Etape du Tour 2013
Comments
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I arrived at the final feed station at 3 and the proceeded to take nearly 3 hours to do the Semnoz! after both legs cramping a number of times. The Semnoz might not be as well known a other climbs in the Alps, but it certainly the hardest one I have done.0
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congrats too all.
It was an amazing setting and everything was really well organised I thought.
My ride went well, achieved all the goals I set myself so mega happy with that.
It was a ride of complete suffering for me. 4:42 for me. In a good group from the start, just missed the first group on the start of the first climb unfortunately. But the speed they started the first climb was incredible. But then by the top of the second climb they were only about 1km ahead. Most of my group stopped at the bottom of the Revard, the climb was good, but I lost about 5 minutes after the Revard and into Quintal, just me and a Dulwich rider dragging 4 French guys refusing to work on the front.
I think the tour will fly round the stage, it will be a super fast time by them I think.Scott Addict 2011
Giant TCR 20120 -
Congratulations to everyone here - some impressive times! I thought it was a great day, though for me most of what could go wrong did! I suffered a broken pedal at the start so did the whole ride without being able to clip in on one side. I had three punctures including one spectacular blow-out on the descent from Col de Pres. I waited over an hour for an innertube (why didn't the Mavic men carry spares??). I set out again about 20 mins ahead of the broomwagon with a view to making it to Gruffy at least. When I got there I decided to have a crack at Semnoz but boy it was hard! I made it to the top about 10 mins after the cutoff but they gave me a medal anyway. What a day.
I stopped 1km from the finish to help an English guy - he asked me to get medical help so I flagged a Gendarme who called an ambulance. I think he may have been having a heart attack. I really hope he was ok. When I rolled past on the way down there were a lot of people crowded around him lying on the road.
Another friend of a friend broke his shoulder on the descent of Revard.
If they do another circular route again I would be tempted to go again - I thought it worked really well logistically.0 -
Anyone who criticised this etape for not having any iconic climbs/being too easy should have been there and they would have quickly realised how far from the truth their thoughts were!
This was my third etape in a row and after last years road to purgatory this was a far more enjoyable experience.
The drama for me started on the first climb when a guy in front of me missed a gear, could not get out of his cleats and ended up tipping himself straight into a road side ditch! He was okay if a little bruised and muddy!
Then on the first proper descent a guy a little in front of me took a bad line on a corner, hit the concrete barrier with a horrible grinding and then disappeared over the barrier with his bike! Shouts of ca va? went up, and a badly road rashed arm with a thumbs up appeared above the barrier, which was almost a comical moment if it had not been such a horrible crash to witness! Certainly slowed me down on the descents after seeing it.
Thought the Revard was okay, just a very long slog in the sun, but the Semnov was brutal, especially those lower 13% slopes with the heat deflecting off the fresh tarmac! Seemed to be a hell of a lot of riders suffering on the climb, it was a real sting in the tail, but that is the Etape for you, it always makes you suffer at some point.
Well done to everyone who finished, roll on next year?0 -
My 3rd Etape (and 3rd in baking hot sunshine!) and I agree with most of what others have said.
Having a circular route so you could get back to the start fairly easily was a real bonus over previous years. Annecy is such a wonderful setting as well, really enjoyed the scenery, the lakeside cycle route to test out the bike on Saturday morning and lots of great restaurants to choose from. Did find the last few km crowded and ideally it would have been better to have a different route down but that was really the only small gripe.
Was Semnoz as severe as ADH? For me, no but I am sure I was in a much better condition than two years earlier. Indeed I would describe my three Etape experiences as 2011- really suffered and just glad to beat the cut-off, 2012 - very tough throughout but always reasonably confident I could get through, 2013 - still by far the toughest ride of the year but pleased at last to be able to enjoy it with no stress about cut-off concerns.0 -
dave dcp wrote:My 3rd Etape (and 3rd in baking hot sunshine!) and I agree with most of what others have said.
Having a circular route so you could get back to the start fairly easily was a real bonus over previous years. Annecy is such a wonderful setting as well, really enjoyed the scenery, the lakeside cycle route to test out the bike on Saturday morning and lots of great restaurants to choose from. Did find the last few km crowded and ideally it would have been better to have a different route down but that was really the only small gripe.
Was Semnoz as severe as ADH? For me, no but I am sure I was in a much better condition than two years earlier. Indeed I would describe my three Etape experiences as 2011- really suffered and just glad to beat the cut-off, 2012 - very tough throughout but always reasonably confident I could get through, 2013 - still by far the toughest ride of the year but pleased at last to be able to enjoy it with no stress about cut-off concerns.
