Marmotte 2015
Comments
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I can't believe I walked near 6 mile and not one service van passed! My cleats were totally shot and wouldnt clip into the pedals. Too dangerous to descend Croix De Fer with my feet slipping off the pedals.
Still gutted but wasn't to be. To be honest though there wasn't a hope I got up alpe dheuz at the end. It's 45 degrees on the way up. Out of 7500 that started over half didn't finish apparently. Driving up the Alp yesterday was complete carnage, it was unbelievable. People crying on the side of the road. People lying sprawled out all over the place, literally lying on their backs. A few fellas in the chalet beside us are currently in grenoble hospital, in the La Marmotte wing
. Ive never seen anything like it. It's some sportive though, the bikes and quality of cyclists is unreal. Just going to have to try again next year!!
I climbed the Alp this morning in 1hr 22mins so it nearly confirmed that I wouldn't have got up the Alp yesterday if I had of reached the bottom. Took a few photos and that sort of thing on the way up so not sure what time I could do it in if I pushed it. It is a nice climb tbf, though not as hard as some of the climbs yesterday. You nearly have to pinch yourself at times when you cycle past the famous parts of the climb that you see on TV all the time. First few hairpins are steep and then it gets easier but then the legs get more fatigued as you go as well. With 100mile in the legs and in 45 degrees it would have been out of my depth yesterday I reckon.0 -
Just arrived back in Blightly after what was a brutal ride! I managed to finish, but only just... Alpe d'Huez took its toll like it did for most but I would'nt give up...
I stayed with a group of guys who have ridden Marmotte 5 times and they all said it was not only a harder route but the hot conditions they had ever seen...
Whether you finished or not well done for giving your all...0 -
Congratulations to anyone who got round in those conditions I'd say, I don't think I would have made it. Annoying I'd guess to do all that training and not get the medal you deserve though because the weather was against you.
What was the modified route like?
Apparently the modified route was much slower. People that usually do the original in around 7:30 were taking over an hour longer to finish. Obviously the heat would have been a contributing factor, but because the fast Lauteret descent was taken out average speeds/times were down.
It was my first marmotte. I finished in 8:42 and after what I've been reading I was glad I actually made it to the finish. In preparation for it I did lots of endurance riding and never once suffered with cramp, but my legs seized up on the descent of the Croix de Fer and I had to get off the bike for a good 15 minutes to sort myself out. I managed to get some electolytes in me and spin it out on the remainder of the descent. When I climbed the alpe I had to stop and climb in a waterfall just to get my core temp and HR down. I've never seen so many people in trouble. We were sat in a restaurant at 11.00pm watching people still climbing the alpe!
A brutal day and I swore during the ride I'd never attempt anything like that again, but an hour after I finished and a few beers I was already hoping to go back and have another crack at it.
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Heat and uphill are not a good combination, same for wet/cold and downhill.
In july it is difficult to get away from one or the other in the mountains... in other words you might find ideal conditions (20 degrees and partial cloud coverage) in late spring and early autumn, but not in the middle of summer... it's either going to be baking hot, or there is a weather system and you will freeze on the descents.
This heatwave is particularly bad, but not at all unusualleft the forum March 20230 -
Congratulations to anyone who got round in those conditions I'd say, I don't think I would have made it. Annoying I'd guess to do all that training and not get the medal you deserve though because the weather was against you.
What was the modified route like?
Apparently the modified route was much slower. People that usually do the original in around 7:30 were taking over an hour longer to finish. Obviously the heat would have been a contributing factor, but because the fast Lauteret descent was taken out average speeds/times were down.
It was my first marmotte. I finished in 8:42 and after what I've been reading I was glad I actually made it to the finish. In preparation for it I did lots of endurance riding and never once suffered with cramp, but my legs seized up on the descent of the Croix de Fer and I had to get off the bike for a good 15 minutes to sort myself out. I managed to get some electolytes in me and spin it out on the remainder of the descent. When I climbed the alpe I had to stop and climb in a waterfall just to get my core temp and HR down. I've never seen so many people in trouble. We were sat in a restaurant at 11.00pm watching people still climbing the alpe!
A brutal day and I swore during the ride I'd never attempt anything like that again, but an hour after I finished and a few beers I was already hoping to go back and have another crack at it.
