Last call for the Etape du Tour 2014

js14

ASO sent out an email this afternoon saying they have nearly 12000 entries for next year's EdT and warning that only a few hundred places are still available. Looking at their site just now, they have just under 9900 riders listed so I guess the tour operators account for the other 2000 or so entries. So grab your place now before it's too late!

js14

Entry for the Etape du Tour 2014 is closed as of today with 10590 riders listed on the website

elbowloh

Couldn't see another thread for this, so....who's actually doing the Etape this year?

Me and a few of the guys/gals I cycle with (not really a club) are doing it this year, all for the first time.

Not really sure what to expect. Distance is not an issue, but 2 mountain climbs (i've done 1 before, Etna) and the heat probably will be.

Really looking forward to it, especially with closed roads and Tourmalet!

mitchventoux

yes heat can be a problem ,2009 montventoux was 40 degrees ,I did 2012 etape act 2 ,tourmalet was 1 of 5 big climbs and nearly froze to death that day ,my advice is take every piece of clothing you own

markwb79

This thread is very quiet!

Does anyone know if its possible to get tickets anywhere? Tour operators etc?

Can you transfers them to other people if they are sold on ebay etc?

Thanks
Mark

elbowloh

Mark, this is my first etape, so can't answer I'm afraid. I bought my entry direct from ASO on the very first day of sale. Brought my own flights, but have accommodation and support package with Cadence. For my first time, i wanted some proper support over the weekend and Cadence organise a trip to watch a stage of the TdF as part of the package.

Don't think that they're transferable.

stanthomas

Markwb79 wrote:

Does anyone know if its possible to get tickets anywhere? Tour operators etc?
Can you transfers them to other people if they are sold on ebay etc?

It might still be possible to get a ride if you sign up with one of their charities http://challenges.alvarum.com/a/etape-du-tour/?utm_source=event&utm_medium=website&utm_content=homepage_last_bibs&utm_campaign=etape-tour-14. And it's possible that some of the tour operators might have places or a cancellation.
But you can't transfer a private entry.

markwb79

elbowloh wrote:

Mark, this is my first etape, so can't answer I'm afraid. I bought my entry direct from ASO on the very first day of sale. Brought my own flights, but have accommodation and support package with Cadence. For my first time, i wanted some proper support over the weekend and Cadence organise a trip to watch a stage of the TdF as part of the package.

Don't think that they're transferable.

Thanks a lot. I have done it a couple of times and have a ticket for this year (I am asking for a friend). Its a great event, I am interested to see how it works with start and finish in different places. I dont have too much experience of this.

I am also doing with a organised group.

its nothing to fear though, just a ride up a couple of hills.

MrT

Just an enquiry to the veterans amongst you have ridden this before.....I have an entry for this year with a friend. We have both been hearing about how the Gendarme broom wagon takes no prisoners. Any ideas how this works and the sort of pace we need to ride at.....did 85 on Sunday at about 18.5 mph average....but flat and windy...at age 50 worried about need to train harder. Have ridden Ventoux before but not after 60km of undulations!
cheers!

markwb79

MrT wrote:

Just an enquiry to the veterans amongst you have ridden this before.....I have an entry for this year with a friend. We have both been hearing about how the Gendarme broom wagon takes no prisoners. Any ideas how this works and the sort of pace we need to ride at.....did 85 on Sunday at about 18.5 mph average....but flat and windy...at age 50 worried about need to train harder. Have ridden Ventoux before but not after 60km of undulations!
cheers!

Just based on that, I think you will be completely fine.

thats about 136km @ nearly 30kmph?

No worries in the slightest.

All my riding is on the flat and usually do those distances at that pace.

+ the wind is good!

MrT

Cheers Mark
Nice to know.....out in the fens probably not that different from the Nederlands...flat but always windy even on a good day......

RichiePortly

I'm doing it again this year after having to climb off in 2012.

I was caught by the broom wagon about two thirds of the way up the Tourmalet, and the Tour Skoda pulled up beside me and the fella asked if I'd had enough or if I wanted to continue to Luchon myself on opened roads. Since my other half was in Luchon herself waiting on me and my back had given up the ghost, I climbed on the bus full of crying Sky jerseys. Apparently the gendarme closed the road at the top of the Tourmalet due to the weather and those who stopped there had a long wait to get to Luchon to get their bikes.

