Etapes 2012

t5nel

Well, I am 6013 for Act 1.

Does anyone know how many pens there are, if they split them at exactly 999 / 000 and if they are flexible to letting people move between pens to go with a friend?

Thanks
Tim

oneof1982

t5nel wrote:

Well, I am 6013 for Act 1.

Does anyone know how many pens there are, if they split them at exactly 999 / 000 and if they are flexible to letting people move between pens to go with a friend?

Thanks
Tim

From expereince, number of pens will depend on number of entrants, so will not necessarily be split 99/000 as you suggest. Only genuine flexibility is backwards rather than forwards, i.e will let you start later than your pen rather than earlier. No doubt someone will tell you otherwise, but I saw some heavy handed stewarding last year.

You also need to consider what advantage you will gain from riding with a friend. Riding up a mountain can sometimes be best done as a solitary activitiy. Get to your pens, and say "good luck" and meet at the finish.

t5nel

Thanks for that.

I wasn't sure about the splitting so that is good to know.

Quite looking forward to it all really :-)

skippa76

Not long to go now and I just wish that the weather would improve a bit so that I can get a few more big/hilly rides in before Act II.

A few months back I had a groin strain which knocked my training back. I've managed to get back on track and did the Polka Dot Challenge in the Peak District last weekend - 100 miles and over 10,000 ft climbing in 7hrs 22mins. I felt pretty good all the way around and I'm now more confident in getting around the Etape course. Given the current weather I was thinking of having a 'rest week' and then ramp up the training again from the start of next week for one last push.... is a 4-6 day rest at this stage in the training a good or bad idea?

cyclingsheep

Start positions for Act2 are out now

xscreamsuk

got mine, in the 8200's as is my mate, so pretty near but not right at the back?

BalhamBadger

I'm in the low 7800s. Not sure what this means but as others have said hopefully not too close to the broom wagon!

cyclingsheep

I've got 5898 but my mate has 8458. We were't expecting to ride together anyway so not too worried and given I'll have a slight jump on the broom wagon I don't see me waiting for him

willy b

Well I'm 3208 for Act II. Better than last year!

caledonian1

got 5858.....not sure what criteria they use as i have not done Etape before but did put down some times for sportifs and my LEJOG in 6 days

markwb79

1008. Very pleased with that. Never done an ASO ride before, but wrote about marmotte finishing time. Seems to have worked!!!

Quick question on the medical cert. do they accept race licences in place of the form?

js14

Markwb79 wrote:

Quick question on the medical cert. do they accept race licences in place of the form?

The Etape site makes it clear http://www.letapedutour.com/ET1/fr/certificat-medical.html that only appropriate licences from the French federations are accepted. Everyone else, including cyclists from foreign federations, have to produce a medical certificate. ASO seem to be simply following the French law (Article L231-2-1 Code du Sport), which says the same thing. Having said that, France is France and the person handing out the race number may or may not follow the letter of the law but would you want to take the risk?

t5nel

JS14 wrote:

Markwb79 wrote:

Quick question on the medical cert. do they accept race licences in place of the form?

The Etape site makes it clear http://www.letapedutour.com/ET1/fr/certificat-medical.html that only appropriate licences from the French federations are accepted. Everyone else, including cyclists from foreign federations, have to produce a medical certificate. ASO seem to be simply following the French law (Article L231-2-1 Code du Sport), which says the same thing. Having said that, France is France and the person handing out the race number may or may not follow the letter of the law but would you want to take the risk?

AIUI to get a French race license you need to show this sort of medical certificate so that is why they will accept those and only those. All amateur sporting events are like this (fun runs etc.) as I think it is enshrined in law as stated above.

Not specifically to the OP (as he was just asking a Q) but to anyone wondering if they can swerve the need for a medical cert...