I agree with all your points, I stayed in Annecy after last years Etape so I knew how beautiful the area is. I even rode up the Semnov (the way we returned to the town) for fun last year so kind of knew what to expect, but it did not make it any easier! I concur with your ADH comparisons, there was not a lot in it, the heat was similar but I was fitter this year than 2 years ago so it seemed slightly less of a suffer fest, and I did not stop once up the whole climb, which is not bravado, just my why of dealing with it. There did seem to be many more riders walking or collapsed under trees than I remember from ADH, however.
Totally agree about not having the stress of the broom wagon, I was 500 up from the last rider they let finish last year, this time round I knew fairly early on that I would not have to worry about times, which meant I could concentrate on my riding, and I ended up finishing in just under 7.30 hours, which I was very pleased with as I had set a target of beating 8.
I forgot to mention in my earlier post about the rider who had crashed on his way down from the finish and who looked like he had done his collarbone, all that effort and then to crash once you had finished, crazy!0 -
On the first descent, we saw a very nasty accident - lots of blood on the road, and a rider being stretchered into an ambulance with all kinds of straps and bandages, I hope he was OK.
Also heard then saw a rider behind me on my left shout 'Oh sh!t!" and then just saw him fail to take the corner at all and went straight off the road, into the ditch and over the bars, but it wasn't too bad. Heard someone else say "that's one less to worry about...."!!0 -
It was my first etape,I wanted to break 6hours just scraped in 5hours 56 minutes. I felt really good at quintal which I hit after 4hours 50 mins and thought under 5 hours 30 was possible but the climb out of quintal was brutal, and then on the semnoz suffered in the heat like most others,really pleased with my effort though, came 2097th so finished in the top 20% of finishers, great atmosphere and a great event roll on next year.0
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It was the experience of a lifetime for me - a properly testing ride in an idyllic location, wonderfully organised and with generous local support along the whole course. Starting in the last third and finishing in the first third was pretty pleasing. It might have been better had I avoided taking a tumble and breaking a rib and making a mess of my right arm and leg on the short descent after La Motte-en-Bauges (A chap I was passing on the outside of a bend unexpectedly corrected his line, catapulting me straight off the road. He stopped and seemed pretty mortified about it, but such things happen and, after straightening my bars, I was able to carry on.) The Semnoz, in the lunchtime heat, was a brute. There was an almost unbroken column of walkers for much of the climb and a fair bit of collapsing and vomiting going on too - on one and a half lungs I confess to taking a couple of short breathers myself. I can't wait to see the pro's make it look like a breezy club run next week.0
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JS14 wrote:
Take some comfort from the fact that you were faster than Alain Prost, who finished in 5:12:57. Should be worth a pint or three from your mates.Markwb79 wrote:It was a ride of complete suffering for me. 4:42 for me.
Brilliant, I knew he was there but didnt see him.
So now I can say, I once raced against Alain Prost and beat him. Dont have to name the sport!
I like
Scott Addict 2011
Giant TCR 20120 -
beefonabike wrote:I stopped 1km from the finish to help an English guy - he asked me to get medical help so I flagged a Gendarme who called an ambulance. I think he may have been having a heart attack. I really hope he was ok. When I rolled past on the way down there were a lot of people crowded around him lying on the road.
That prick got everything he deserved. He's the owner of Mud Dock in Bristol and tried to do it with virtually no training and virtually no food, probably thought the brand new Impec would be all he needed...0 -
EightOhEight wrote:beefonabike wrote:I stopped 1km from the finish to help an English guy - he asked me to get medical help so I flagged a Gendarme who called an ambulance. I think he may have been having a heart attack. I really hope he was ok. When I rolled past on the way down there were a lot of people crowded around him lying on the road.
That prick got everything he deserved. He's the owner of Mud Dock in Bristol and tried to do it with virtually no training and virtually no food, probably thought the brand new Impec would be all he needed...
Unless he died of a heart attack I presume you mean?Scott Addict 2011
Giant TCR 20120 -
Markwb79 wrote:EightOhEight wrote:beefonabike wrote:I stopped 1km from the finish to help an English guy - he asked me to get medical help so I flagged a Gendarme who called an ambulance. I think he may have been having a heart attack. I really hope he was ok. When I rolled past on the way down there were a lot of people crowded around him lying on the road.