8:42 is a cracking time given those conditions chaffordred. I would encourage you to do it again especially if the traditional route is restored because it literally is a classic. The circular route over the Telegraphe and the Galibier followed by the descent to the Lauterets back to Bourg and then up the Alpe is something that every serious cyclist should experience at least once in their lives, hopefully in cooler conditions.0 -
even better once they fix the tunnel situation go and ride the route for free without the lunatic crowdsRule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
even better once they fix the tunnel situation go and ride the route for free without the lunatic crowds
That's just nonsense. It's the 7,500 riders on the day that make it the classic event that it is. Otherwise it's just a nice ride around the mountains.0 -
I rode this last year for the first time and was very disappointed to finish just outside 8 hours after having a broken spoke and holding back for much of the route because I was afraid of having to ride up the Alpe when already wasted.
This year I was determined to get around in under 8 hours, and hopefully less than 7 1/2. (Completely disregarding the new route and the heat...) My aim was to get to the finish certain that I had really given it my all. Anyhow, despite the route change, heat and additional water stops I managed to get to the foot of the Alpe in 6 1/2 hours and I still felt pretty good. I got up the first ramp with no problems and didn't stop for water at La Garde as I still felt as good as could be expected. I was still climbing at a decent pace and was on course for a sub 7:45 finish.
Then 6.5 km into the climb I just ground to a halt, feeling a bit nauseous and having vision problems. I stopped but just felt hotter and hotter. I tried to set off again after what seemed like an age but had to stop again almost immediately. The fact that my target time now looked like an impossibility pretty much crushed my motivation to continue, but I think the real issue was heat exhaustion, with my brain sensing that my core temperature had gone into the red and doing it's best to stop me from doing more. I had gone from climbing at just under 11 km/hr to being unable to turn the pedals in the space of a km, which is not my usual experience of fatigue. So, I turned around and rode back down the climb to where my car was parked.
If I had known that there were less than 500 riders in front of me when I blew I would have tried to finish somehow, even if this meant taking another break in Huez to hydrate and cool down. If I had stopped in La Garde for a short break and taken on loads of fluid I might not even have had the problems that I did, but at that point I felt fine so didn't even consider it.
I am disappointed now, of course, but the reality is that I might have ended up in serious trouble had I forced my self to do more. In any case things have to be really bad for me to even consider pulling over and stopping, so if I thought that I couldn't continue any further, then that probably was the case. It was always going to be a dangerous game going all-out for a half-decent time in those conditions, but had I rode more conservatively I would probably feel even worse about that then I do about failing to finish. Oh well, at least I got my wish of finishing in such a state that I was sure that I had given it my all!"an original thinker… the intellectual heir of Galileo and Einstein… suspicious of orthodoxy - any orthodoxy… He relishes all forms of ontological argument": jane90.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19642287#p19642287]BenderRodriguez[/url] wrote:I rode this last year for the first time and was very disappointed to finish just outside 8 hours after having a broken spoke and holding back for much of the route because I was afraid of having to ride up the Alpe when already wasted.
This year I was determined to get around in under 8 hours, and hopefully less than 7 1/2. (Completely disregarding the new route and the heat...) My aim was to get to the finish certain that I had really given it my all. Anyhow, despite the route change, heat and additional water stops I managed to get to the foot of the Alpe in 6 1/2 hours and I still felt pretty good. I got up the first ramp with no problems and didn't stop for water at La Garde as I still felt as good as could be expected. I was still climbing at a decent pace and was on course for a sub 7:45 finish.
Then 6.5 km into the climb I just ground to a halt, feeling a bit nauseous and having vision problems. I stopped but just felt hotter and hotter. I tried to set off again after what seemed like an age but had to stop again almost immediately. The fact that my target time now looked like an impossibility pretty much crushed my motivation to continue, but I think the real issue was heat exhaustion, with my brain sensing that my core temperature had gone into the red and doing it's best to stop me from doing more. I had gone from climbing at just under 11 km/hr to being unable to turn the pedals in the space of a km, which is not my usual experience of fatigue. So, I turned around and rode back down the climb to where my car was parked.
If I had known that there were less than 500 riders in front of me when I blew I would have tried to finish somehow, even if this meant taking another break in Huez to hydrate and cool down. If I had stopped in La Garde for a short break and taken on loads of fluid I might not even have had the problems that I did, but at that point I felt fine so didn't even consider it.
I am disappointed now, of course, but the reality is that I might have ended up in serious trouble had I forced my self to do more. In any case things have to be really bad for me to even consider pulling over and stopping, so if I thought that I couldn't continue any further, then that probably was the case. It was always going to be a dangerous game going all-out for a half-decent time in those conditions, but had I rode more conservatively I would probably feel even worse about that then I do about failing to finish. Oh well, at least I got my wish of finishing in such a state that I was sure that I had given it my all!
