your way in. I took my own energy bars last year but stopped at the Valloire feed station to scoff some savory stuff. Like a previous poster says you expect the feed station to be in Valloire but its a few km up the road. Despite being warned of this I still thought I might have missed it and found myself looking at other folks bottles to make sure they were as empty as mine. If you still run out of water there are plenty of cafes, bars and mountain streams en route
  • Full Merckx
    Full Merckx Posts: 143
    Dossard number 3600'ish. Gonna be a busy day :D
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    Anyone know where I can purchase a Marmotte jersey in the next few weeks as I am keen to get one for mid-June.

    Cheers.
    Rich
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    There's another one in the same area the weekend before called La Vaujany that has the same organisers and makes a good dress rehearsal for the Marmotte. It's a similar distance and also has a shorter version available due to the figure-of-eight course, so for a 10 day trip you can get in 2 big events with a bit of touring about the area in-between.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    RichA wrote:
    Anyone know where I can purchase a Marmotte jersey in the next few weeks as I am keen to get one for mid-June.

    Cheers.

    The Sportcommunication website used to have a webshop but it seems to have gone now. Looks like Ebay is your only hope.
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • daverow
    daverow Posts: 64
    You can't wear it until you've ridden it. dem's the rules.
  • speshsteve
    speshsteve Posts: 352
    I don't fancy being at the top of the Galibier at -2 if the weather comes down in just a jersey, anyone advise a good lightweight, very packable jacket for the descent?

    I've got a gore AS jacket which is great however I want something thats an occasional very light and packable jacket I can whip out if needed...any suggestions (don't really care about cost)
    My Marmotte 2012 Blog:
    http://steve-lamarmotte2012.blogspot.com/
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  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    daverow wrote:
    You can't wear it until you've ridden it. dem's the rules.
    :lol: Indeed. Fortunately I have done it a couple of times before but not bought the jersey....
    Rich
  • mikey_748
    mikey_748 Posts: 108
    speshsteve wrote:
    I don't fancy being at the top of the Galibier at -2 if the weather comes down in just a jersey, anyone advise a good lightweight, very packable jacket for the descent?

    I've got a gore AS jacket which is great however I want something thats an occasional very light and packable jacket I can whip out if needed...any suggestions (don't really care about cost)

    Rapha rain jacket - worked a treat last year in the Alps and fits in a back pocket.
  • Le Commentateur
    Le Commentateur Posts: 4,099
    Pack some winter weather clothing as well as summer stuff, just in case you are unlucky and get a bad Marmotte day. I think 2002 was the last really awful one – it was snowing at the top of the Galibier!
    Un uomo solo al commando
  • Road Red
    Road Red Posts: 232
    Le Commentateur wrote:
    Pack some winter weather clothing as well as summer stuff, just in case you are unlucky and get a bad Marmotte day. I think 2002 was the last really awful one – it was snowing at the top of the Galibier!

    Good advice. We were lucky last year with the day, but the following week the Galibier was under snow! The mountains can be very unpredicable.
  • matty boy 80
    matty boy 80 Posts: 74
    Just got back from Training in the area ,the Galibier is shut above Valoir , and the Glandon is blocked with snow at
    the Col.When we left yesterday it was snowing above 1800m

    Matt
  • bobgfish
    bobgfish Posts: 545
    Can anyone give a good link which describes the entire route and what to expect for a first timer? I guess length and steepness of each climb/descent as well as what to expect.

    Be my first time and having never done a long Alp climb this will be interesting.
    CyclingInTheLowMountainsOfSchweiz

    CyclingInTheFlatlands
  • matty boy 80
    matty boy 80 Posts: 74
    bobgfish wrote:
    Can anyone give a good link which describes the entire route and what to expect for a first timer? I guess length and steepness of each climb/descent as well as what to expect.

    Be my first time and having never done a long Alp climb this will be interesting.


    Sorry to be the bareer of bad news ,words or pictures cant describe the length or steepness of the climbs.
    Ive been out there twice and im still shocked at the severity of the terrain. This is my first Marmotte and my advice
    is to climb within yourself at an easy pace and save somthing for the Alpe.

    Matt
  • richa
    richa Posts: 1,632
    bobgfish wrote:
    Can anyone give a good link which describes the entire route and what to expect for a first timer? I guess length and steepness of each climb/descent as well as what to expect.

