Marmotte 2012

DavidCr

apt_starfish wrote:

This question may already have been answered but... anyone ridden the Marmotte as a randonneur before... I went to visit the doctor today to get my medical form signed and he refused without me undergoing every medical test know to man at my expense... OTT when you consider the same practice albeit a different Doctor signed my form back in 2005 to do the Etape after a couple of minor tests such as blood pressure. I have read that the only forfeit of randonneur status is that you do not get an official time. Can anyone confirm this? I am not bothered about getting a time as I will be on an audax steel frame as I am cycling their and back but my only concern is that I will not be allowed to ride with the main group and be told to start at the back. The original plan was to ride the event with my friend whom I am meeting over there... banter welcome

2 years ago one of our group rode the course at the same time as the main event, the roads are not closed. He started from a different point and merged in with the other cyclists. He recorded his own time but I suspect it was different to the time he claimed!

apt_starfish

You are right the roads are not closed so in theory everyone has the right to use the road. Worst case scenario is I start at the back... I still plan to do the event on the day as I have paid my entry fee... but I have heard of other people who have joined in and had abuse shouted at them because they do not have a number.

brucey72

Just sign the medical form yourself ;-) That's what my mate did when he was going to be charged £125 by his GP a couple of years ago.

genki

Try another doctor, if not squiggle a signature and scan it, if not I think as a randonneur you'll get a number but no timing chip, so you can start with the rest, if not PM me and you can have a number from last year

dbg

Just get the British Cycling bronze membership and send them a copy of the provisional racing license it comes with, my brother did this as the doc wouldn't sign his form and they accepted it no problem.

apt_starfish

Cheers for the advice... my pal phoned the organisers the other day about another issue and while on he asked the question... so I have confirmation that I can ride with the group but will not get a recorded time... good news... not long until my grand depart... get the ferry Tuesday to Ijmuiden (Holland) and commence my bike ride to the French Alps on Wednesday... The open road beckons

Phill Thom

dbg wrote:

Just get the British Cycling bronze membership and send them a copy of the provisional racing license it comes with, my brother did this as the doc wouldn't sign his form and they accepted it no problem.

This is what I did, no problems.

mikey_748

Anyone know what's available from the feed stops? Do they do energy drinks/gels or is it just water and fruit, rolls etc. Trying to plan what I need to take with me.

narbs

mikey_748 wrote:

Anyone know what's available from the feed stops? Do they do energy drinks/gels or is it just water and fruit, rolls etc. Trying to plan what I need to take with me.

They're well stocked, but it's with bread, cheese, cold meats etc rather than energy products. They did have big bowls of jelly babies and bottles of coke in Bourg last year though, which were very welcome. The fruit I think was dried apricots etc rather than bananas.

If you prefer gels and energy bars make sure you take enough to last you the entire course.

speshsteve

Not long now guys, less then 2 weeks! My last long ride was yesterday, I'm feeling pretty happy regardless of how the event goes that I don't have to go out in nothing but rain/wind (usually both) and miss the family every Saturday morning...well until I book the next one that is

twotyred

I did the Long One yesterday too. Hard wasn't it. Lots of little ups and downs made it difficult to get into a rhythm. You did a classy time. I just missed gold by about 5 mins but I'm not too unhappy given the last third or so was against that wind and I was on my own mostly. If you passed anyone wearing a La Marmotte jersey that would have been me- actually you didn't, I just looked at the times and you finished about a minute after I did.

speshsteve

Lets hope for no wind and about 22 degrees

Leroy42

Had everything planned and booked, but at the last minute everything is going a bit pear shaped. All not lost as still heading over and will be there to do the event, but instead of a week long trip to the alps we are now forced to fly out on Friday afternoon. We won't get to Borg until around 6pm at the earliest.

Does anybody know what time the registration closes?

Will there be a big que, if so hoping to dump a guy at the apartment to get things sorted while I get the registrations done .

Road Red

Open until 7pm on the Friday.

Race numbers can also be picked up on Sat morning from 6 to 7am in Bourg, not sure where.

millster

Couple of questions from someone who is entering for the first time:

Has anyone planned on how to get from Lyon Saint Exupery to Bourg (I arrive at 11.15am Thursday if by chance anyone is on the same flight...)