*edited to add* I think you'll be fine at your pace. I've learned now to get in groups on the flats to save energy and pace yourself on the climbs. And eat and drink plenty. Take a pair of arm warmers and a light gilet for the descent of the Tourmalet - last time it was 25 degrees down low and around 2-3 degrees at the top of the Aubisque.

MrT

Thanks Richie...more useful advice....really looking forward to it and the element of the unknown....will be there with an Octagon Cycling Jersey

RichiePortly

I forgot to add - you are given a list of times for the broom wagon, so you'll know where you need to be to avoid being swept up. Two things though - it sounds like you're fit enough so you probably won't need to worry about it, but if you have a rough idea of say, when you need to get to the foot of the Tourmalet, then it can be a good guide. The second thing is though, that it's easy to forget that it's just a big bike ride. Enjoy it rather than staring at your Garmin figuring out if you're going to make it or not.

(BTW, if you have a Garmin, switch the sound off - all I heard last time was HR alerts!!)

MrT

Great advice.....thanks.....no Garmin......just out of interest what was your gearing up the Tourmalet....lowest i have is 29 x 34.....

RichiePortly

A friend who had completed the Marmotte and an Etape a few years back told me to put on a triple. Best advice I ever got!

That said, you should be OK with a compact if your rear cassette is up to 29, and judging by your fitness. The Tourmalet isn't silly steep (like Fred Whitton/Lake District/Bealach Na Ba steep), it's just that it goes on for 20km!

If you're there with a friend, and you plan to stick together, then the most important thing to do is soak it in - one of my best memories from last time was descending the Aubisque through a small town at the bottom, and I found myself on my own through a fairly narrow street with locals hanging out of the windows cheering - felt like I was on a time trial and I could picture my time in the top corner of the screen!

de_sisti

RichiePortly wrote:

If you're there with a friend, and you plan to stick together, then .......

.....forget it. Ride at your own pace and if necessary, meet your mate(s) who are riding at the finish. Worry about
yourself and not anyone else; otherwise, it'll be too much pressure on you.

elbowloh

Yeah there's a group of 5 or 6 of us doing it this year and although we often ride together, I think we'll just all be going at our own pace for the etape, try to find a group of the same pace and stay with them.

Oh and i'll be riding a compact with a 12-30 cassette.

matthewpillinger

Well i'm in. Signed up on Friday having umm'd and ahh'd for ages.

Doing a 5 day trip with Exodus and hiring a bike out there.

Never done Etape before, so it will be my toughest challenge, but I've done a few Sportives around the Surrey Hills, which went reasonably well and RideLondon (no comparison, I know) in 5:21:02.

I played around with the cut off times before I entered (no one wants the cost and time commitment to be broom wagon'd on the first climb) and worked out that I have to average 11mph to bottom of Tourmalet and about 9-10mph across the whole route from that point forwards. There are a few climbs (which we would call tough in England) before Tourmalet, so that average isn't as easy as it looks.

I guess the big risk factor is a big mechanical which is either unfixable or takes too long to fix.

My challenge is to get 20-30 minutes on the Broom Wagon quite quickly so I know that I have a puncture or 2* 'in the bank' and then hopefully build up a further gap as time goes on, just don't want to be trawling along 10 minutes in front of it knowing that any mechanical puts your completion at big risk.

* I know some people can repair punctures in about 2 minutes, but I ain't one of them, I usually spend about 15 minutes trying to find what caused the flat to ensure I don't put a clean tube in and puncture straight away.

drlodge

If its helps...when I did a very tough and hilly ride in the Dales (70 miles, 8,500ft climbing) I averaged 12.3 mph, so I reckon you'll average a little more than that quite easily. I am no mountain goat.

cyclingsheep

I did the Etape in 2012 just doing training on the turbo while my daughter slept in her nursery. The Tourmalet isn't steep but it is very long. I spent 2hrs just climbing, admittedly I was pacing for the next two climbs to come but it is a lovely climb and it is just a matter of getting into a steady rhythm.
+1 for arm warmers and a gillet or light coat. As someone said 2-3 degrees at top and 25 at bottom in the middle of summer. I saw people so cold they couldn't open the wrappers on their food.
Not doing it this year but good luck to all who are.

elbowloh

So bib numbers and wave numbers released today.