    Be my first time and having never done a long Alp climb this will be interesting.

    I wrote up my first two Matmotte *attempts* here:
    http://marmotte2008.blogspot.co.uk/
    http://marmotte2009.blogspot.co.uk/

    Includes some details of the climbs, and what to expect on the day, etc.
    Rich
  • Road Red
    Road Red Posts: 232
    RichA wrote:
    bobgfish wrote:
    Can anyone give a good link which describes the entire route and what to expect for a first timer? I guess length and steepness of each climb/descent as well as what to expect.

    Be my first time and having never done a long Alp climb this will be interesting.

    I wrote up my first two Matmotte *attempts* here:
    http://marmotte2008.blogspot.co.uk/
    http://marmotte2009.blogspot.co.uk/

    Includes some details of the climbs, and what to expect on the day, etc.

    Can vouch for RichAs reports. They helped me get an impression of what lay ahead last year.

    Also worth a look is http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=693883&da=y provided by another board member. Covers almost all you need to know about the Marmotte.

    Having said all that, pain in a personal thing and nothing will prepare you for it. You've got to experience it yourself. The really worring thing is that it is addictive. :?
  • wallace_and_gromit
    wallace_and_gromit Posts: 3,410
    matty boy 80 wrote:
    Sorry to be the bareer of bad news, words or pictures cant describe the length or steepness of the climbs.

    I certainly wouldn't underplay the magnitude of the challenge presented by the Marmotte, but most of the climbs are not steep.

    The bottom 3k of Alpe D'Huez is pretty steep even on fresh legs, and with 8+ hours in your legs it's hard work, but it's just a 3k climb at ~10%.

    The climb after the decent half way up the Glandon is certainly steep (12% or so) but it's not very long and your legs should still be fresh at that stage.

    Other than these bits though, the gradients are nothing special if you've climbed lots of typical English hills.

    The challenge is the cumulative impact of all the climbing, and avoiding going too hard up the Glandon and Telegraphe even if it feels OK at the time. The climbs are indeed very long, and even if the Galibier doesn't get you, then the Alpe may well finish you off!

    It's more of a mental issue the first time you tackle an Alpine climb. Going uphill continuously for an hour takes some getting used to! Physically, though, the first climb is much more pleasant than an hour of hard tempo on the turbo or climbing into the wind in the Yorkshire Dales.
  • steadyuk
    steadyuk Posts: 295
    Apologies for jumping in on the post. I'm sure someone will alert me if this is not the place to ask...

    I'm doing the Marmotte for the 1st time this year and am flying out by BA on Weds 4/7 from Heathrow to Lyon (BA0360 departs 08:40) and returning Sun 8/7 (BA0363 departs 19:25). Looking to get hire car and wondering if anyone is up for a lift share to spread the cost. Staying in Vallee Blanche hotel on ADH. Let me know if this works for anyone?


    Also consider a transfer service if anyone knows of one?

    Ta
  • scomben
    scomben Posts: 2
    Just out of interest.

    If race numbers/timing chips can be collected before the day of the event, is it possible to simply arrive at start rather than go up to the Alp?

    I am only asking as I am staying in Briancon and therefore would therefore much rather go straight to start pen.

    Steve
  • Alain Quay
    Alain Quay Posts: 534
    Road Red: sorry but link you provided doesn't work. Is doc anywhere else?

    Rich A: Your blogs are really outstanding and will inspire would be Marmotters for years to come.
  • narbs
    narbs Posts: 593
    Alain Quay wrote:
    Road Red: sorry but link you provided doesn't work. Is doc anywhere else?

    Rich A: Your blogs are really outstanding and will inspire would be Marmotters for years to come.

    I think this is the doc that was linked to - http://files.meetup.com/1899971/marmotte_guide.doc

    It's an excellent summary.
  • Leroy42
    Leroy42 Posts: 78
    Scomben,

    I think the numbers are available from the Thursday, defo on Friday, but only at the finish in Alpe D'Huez so you need to go up there (or someone in your party does).

    There is no need to go up there on the morning of the event, simply turn up in Bourg and go to the pen your number assigns you to.

    Many people stay in Aple D'Huez and so they have to descend to Bourg in the morning, but many others come from the areas around. Collect your numbers as early as you can (cut down on the que), tie the number to your handlebars and the morning of the event attach the timing chip to your ankle and your all set.