The French could give lessons to ANYONE on red tape, bureaucracy and bloody mindedness. I would not even consider going there with any paperwork out of order. My wife/kids all have French Nationality and Passports and getting this sorted out at the Embassy every few years is always a trial! I am going to have to pay £40 for my cert. (not the most but certainly not the least) but is it really worth jeopardising your training, travel costs, entry costs etc for this???) French officials seem to felight in arguing with you and telling you have the wrong paperwork even when you HAVE done everything right to the letter - I wouldn't fancy your chances TBH. If you do want to wing it then fake the signature and stamp!

dodgerdog

Cheers for that, have been given 7824 but it looks like I will not be able to make it. Any leads on how I go about returning it/swapping my bib if it is at all possible?

clanton

Presumably there are still some to follow? Five of us entered but only three of us come up on the list. Just a case of waiting a few days?

mitchventoux

clanton wrote:

Presumably there are still some to follow? Five of us entered but only three of us come up on the list. Just a case of waiting a few days?

im not on the list either yet ,i type my surname in and no matches come up ,i booked with french cycling holidays

clanton

Ah interestingly my two mates who's numbers aren't up yet are also with French cycling hols - the rest of us booked seperately.

AlunP

Greetings from Albertville! It's 27C and sunny.

I'm having une bierre in a cafe on a day off. My bike is having a new chain and cassette installed at velo culture just outside the town centre. Big shop with anything you need last minute.

Have been up the Col De M five times in the last nine days - and its a bugger. There is steeper stuff everywhere in the UK but nothing that goes on and on and on......like this. The horseshoe pass near my home is a bump. Yesterday I just ground to a complete halt - at 57 years of age it's your body's way of saying 'don't be silly.' The road condition on the col de M is really poor in places - not a big issue on the way up but on the way down....and it's narrow too with big drops off the side and low concrete walls. Let's be careful out there! The col is steep at the bottom but eases after the turn to <er> pussy. It steepens horribly later on up to a bridge but eases as you cross it to the left. Last 3K are a bugger too before the final easing to the top.

I feel under-prepared - and a bike crash in Feb didn't help as I lost several weeks. (The Kawasaki 750 needed a new rad, lights etc... :twisted: )

Have also biked along the flat run out of town to the base of the col. It will be a cavalry charge I reckon. Watch out for some big speed bumps in the hamlets and tight roundabouts with the number of riders around you.

Looks like parking for those getting to A. by car first thing should present few problems. The out of town shopping centre has plenty of space and is on the right side of the town for the road closures etc.

I will have a look at the Glandon over the w/e to check that the new bits work - and the old bits such as my legs have recovered a little.

See you in a fortnight - I'm wearing red welsh kit - say hello as you pass me <gasp>

t5nel

AlunP wrote:

Greetings from Albertville! It's 27C and sunny.

The road condition on the col de M is really poor in places - not a big issue on the way up but on the way down....and it's narrow too with big drops off the side and low concrete walls. Let's be careful out there! The col is steep at the bottom but eases after the turn to <er> pussy. It steepens horribly later on up to a bridge but eases as you cross it to the left. Last 3K are a bugger too before the final easing to the top.

Have also biked along the flat run out of town to the base of the col. It will be a cavalry charge I reckon. Watch out for some big speed bumps in the hamlets and tight roundabouts with the number of riders around you.

Thanks Alun, good to have some up to date local info. My French colleagues assured me that the road surface would be replaced...looks like that hasn't happened. First time up the M for me will be on the 8th - how hard can it be :shock:
Better put in another turbo session tonight

Fogliettaz

At least I'm not the only 57 year old riding the Etape this year. Where is Velo Culture in Albertville?

DavidCr

Fogliettaz wrote:

Where is Velo Culture in Albertville?

Drive through the Geant car park, out past MacDonalds and turn left at the roundabout. Culture Velo is in a row of shops just after the roundabout.

AlunP

Greetings (again) from Albertville. Even hotter today 30C at the foot of the Glandon at noon on my vans thermo.

Did a circular recce ride over the Glandon/Col de la croix de Fer/Mollard and down to St Jean today.

Thought that the Glandon and Col de M are about the same overall in terms of difficulty. It's not the gradient that gets you - it's the sheer length. The Glandon starts gently ramps up and then there is a flattish couple of K through a village (water available) before it ramps up nastily before the top. Unlike the Col de M which eases off considerably in the last K, this one keeps hammering you until you crest it. It's the col that keeps on giving. A mini drop before a more gentle gradient takes you over the Col du Fer.