That prick got everything he deserved. He's the owner of Mud Dock in Bristol and tried to do it with virtually no training and virtually no food, probably thought the brand new Impec would be all he needed...
Unless he died of a heart attack I presume you mean?
He didn't.0 -
It occurs to me that the organisers ASO continue to provide a level of service which is way above what we put up with on UK sportives.
Highlights for me include:
-free Mavic service centre in the village, friendly guy adjusted my brakes but also offered to check my gears
-full results and ranking posted online the same day
-food stops with freshly baked bread and delicious local cheeses (although not sure about the 'herbal tea' in the shot glasses!); also gels, Coke, and a wide range of sweet and savoury snacks
-stylish Rapha T-shirt and useful rucksack for all participants
-roads totally closed
-medal at the finish
Could go on....0 -
EightOhEight wrote:Markwb79 wrote:EightOhEight wrote:beefonabike wrote:I stopped 1km from the finish to help an English guy - he asked me to get medical help so I flagged a Gendarme who called an ambulance. I think he may have been having a heart attack. I really hope he was ok. When I rolled past on the way down there were a lot of people crowded around him lying on the road.
That prick got everything he deserved. He's the owner of Mud Dock in Bristol and tried to do it with virtually no training and virtually no food, probably thought the brand new Impec would be all he needed...
Unless he died of a heart attack I presume you mean?
He didn't.
Whatever I'm glad he was ok. Checked his picture on the web - that was him.0 -
The stories about rider skills are one of the things that worry me about the Etape, how bad is it?
I did Liege Bastogne Liege earlier in the year, and in the main the riding there was excellent, probably helped by lots of Belgian and Dutch guys bollocking anyone who did something stupid!0 -
mikenetic wrote:The stories about rider skills are one of the things that worry me about the Etape, how bad is it?
Well the fact that we saw a rider go down on the flat, obstacle free cycle path, and take out 3 other bikes on the way to the start, kind of says it all really......0 -
Had a great day, I suppose my only gripe was the sharing of the road up Semnoz with those returning home which together with the walkers (which the organisors should of predicted) limited the room left to those still cycling, I also think that some who were descending home having finished were descending too fast considering they had done for the day and were risking ruining someone elses day.
I found both the sheer amount and volume of farting up Semnoz most amusing! (likely caused by bellys full of nutritional products)
This was my first Etape and most definately not my last, overall an extremely well organised event.0 -
bernithebiker wrote:mikenetic wrote:The stories about rider skills are one of the things that worry me about the Etape, how bad is it?
Well the fact that we saw a rider go down on the flat, obstacle free cycle path, and take out 3 other bikes on the way to the start, kind of says it all really......
To be honest I found the standard of descending of those riding around me was high, as were their skills in a grupetto on the small bits of flat, but I guess it's a function of how near the front you started. Certainly better than on a typical UK sportive.0 -
pippapike wrote:Had a great day, I suppose my only gripe was the sharing of the road up Semnoz with those returning home which together with the walkers (which the organisors should have predicted) limited the room left to those still cycling, I also think that some who were descending home having finished were descending too fast considering they had done for the day and were risking ruining someone elses day.
I found both the sheer amount and volume of farting up Semnoz most amusing! (likely caused by bellys full of nutritional products)
This was my first Etape and most definitely not my last, overall an extremely well organised event.
You should have seen the podium people then, they flew down the Semnoz at full speed with a police motorbike in front of them.
Congrats on your first etape though, it really was a great event. Looking back I am enjoying it more and more.Scott Addict 2011
Giant TCR 20120 -
56mph wrote:bernithebiker wrote:mikenetic wrote:The stories about rider skills are one of the things that worry me about the Etape, how bad is it?
Well the fact that we saw a rider go down on the flat, obstacle free cycle path, and take out 3 other bikes on the way to the start, kind of says it all really......
To be honest I found the standard of descending of those riding around me was high, as were their skills in a grupetto on the small bits of flat, but I guess it's a function of how near the front you started. Certainly better than on a typical UK sportive.
I'd agree. No complaints from me, found everyone's handling good and lines predictable.0 -
56mph wrote:It occurs to me that the organisers ASO continue to provide a level of service which is way above what we put up with on UK sportives.