Can anyone living in London confirm whether I can take a bike box on the tube? I know it may be a bit bulky just to get down the escalators never mind on the tube!

Thanks in advance.

I am the god of hell fire

There are always people with humungous suitcases on the tube but Id absolutely avoid it in peak hours though
I struggle through an airport with bike bag plus other luggage, I really wouldnt do the tube myself

You can get through the luggage and children/pushchair gates but I wouldnt want to think about the escalators to the Piccadily Line........

There is an overland option to both Heathrow and Gatwick if you can get to Victoria/Paddington though which should have a bit more space

mikey_748

Is it generally considered a bad idea to ride up the Alpe on the Thursday then take it easy on the Friday? Don't want to compromise the main ride but with the Alpe just sitting there, seems a shame not to......

I'm guessing I know the answer to this but if it doesn't do much harm, may take an "easy" ride up

twotyred

Last year driving up the Alpe and seeing it for the first time freaked me out a bit so I rode it on the Thursday but taking it easyish. It may have slowed me down slightly on the day but it settled me down mentally and when I got to the top of the Galibier on the Marmotte I knew I was going to finish. If you are going to ride it and are staying at Alpe d'Huez I recommend descending to Huez village then turning left onto the balcony road that takes you to Le Freney (includes a gentle climb you can spin up easily). Then back to Bourg on the D1091 nicely warmed up for the Alpe.

Full Merckx

As an extension of that, we can't ride til the Friday. Had thought to ride up, but taking it very easy, even stopping every k or so, as like the earlier post I'm a wee bit cacking it about the Alpe.

scomben

Two questions:

1. I can see my registration but it says:
You must regulate the sum of : 65€
I wish to regulate the sum of €
Does this mean I need to pay an additional $65 or is it refundable?

2. Also I am in the 1800's number wise, can i therefore start anywhere in the first 2000 in the pens at the start?

Thanks in advance.

Steve

twotyred

As an extension of that, we can't ride til the Friday. Had thought to ride up, but taking it very easy, even stopping every k or so, as like the earlier post I'm a wee bit cacking it about the Alpe.

Personally that would be too close to the start for me. Riding up stopping all the time is just going to tell you that you can ride up it stopping all the time which I don't think is much help. Main thing to realise is that from a vehicle it looks steeper than it actually is. On the Friday there aren't many cyclists on the Alpe as they're all resting prior to the Marmotte.

mosquitophil

Re riding up the Alpe on friday, our routine when staying on the Alpe has always been - leisurely breakfast, stroll along to the sign on and take a look round the expo. Cruise on down to Bourg for a big lunch in one of the cafes, then leisurely ride along the main valley road then right (where the marmotte route turns) and immediately right again to follow the small road which climbs gently passing through Villard Reculas and meeting up with the main Alpe D'Huez road at Huez. Then up the last few km to the village, total ride time a couple of hours. A good leg loosener especially if you've been travelling all day on the thursday.

Re start numbers - If your number is under 2000 you can start at the front (albeit in the past they have set off the super quick guys and 'vips!' in a front pen of 200 just before anyone else. To get to the front through you will have to get down pretty early and are likely to get rather cold standing around, personally I prefer to roll up 5 or 10 mins before the kick off ready to go, there will be plenty of quick groups to latch onto along the valley road if you want to move up a bit closer to the front.

wallace_and_gromit

I wouldn't recommend trying a full ascent of the Alpe on the Thursday or Friday, as it won't make you faster on the Saturday. I saw plenty of people last year with their race numbers attached, giving it some serious stick on both the Alpe and the Glandon. Maybe they know more than me!

A short ascent - eg the last 5k into Alpe D'Huez - is a tactic favoured by some successful Marmotteers I know, though at race pace. Race pace, when you consider climbing the Alpe at the end of the Marmotte is very very slow by normal standards, though, so this is little more than dynamic rest and a chance to test the climbing gears in reality.

