Trophee De l'Oisans (La Vaujany etc..)

hatone

Has anyone completed the week long Trophee De l'Oisans events, including La Vaujany etc..?

Curious to hear your thoughts, particularly La Vaujany and Rousses routes, and how it compares to the Marmotte for instance (which I've completed before).

stanthomas

I've done the full Trophee once, and getting out of bed and up the Alpe on Sunday morning is the one of the hardest things I've ever done. Also ridden the Vaujany and Prix de Rousses a couple of times without the Grimpee. Back for another go this year.

The Col de Sarenne used to have a dreadful road surface but they ran the Tour over there last year and I believe it was resurfaced. The back road up to Huez is a tough climb and the final to Vaujany is steeper than anything on the Marmotte. But there's less climbing in total and I do the Vaujany about 2 hours quicker. Regular water and food stops on the Vaujany but the advertised water stops sometimes go missing on the Prix de Rousses.

One gotcha (well it got me) is the Vaujany finishes in the village, the Prix de Rousses 2km further up the hill.

Very nice, friendly rides. Much less crowded than the Marmotte itself.

hatone

Thanks stanthomas.

I am committed to doing all four events this year, so another Brit will on the start line. How did you manage your recovery between the events?

stanthomas

There's a good gap between the rides and my recovery was just fine, slobbing around the campsite, eating well and doing an easy ride every day to keep the legs in shape. In fact I'd say the two early rides are a great build up to the Marmotte and actually benefit performance in the big one.
Sunday morning was another matter altogether; pure, unadulterated masochism.

lee_d_m

Hi,

A couple of us are signed up for La Vaujany and La Marmotte this year. We'll be getting there the night before La Vaujany. Having not done this one before, could someone advise where we need to get to in the morning for registration/race start ?

Thanks

Lee

DeVlaeminck

http://bike-oisans.com/en/events-cyclin ... ans-trophy

Is this it ?

lee_d_m

Actually, I got it wrong, it's the Prix De Rousses we've signed up for, not La Vaujany, anyone know where we need to get to for the start of this one ?

Thanks

DeVlaeminck

Think you just turn up at the foot of Alpe D'Huez some time before the start - a couple of our lot did it - best email the organisers though to make sure.

stanthomas

The Prix de Rousses starts from the car park next to the roundabout at the foot of l'Alpe d'Huez. Turn up about 30 mins before the start (at 9am) to join the line and pick up your number and timing chip. There's a deposit of 10 Euro on the chip which you get back at the finish. If you are already entered, show the confirmation e-mail at sign-on. If you are entering on the day it's quicker if you print off and complete the entry form ahead of time. And take your medical form along too if you haven't already sent it in by e-mail or produced it for the Vaujany.

stanthomas

lee_d_m wrote:

A couple of us are signed up for La Vaujany and La Marmotte this year. We'll be getting there the night before La Vaujany. Having not done this one before, could someone advise where we need to get to in the morning for registration/race start ?

Sign-on for the Vaujany is in the village (top of the hill) from 2pm to 7pm on Saturday 28th. Or at the start at the hydro-electric plant at the Le Verney dam (bottom of the hill) from about an hour beforehand (7:15 start).

Sign-on for the Marmotte is at the sports centre in l'Alpe d'Huez on Thursday afternoon and all day Friday. Or at the start in Bourg d'Oisans from about an hour beforehand (not recommended 'cos it's very busy).

hatone

stanthomas wrote:

There's a good gap between the rides and my recovery was just fine, slobbing around the campsite, eating well and doing an easy ride every day to keep the legs in shape. In fact I'd say the two early rides are a great build up to the Marmotte and actually benefit performance in the big one.
Sunday morning was another matter altogether; pure, unadulterated masochism.

Do you use the same race number for the La Vaujany, Rousses and Marmotte/Grimpee or is there a new number for each event? I know there's a timing chip for each event but organiser doesn't mention anything about race numbers? Cheers

stanthomas

Vaujany and Marmotte numbers are different. I can't remember whether they let us keep the same number and chip for the Vaujany / Prix de Rousses and Marmotte / Grimpee pairs 'cos it's a bit of a pain passing 10 Euro notes around all week.

hatone

With today's atrocious weather conditions, I've given the La Vaujany a miss. Lots of riders have pulled out as a result (including a few of my fellow Brits). At one point this morning the rain was driving so hard it was almost impossible to have any desire to ride and given how wet the roads are, would be somewhat dangerous to push on descents making for very nervous riding. Anyone who rides the full distance gets maximum kudos from me..!

ronnierocket

The weather was pretty brutal at the start, but improved somewhat as the day went on with a sunny finish. It was a great event and darn hard.

http://www.strava.com/activities/159714822 - (elevations is out, it was way down with the Garmin and used the Strava correction and is now way too much - should be about 12,000 ft)

This was a text I posted to my friends post event for a taste of the day.