The subsequent drop down contains a number of very tight hairpins - it would be very easy to overcook your entry speed with serious consequences in some cases. I wish I had packed a pair of AG2R lycra shorts (which are the right shade of brown) on a couple of 'em. Some tight turns in the villages too. Watch out for dozy spectators crossing as you scream around the blind bends. Speed bumps (many) can give anybody with a Y chromosome a good slapping.

This is how a big descent ought to be done - a masterclass - all hail Spartacus!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxXqQqAc2pA

- it's funny how I always get Mozart in my head as I descend alpine cols. Not like that, alas.

The sharp right hander to the Mollard arrives all too quickly and it gets you as a result of your previous efforts rather than on its own merits. A bit like being beaten up by the small kid in school after his big mates have given you a good kicking first.

A big big drop then follows to St Jean de M. Road condition is poor generally although there is is a lot of resurfacing taking place here. They have left quite a bit of gravel on some of the hairpins (and there are lots) so those brown shorts could come in handy again.

and finally la T. I came, I saw and I ran/cycled away.

Biked back up the valley to the foot of the Glandon. Some nice biking brits gave me some water and a gel. Thanks lads - I had used everything and was turning into a giant raisin shaped object in the heat. 2 litres were not enough - you should budget on getting through 5 litres in total if its hot like today.

Three more years - then I trade in plastic laminated bike for a plastic laminated bus pass

oneof1982

Ok, not long now. Who is doing Acte I, who is doing Act II? Anyone doing both? :oops: Who is riding hard this weekend? :shock: Who has had enough? :roll: Has the tapering/carbo loading begun? :evil: How are you getting to France? How long for? What are your goals? 8) How will you celebrate? :P

willy b

Act 2
Just done Mountain Mayhem (24hr mtb race) and will be riding this and next weekend
Just about to eat some pasta now... Porridge every day
Driving to France
Thursday till Wednesday
Finish between 7 and 8 hours
A beer to celebrate

oneof1982

Pen numbers and how they relate to bib numbers now on line. Click on THE RACE and then START ACCESS. This shows plan and lists which numbers are in which pen.

willy b

That looks a very small space for a lot of riders! Although better than a long line like last year I guess!

oneof1982

willy b wrote:

That looks a very small space for a lot of riders! Although better than a long line like last year I guess!

Yeah, and not much room for the portaloos!

cyclingsheep

Act2 for me, riding all this week and next. Flying from Heathrow to Toulouse then hire car to Pau. Celebrate with KFC when I'm back home as haven't had one for months but on the day I'm hoping steak and frites washed down with a pint.

caledonian1

Also Acte 2
Long ride on Friday (116 miles) but only spin class tonight as fog far too dense to be safe
doing a few less miles (have been between 200-250 for about 6 weeks but maybe 180 now)
not carbo loading yet as far tooo early...and dont want to be even heavier
Flying to Tououse via Frankfurt on then train next day to Pau(from Aberdeen)
To be honest just want to finish...i realise that if it is hot this will be so so tough (I can do the miles...the long climbs are a bit of an unknown)
Celebrate with a beer or two....not had for 2 months now (canna wait to try Belhaven Black when home)

gavinbay

Doing Act1 was a very late entry as I was meant to be riding some other Cols next week and a mate let me down, so teamed up with some other guys I know, staying just outside Courcheval going out early next Fri 6th.

I've not ridden the last couple of weeks as I've been out in the Western Sahara learning to kite surf (mission accomplished) which was also damn tough on the body as it took quite a beating.

Prior to that had done a fair amount of training, (100 mls biggest ride and attacking a fair number of hills in West Sussex) though has to be said don't think enough - where I'm bad is in the heat I just go to pieces......so I'm quietly cacking myself - did an hour and bit today including one steep one, Bostal Hill to see what the legs are like, felt nimble at first then very heavy by the top...........

Also mapped out Act1 for my GPS http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... rse=420946 - difficult to work out the exact start and finish from the maps - those are some big climbs - and the amount of vertical to what I've done previously (2607m 115km) is a fair amount more :?

Though hoping that long steady climbs I just get into a rhythm as opposed to short sharp steep climbs we get here, which is sort of what I did last year cycling in the mountains http://www.anotherharddayattheoffice.co ... cling.html and it was not too bad - fingers crossed.

I'm off around 4,800 so pretty well in the middle !