Even if you've not climbed the Alpe before, by the time you get there, you will have the experience of three major climbs to draw on, so the Alpe will be nothing special really. It is steep at the bottom, though - 3k @ 10% - which is going to be hard work, particularly as you will get there quite fatigued from the 4k or ascent and 100 miles along the way! The worst thing I found was that you get there after an hour of primarily downhill, which combined with a lengthy stop at the feedstation to sort yourself out for the final challenge gives you a very bad case of "cafe legs". So, no matter how well prepared you are, how well geared you are etc. it will not be pleasant when the road starts going up. Don't panic, though. Keep spinning as best you can and you will soon be on the shallower gradients in the final 10k between you and glory. And believe me, even if there's not a soul at the finish who cares about you, it will be a glorious moment when you get there!!

mosquitophil

Personally I would argue against stopping at the bottom feed in Bourg. You will have been descending for an hour giving plenty of chance to drink and eat (load up at top of Galibier). Keep your legs spinning along the valley road from the bottom of the descent and you will be less likely to feel so stiff on those first few steep sections. Stopping and then only having a couple of hundred metres till you hit the climb is asking for trouble. Better off having a caffeine gel in your pocket and downing it 10 mins or so before you hit the Alpe. There are several drink stations on the side of the road as you go up where you can grap a cup of water without needing to stop.

wallace_and_gromit

mosquitophil wrote:

Personally I would argue against stopping at the bottom feed in Bourg. You will have been descending for an hour giving plenty of chance to drink and eat (load up at top of Galibier). Keep your legs spinning along the valley road from the bottom of the descent and you will be less likely to feel so stiff on those first few steep sections. Stopping and then only having a couple of hundred metres till you hit the climb is asking for trouble. Better off having a caffeine gel in your pocket and downing it 10 mins or so before you hit the Alpe. There are several drink stations on the side of the road as you go up where you can grap a cup of water without needing to stop.

I didn't want to rely on "unofficial" waterpoints on the final climb, so felt compelled to stop. Plus I was bursting for a "call of nature"!

Alain Quay

What food are people carrying in back pockets i.e. how many energy bars, gels and real food for this big day out?

thanks

bobgfish

The same as a normal ride of this length. 2-3 energy bars and 2-3 Gels. I'll still stop and nibble on stuff at the feed stops too. Although I have a habbit of eating to much at big events. I just try and eat at least one thing an hour.

mikey_748

Alain Quay wrote:

What food are people carrying in back pockets i.e. how many energy bars, gels and real food for this big day out?

thanks

Rode the route last week and probably took in too much causing much flatulance!

I'm happy for this to be corrected by those who know more but my thinking is
Ride uses c. 6000 calories. I've got 2000 stored, my body will burn 2000 from fat leaving a deficit of say 3000.
I'll have a breakfast of 500-1000 cals or so 90mins before ride and will then need to consume 2500 on the ride = 600g of carbohydrate.

I'm taking
2 750ml bottles of High 5 and powder to make up another 4 = 330g
4 Peanut butter Clif bars (coz I like them) = 200g
Will have some solids and fruit from the feed stops = 100g +
A few emergency cafinated gels + High 5 zero tabs in case its hot and I sweat a lot anyway

speshsteve

I seem to eat way more then most based on the above comments!

I eat nothing for the 1st hour and then usually have a cliff bar, I get about 45 mins on these and can stomach 2 so that 2.5 hours.

I then change to torq bars, again 2 is my limit until my stomach says no more and that would give me another 1.5 hours.

I then move to gels and whatever else I can get my hands on, so far I've got first 4 hours covered, about another 4-4.5 to go so thats 8 gels based on one every 30 mins

Summary
2 x cliff
2 x torq
8 x gels

I don't add energy drinks as they cause my stomach to say no more, so I just use salt tablets and water.

sampras38

Alain Quay wrote:

What food are people carrying in back pockets i.e. how many energy bars, gels and real food for this big day out?

thanks

I don't know how heavy you are but a good guide is around 1-1.5grams of carbs per kilo of body weight per hour. I'm currently 78kg so will have a large energy bar plus gel per hour. Maybe a few extra carbs from energy drink.