See it this way: you went in a solo breakaway, they caught you and you jumped in the team car as there was no point in finishing the race at the tail of the peloton... it happens in every classic and nobody feels ashamedleft the forum March 20230 -
I've turned back more than once on walks when I've been really close to a summit I've been heading for. Always disappointing, but I think a lot of accidents happen when people are really close and can't bear the thought of turning back so close to the goal. A mountain will always be there another time (hmm ... except the chunk of the Tunnel du Chambon that's falling down), and you have to make sure you will be too. Turning back is the best way to ensure that.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19642287#p19642287]BenderRodriguez[/url] wrote:I am disappointed now, of course, but the reality is that I might have ended up in serious trouble had I forced my self to do more. In any case things have to be really bad for me to even consider pulling over and stopping, so if I thought that I couldn't continue any further, then that probably was the case. It was always going to be a dangerous game going all-out for a half-decent time in those conditions, but had I rode more conservatively I would probably feel even worse about that then I do about failing to finish. Oh well, at least I got my wish of finishing in such a state that I was sure that I had given it my all!0 -
See it this way: you went in a solo breakaway, they caught you and you jumped in the team car as there was no point in finishing the race at the tail of the peloton... it happens in every classic and nobody feels ashamed
That's one way to look at it! I have always thought that there is not that much merit in just riding to finish an event, much like those people who walk round a marathon in 6 hours or more. All you have to do is to never go hard enough to get tired!
I still wish that I had stopped in la Garde for a cool down and a big drink before tackling the rest of the climb though. Unfortunately, my ambition to do a 'decent' time completely over-rode my common sense!"an original thinker… the intellectual heir of Galileo and Einstein… suspicious of orthodoxy - any orthodoxy… He relishes all forms of ontological argument": jane90.0 -
That was brutal, worse than 2010, when I had an absolute meltdown on AdH. I didn't have a meltdown this time, thankfully, but I think that was easily my toughest day ever on a bike. Couldn't sit or stand properly after the finish, and my right foot still hurts from the effort.
8hr 38m. A lot slower than my last effort in 2011, but, given the conditions, I was pleased just to finish - I set off up AdH with no small amount of trepidation about what was to come... I was able to keep it steady, and maintain a rhythm of sorts, only needing to stop briefly for water in Garde and Huez to ensure I didn't overheat. Frankly, I'm amazed that it didn't go pear-shaped - in 2010, it all went to hell in the space of two hairpins. I took 20 mins at the bottom of the climb to take on shootloads of water, eat three mini-baguettes (damn, they were good), those jelly sweet things, whatever that green stuff was, then the lemon-tasting stuff next to it, and then two jugs of water over me.
I have zero desire to go back. I really don't fancy riding that distance for a sustained period in conditions like that again. If you decided to pull out because you were feeling rough, you made a very sensible decision: it was carnage on the Alpe. Normally, there's the height of the Galibier to cool you down, but with the Croix de Fer only being at 2,000m, it was baking on the climb, with no respite from the heat on the descent down to Bourg either.
I saw a Dulwich Paragon rider with a black Canyon at the finish, by the bike racks near the food tent. Wanted to say hello, in case it was the chap who posted on here earlier, but I was basically too f**ked to stand as cramp had taken hold in my quads, so apologies if you're on here, fella.
Hats off to everyone who had a crack at this.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
I nearly imploded in 2007 under similar circumstances, it was also around 40C on the Alpe that afternoon. I had ridden the Marmotte for the first time in 2006 and rode the Alpe without stopping in an hour. In 2007, despite the heat I had it in my head that I wouldn't stop on the Alpe because I didn't want to look like some numpty. Riding up to La Garde I was struggling and only had an inch of water left in the bottom of my bottle. Being stubborn though I didn't stop and started to feel the effects of heat stroke, goose bumps, even feeling shivery despite it being 40C. I finally made it to the Dutch corner and drenched myself in water for about ten mins before getting back on the bike. The change was staggering and I rode with a second wind to the top.
In 2009 it was also pretty hot but this time I stopped for a minute or two at La Garde and Huez and as a result didn't overheat and did the Alpe in a much faster overall time than if I hadn't stopped.
Last year was great conditions for riding, this year sounded horrendous. I had an entry but work commitments got in the way unfortunately, sort of glad they did!0 -
even better once they fix the tunnel situation go and ride the route for free without the lunatic crowds
Think you might be now waiting a good few years for that to happen now!