    Now the simple task of 174k and 5000m of climbing and your all done!!!!
    So this little yellow braclet makes me a better cyclist?
  • bobgfish
    bobgfish Posts: 545
    I think this is the doc that was linked to - http://files.meetup.com/1899971/marmotte_guide.doc

    It's an excellent summary.

    Best thing I've read so far about it....How many weeks left? Oh dear...Best I stop the beer !!!
    CyclingInTheLowMountainsOfSchweiz

    CyclingInTheFlatlands
  • Full Merckx
    Full Merckx Posts: 143
    5 weeks tomorrow ! At least I've stopped drinking (starting July 1st)
    6000k on the bike so far, be glad to just get it done now
  • BeauMaximus
    BeauMaximus Posts: 73
    I am booked to do the marmotte this year for first time.
    Does anyone know how the Challenge Vercors sportive compares to the Marmotte, apart from the obvious difference in total ascent?
    I did this last sunday and for a first time in the Alps and only two 100+ mile solo training rides, I surprised myself with a time of 5:56, an hour and 10 ish behind the winner.
    Is there a way of guaging what time I might expect from the Marmotte with that as a bench mark?
    I was aiming for around 9.5 - 10 hour at the marmotte, but that seems a tad under ambitious now.
  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    Did you do any of the big climbs in the Vercors like the Gorge du Nan? If so you can use your time up them to calculate your VAM i.e. the time it takes you to climb 1000m on a 7-9% slope. You can then use that to work out how fast you might go up the Marmotte climbs.
  • BeauMaximus
    BeauMaximus Posts: 73
    Thanks, we did the herbuilly twice and a few other smaller cols but the only real big climb of the day was Col de la Machine and on through lente up to Col de la chau. They combine to make one big climb of 1115m at average 4.7% gradient. I also did the Col de rousset from Die a few days after. Looking at my Strava data, all the climbs over 700m and say over 4.5% seem to be average VAM of between 820 and 980.

    Do you literally have to break it all down like that including descents/flats etc to get an estimate of your likely time? If so, I suppose you have then to allow for altitude slowing me on the galibier and extra tiredness toward the end from the extra climbing involved but offset that against increaseed training/fitness between now and then and having now already experienced long alpine climbs should be less of a mental battle than if I went there as my first time to the alps.
    Seems a bit complicated though.

    I also met a french guy there who was friends with the people I was staying with at Velo Vercors.
    Checking the sport communication website, he last year came 31st overall in the marmotte in 6hr 10 after previously doing a 5 hour Challenge vercors.

    This year he did a 5hr 10 challenge vercors and I was only 46 mins behind him.
    This could suggest a 6hr 20 marmotte time for him this year and add on my 46 mins gives a 7hr06 time for me or say 7hr30 as a safer target.

    Is this a better benchmark or am I extrapolating too much here?!
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    7.30 seems a reasonable target to me. It's a longer event so of course your 46 minutes would grow out a bit all other things being equal but you aren't going to suddenly be several hours behind him unless he wasn't really trying at the Challenge Vercours or you have a really bad day at the Marmotte. It isn't all about the climbs either - there is a lot of time to be made up or lost on the descents and in the valleys.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • hatone
    hatone Posts: 228
    It's all very well doing the maths. But don't rule out the possibility of mechanicals... A puncture will add a good 15 mins to your time.

    For example, I trained heavily for the Fred Whitton this year, doing daily turbo sessions and eating the right stuff. During the ride I was performing well until 70 miles in my chain dropped and badly twisted a link in the process. Game over.

    Could've been a sub 6 hr 45 min time completion.
  • twotyred
    twotyred Posts: 822
    This could suggest a 6hr 20 marmotte time for him this year and add on my 46 mins gives a 7hr06 time for me or say 7hr30 as a safer target.

    Is this a better benchmark or am I extrapolating too much here?!

    Bit optimistic I reckon.

    Ok from your Vercors data lets say you can sustain a VAM of 900 metres per hour. La Marmotte is 5000 metres of climbing so you'll be climbing for 5.55 hrs. Say 30 mins to descend the Glandon, 45 mins to cross the Murienne valley, 1 hr from Galibier to bottom of the Alpe and 15 mins total at feed/water stations gives you just over 8 hrs.

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