Highlights for me include:
-free Mavic service centre in the village, friendly guy adjusted my brakes but also offered to check my gears
-full results and ranking posted online the same day
-food stops with freshly baked bread and delicious local cheeses (although not sure about the 'herbal tea' in the shot glasses!); also gels, Coke, and a wide range of sweet and savoury snacks
-stylish Rapha T-shirt and useful rucksack for all participants
-roads totally closed
-medal at the finish
Could go on....
Apart from the Rapha T-Shirt and substituting the local baked goods for ZipVit gels, water, juice, bananas everything else is the Etape Caledonia. Mavic were superb again this year inc free gear cable fittings and bottom bracket cups! It might not have the mountains and heat (if you're lucky) but it's still the UK's #1 sportive.0 -
I've not ridden the Etape Caledonia, is that the one where the locals welcome you by throwing tacks on the road
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By the way, I see all the videos and a full breakdown of climbing times are now available.0 -
Anyone buying the photos? Not cheap at 45 Euros ish for 6, of which only 2 are half decent......0
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thegreatdivide wrote:56mph wrote:It occurs to me that the organisers ASO continue to provide a level of service which is way above what we put up with on UK sportives.
Highlights for me include:
-free Mavic service centre in the village, friendly guy adjusted my brakes but also offered to check my gears
-full results and ranking posted online the same day
-food stops with freshly baked bread and delicious local cheeses (although not sure about the 'herbal tea' in the shot glasses!); also gels, Coke, and a wide range of sweet and savoury snacks
-stylish Rapha T-shirt and useful rucksack for all participants
-roads totally closed
-medal at the finish
Could go on....
Apart from the Rapha T-Shirt and substituting the local baked goods for ZipVit gels, water, juice, bananas everything else is the Etape Caledonia. Mavic were superb again this year inc free gear cable fittings and bottom bracket cups! It might not have the mountains and heat (if you're lucky) but it's still the UK's #1 sportive.
The Caledonia is a great event which I have ridden three times but you cannot begin to compare it with the Etape, nothing in the UK comes close to the atmosphere, surroundings, history and challenge of the Etape in my opinion.
As for feed stations, probably not alot in it although I never stopped at one on the Caledonia, but as for the goody bag, at the last Caledonia i got a carrier bag full of tatt that was only good for the recycling bin, the Rapha t-shirt and useful back pack we got this year are great extras to an awesome event.
You are riding a stage of the Tour de France, and it does not get any better than that.
What I would say is that it maybe a one off as far as how easy the logistics were this year. Having a circular route made such a difference to the logistics headache that usually goes hand in hand with riding an Etape. Having a great cycle path which avoided the closed roads to cycle to the start was an added bonus. Unless ASO start incorporating a circular stage as a regular event in the Tour we may not experience another Etape like the Annecy one for a while?0 -
bernithebiker wrote:Anyone buying the photos? Not cheap at 45 Euros ish for 6, of which only 2 are half decent......
Even worse, there is only 4 of me. one looks amazing, the rest I look miserable in!Scott Addict 2011
Giant TCR 20120 -
Boleynboy wrote:What I would say is that it maybe a one off as far as how easy the logistics were this year. Having a circular route made such a difference to the logistics headache that usually goes hand in hand with riding an Etape. Having a great cycle path which avoided the closed roads to cycle to the start was an added bonus. Unless ASO start incorporating a circular stage as a regular event in the Tour we may not experience another Etape like the Annecy one for a while?
I'm more hopeful. It all depends how the real tour plays out next week but if the model they have this year of finishing in the mountains becomes more common then the tour organisers themselves may want to include a stage with a loop as it makes their logistics easier too.Martin S. Newbury RC0 -
bahzob wrote:Boleynboy wrote:What I would say is that it maybe a one off as far as how easy the logistics were this year. Having a circular route made such a difference to the logistics headache that usually goes hand in hand with riding an Etape. Having a great cycle path which avoided the closed roads to cycle to the start was an added bonus. Unless ASO start incorporating a circular stage as a regular event in the Tour we may not experience another Etape like the Annecy one for a while?
I'm more hopeful. It all depends how the real tour plays out next week but if the model they have this year of finishing in the mountains becomes more common then the tour organisers themselves may want to include a stage with a loop as it makes their logistics easier too.
Lets hope so! The Etape is a huge money spinner for ASO so the fact that this years event was the best attended in its history may mean they consider a circular stage with the Etape in mind, although I am sure they would never admit it!0 -
bernithebiker wrote:Anyone buying the photos? Not cheap at 45 Euros ish for 6, of which only 2 are half decent......
I wouldn't bother, your videos on the Mavic site are free.0