Was absolutely pishing down as I descended to the start from the finish town. Super gingerly. 3 starting pens, elite(I think), master and senior, thought it was quiet until I went round the loop to the get to the start. Quick chat to an Irish boy who is doing this and the Marmotte. Start is pretty much flat, (tiny up hill) and thendownhill for first 15miles or so. Fairly frantic start, 1 tit out but fairly sensible as it's wet and it's a long day. Sammy sitting on my shoulder like one of those cartoons! Kind of tracking the Irish guy as he seems fairly sensible and wheelsucking him and other guy who brings us to a big group and speed with then for a bit. Hit something on road, think I may have punctured and stop but am ok. Chase back on, then drop sunglasses. Not too worry, first climb then starts 15km long. Nice climb, not too steep, fully tree lined. Keeping sensible 155bpm( heartate monitor gets gubbed later) passed a bit and pass a few but quite happy. Shoulder Sammy still talking. Over the top in a ski station ( climb was in the Dauphine) and down. Lovely descent. In a bit of a group now along the flat(wheelsucking), group splits a bit on a hill but in front group then couple stop at a food stop, me and 2 others. Take a shot on front to help bridge to another group and not long after second hill begins, fairly innocuously at first. I end up dropping off after a bit and am on my own but keep ploughing on. Beautiful scenery, v quiet. Long technical descent, my brakes at this point are gubbed, pads severely worn, really having to pull hard, not pleasant, taking it easy. Along another flat bit and I jump on a guys tail who seems pretty fast and get pulled along. This takes you to within 5 mile of the finish and the seniors go one way and masters take another (60k loop). This is he start of the climb to eventually get to the Col De Sarenne in about 4 sections with some tiny downhills. First bit is 10km and is not too bad, chatting to a couple of guys from a London club who are on their annual foreign sportive, eachy peachy with them to first summit, wee downhill then onto the Alpe D'huez climb, which joins at hairpin 5 and leaves at 3 and goes a different way, sufferring at this point, semi bonk, get to feed station and proceed to eat 4 mini baguettes, 3 glasses of coke and about 20 jellies. Stopped for about 10 mins but feel much better. Onwards to the col de Sarenne and feel quite sprightly but the road surface is terrible and there is a false summit, a downhill then another 3k to top. V hard. Over the top, descent is horrendous especially with my brakes and the broken/uneven road surface, lose lots of time but better safe than sorry. Tracking a guy in what looks like a sky top for my ticket back to the final climb. Descent pops out at the big dam on the way back to Bourg on the Marmotte, mostly downhill for about 10k, easier descending as it's wide and not sharp corners, still tracking sky man as they descents are not super steep. Finally hit the flat and I sit in behind Sky man who is doing a good pace, he is looking behind but I am ignoring him. Eventualy he sits up and i take a spell, hard work into the wind. He goes back in front, then I take another long spell and it's not too bad, he takes over again with 5 miles to go, then we chat for a bit on then I kind of let him go to mentally ready myself for the final climb. I attempt to take my rain jacket 'no handies' but can't manage the bit at the bottom so stop. And then it's onto the final climb 5km at 9%. It's a struggle, pass a couple of guys who are struggling much worse, take a glass of water on the move at 2k to go and push on. Pass a group of Dutch guys cheering the guy in from of me and then do a 'what about me' and they give me a big cheer, 700m to go. Get an Allez, Allez from some locals and push onto the finish, missing the gate and having to reverse a couple of meters and then finish. Nice route, alpe d'huez a struggle and long.

stanthomas

A very wet first half to the Vaujany. Joined up with three Dutch for the run to the first climb and it was like being sprayed with a fire hose. Stopped at the bifurcation of long and short routes to wring out my socks and decided to continue. Glad I did as it brightened up and turned into a decent day. Two nice days then wet again for the Prix des Rousses - a bit of a pattern forming here. Mercifully, the Marmotte was merely damp early on and conditions were about as perfect as us Brits could hope for : overcast and cool. Getting out of bed for the Grimpee was much less of an effort than previous years. So that's two Trophees chalked up.
Personal best for the Marmotte but still 15 mins outside gold. Have a choice now: train really, really hard for next year and try to find those 15 mins or just sit around for two years getting older when they give me an extra half-hour free