Sportive advice

bogdanpetrica

Hello to everybody,

I just joined this forum, found it when searching information for "La Marmotte" and looks like here are people with experiences about it.

So my concern is, this: will I be able to finish it? By finishing I mean, finish it with a reasonable time, I don't want to agonize it from the middle of the stage up to Galibier.

I am 28 years old man, and I am in my third year of continuous cycling now. I picked up my road bike last year year around June and since I made around 7000kms on it, I also do mountain biking.

The longest rides I had until now look like these: 170kms 2000m + climbing done by myself around 8h - I did not had a computer with me back then, 140kms with 2000+ with a cycling mate in 38 degrees Celsius or more, I felt good and pushing it on the climbs - but this one was with a break for food in between, I wanted to continue but my mate needed food, anyway it took around 6h.

I also made a training plan for this, but still my concern is this: is it too soon to try "La Maromotte" for me, or is just a stretch and with proper trying I will be able to finish it properly?

Thank you all.

P.S.: and apologies spelling errors, I am not a native writer(or speaker).

stueys

You've been cycling for 3 years so its a safe assumption that your body has adapted to the demands of cycling and ou probably have a resonable base level of cycling fitness. You have over six months to train. I think you'll be fine, sketch out a training plan and get going!

ju5t1n

I agree. You'll be fine. Enjoy it, it's a great day out.

bogdanpetrica

Thank you guys!

I registered and got a payment receipt, plan is also sketched , the real training starts around middle of February, until then I am going to do one/two indoor training sessions per week and complement with running.

I am planing to have my longest ride of 9 hours in length, that is going to happen around beginning of May, then build the endurance for climbing all day. Am I too optimistic with just 9 hours ?

Thanks again.

SecretBurningThread

First time I did the Marmotte I was out there for 11 hours. It wasn't pretty and I did a lot of sprtive in the previous year.
9 hours is a good endurance ride, but you need to train to ride at threshold for a long time.
I would advise hill repeats at threshold in training blocks
Boring but will get you fit.

Tom Butcher

I know a guy in his 50s, very fit but primarily a runner who cycles to work on a Mtb. Started training for the Marmotte maybe 3 months before and I think he cracked 10 hours. However he did really throw himself into the training - up to 300 miles a week, local chaingangs learning how to ride in a group etc. Plenty don't finish though - I ended up in the broom wagon thanks to a mechanical and the amount of people who had just run out of gas from the Telegraph onwards was shocking - the top half the Galibier was littered with riders trying to flag us down as they couldn't go on (the bus was full).

Brian B

You'll be fine(you will suffer a lot :twisted: ) but aim for perhaps getting around in 10 hours or so and be careful at the start and for the first 40km as it can be slightly crazy and VERY busy. It quiets down after the descent of the Glandon.

There was a guy with our tour company last year who had no training or real fitness and jumped on a bike 3 months before and he got around to half way up the Galibier before totally cracking.

Its a great day out and the best advice I can give is to ensure you eat and drink plenty and have a good gilet or light rain jacket for the descent of the Galibier.

I got around in just over 8hrs and I am just a normal sportive rider but had trained hard for the event and had the experience of cycling the route a decade before on my own and that helps.

bogdanpetrica

Thank you guys.

The plan is to make the long 9 hour ride as early as possible into the season and the build fitness to work at a sustained rate for long periods of time.

I have relatively long climbs(30, 40 min) in my area , so I can work on them.

Also I will be able to train on alpine roads once they open, usually around the beginning of July, so it's up to how much I can train. I am planing for around 10~14 hours per week, depending on period, endurance vs. LT training.

What will probably be harder for me, is to learn to ride in a pack, there are not grup rides around here, I could enter some MTB race, but it's no comparison I guess.