I'm starting in wave 11, the second to last group. Hmmm, was hoping to start earlier to put me way ahead of the broom wagon!

joesteve

I did the Etape in 2009 on the infamous 40 degree Ventoux day. My long runs are done at typically 14 -15mph and I averaged 19mph for the first 95 miles (and 4mph for the last 12). A 9000+ peloton makes a big difference. I also started in the second to last pen (next to Chris Boardman) and had all the same worries. As others have said barring serious mechanical or accident you should have no trouble beatign the broom wagon so dont worry about it. A few other points to note.

Get there early and get to the front of your pen. That will get you in front of another 1000+ people.

Consider taking some extra food and something to put on that you can discard for before the start. It could be cold and you will probabaly be in the pen for an hour before the start and maybe another 30 - 40 minutes waiting on everyone else getting away.

Think about a food strategy. If its very hot you'll get sick of enery bars pretty quickly. I took a few extra sachets of energy drink and some gels but still ended up with cramp and nausea on Ventoux.

Food and drink stations may well be rammed. In 2009 they ran out of water on the Ventoux. Do a bit of research and see where else on route you can fill water bottles. I saved a chunk of time filling up at drinking fountains in one of the towns we passed through on route. I'm sure I got a list of these from somewhere before I went but cant remember now where.

Take it easy on the descents. One of my not so pleasant memories was the ambulances and motorbikes trying to get through the riders to attend to crashes on the other side of the hills we were going up and the subsequent scenes on the other side.

Above all enjoy it. The experience of riding through the French towns on closed roads with huge crowds cheering you on is amazing not to mention the sense of achievement at the end.

dandrew

I found Bib numbers but where are the Wave numbers on the site?

RichiePortly

I couldn't find them on the Etape site, however if you log in to http://www.asochallenges.com/ and look at 'My order'. The French for 'wave' is 'vague', which is down near the bottom. I'm in wave 10. Meh. Fair enough after failing to finish in 2012 though!

dandrew

thanks

johnny2names

the time is fast approaching!

I'm filled with mixed emotions, ranging from excitment to anxiety- the later mostly due to the advance weather forecasts of possible thunderstorms + 90% chance of rain for sunday:

http://www.meteofrance.com/previsions-m ... alet/65200

I'm in wave 8, at 8:04. I'm riding with 2 friends, It's our first time for all. plan is to ride together to feed stop 2 to fill up bidons, hopefully finding some good groups along the way. then it's each man for himself up the tourmalet. I'm 6'3'' and 15 stones so no contador- i'm budgeting 2 hours for tourmalet! but having checked out the times for broom wagon, the margin seems quite comfortable assuming no serious mechanical/injury.

good luck to you all!

johnny2names

one other thing, here's a nice 3D profile of the etape du tour 2014 courtesy of veloviewer:

http://blog.veloviewer.com/etape-du-tou ... nd-climbs/

There seems to be a properly tough section 3/4 of the way up hautacam to contend with! gulp

elbowloh

johnny2names wrote:

one other thing, here's a nice 3D profile of the etape du tour 2014 courtesy of veloviewer:

http://blog.veloviewer.com/etape-du-tou ... nd-climbs/

There seems to be a properly tough section 3/4 of the way up hautacam to contend with! gulp

Thanks for that Johnny! Looks cool!

thomasmc

Weather not looking great for Sunday

L'ETAPE DU TOUR 2014 : ALERTE METEO

Attention, les conditions météorologiques du dimanche 20 juillet ne sont pas favorables :
- vent
- pluie
- températures basses

Nous vous recommandons fortement de vous équiper en conséquence :
- vêtements chauds
- vêtements de pluie
- gants longs
- vêtements de rechange à l'arrivée

METEO WARNING

Warning, Sunday 20th of July, the weather forecast is not good:
- wind
- rain
- cold températures

We warmly recommend you to bring:
- hot clothes
- rain gear
- gloves
- spare clothes to change at the arrival village

MrT

Just having breakfast before setting off for Pau.....on the original form I put down I was good....which for my age I think I am...and having raced in Belgium 30 years ago I put that as past race experience.....now I'm in pen 1 evidently with all the serious boys. Oh dear...going to whelp suck for as long as possible. :?