Congrats to all who made it and those that nearly made it, far tougher to turn back, I've been in that situation where you just come to a grinding halt, have a stop for what seems a while get back on and then off again after only 250m.
I think no amount of training can prepare you for the heat, some people are just far more susceptible to heat than others, usually those of a larger frame, in body that is and not the bike!
I sweat like a pig even at 20 degrees whilst others seem totally fresh. So obviously I'm going to need liquid far more than others and if not my core body temp just goes into the red.
Be interesting to hear the body weights of those that made it, all sub 70kg ?0 -
Many congrats to everyone who made it to the finish.
All things considered, I had a lovely day.
Felt fine up the Glandon, bang on my target power, chatting happily to one of the two female KW riders in the field. Nice to have some company. Quite enjoyed the Lacets, again bang on target power - like Disney designed a hairpinned road - although disappointed not to find a dragon and princess in a castle at the top.
However, by the top of the Lacets I needed water on the head, which was slightly ominous. Managed to get some cold water at the base of the Mollard, but after about 20mins of heading up it, I was dripping, my core was way too hot and I just couldn't put out my power numbers any more: RPE had gone up two points and power down 15%. I'd done a turbo session in London last week in the heat with no fan (yes, just the one with no fan - haha - that was excellent preparation!), and noticed my numbers were down; I know from past experience that once I overheat things go south very fast.
So I pulled over, did some sums, worked out that worst case was a very long and unpleasant day in the saddle, next worst was pressing on to Bourg having a very unpleasant time of it, then pulling out, or best case was to head back down to the Mollard base to the team van and retire.
I chose option #3. Having done the bloody thing two years ago made the decision a lot easier; I didn't have a "hunger" to drive me on this time.
Had a nice nap lying on the grass in the shade of a tree, then sat in the van back to Bourg where I had a beer or two before being driven up through the utter war zone carnage on the Alpe.
Ended the day in the road between hairpins 1 and 2 (with others - incl cjcp above) offering to douse passing riders in water (or offering it as drinking water).
Do ended up doing a bit less than I was probably capable of doing, avoided doing a lot more than would have been sensible, had a very nice afternoon and a very rewarding early evening in the road on dousing duty.
Absolutely no regrets about my decision - I was able to head down to the valley the next morning early for a run, which I would not other have been able to do, and don't feel that I have wrecked myself for a week. Immense respect for those who made it to the finish, and even more so those who posted impressive times.0 -
The worst thing you can do on a very warm day is ride the power numbers planned for cooler conditions. Your body simply cannot cool itself sufficiently and you will overheat as you did. If you had adjusted your target power downwards you would have not got into trouble on the Mollard and completed the event.0
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even better once they fix the tunnel situation go and ride the route for free without the lunatic crowds
Think you might be now waiting a good few years for that to happen now!
Congrats to all who made it and those that nearly made it, far tougher to turn back, I've been in that situation where you just come to a grinding halt, have a stop for what seems a while get back on and then off again after only 250m.
I think no amount of training can prepare you for the heat, some people are just far more susceptible to heat than others, usually those of a larger frame, in body that is and not the bike!
I sweat like a pig even at 20 degrees whilst others seem totally fresh. So obviously I'm going to need liquid far more than others and if not my core body temp just goes into the red.
Be interesting to hear the body weights of those that made it, all sub 70kg ?
I was probably around 79-80kg for this, having dropped from my usual 83kg or so., but I'm pure diesel: I have zero acceleration to speak of, and got scalped by a flippin' Brompton off the lights this morning.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
I saw a Dulwich Paragon rider with a black Canyon at the finish, by the bike racks near the food tent. Wanted to say hello, in case it was the chap who posted on here earlier, but I was basically too f**ked to stand as cramp had taken hold in my quads, so apologies if you're on here, fella.
Hats off to everyone who had a crack at this.
Yep, that was me! Well done for finishing, there were so many who didn't!0 -
I saw a Dulwich Paragon rider with a black Canyon at the finish, by the bike racks near the food tent. Wanted to say hello, in case it was the chap who posted on here earlier, but I was basically too f**ked to stand as cramp had taken hold in my quads, so apologies if you're on here, fella.
Hats off to everyone who had a crack at this.
Yep, that was me! Well done for finishing, there were so many who didn't!
Sorry, I tried to get up from the raised slabs or whatever they were by the tree, but it just wasn't happening. FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
I am just under 90kgs. I would need to get down to 80kgs to have a chance of finishing that. Everyone was so skinny on the start line!0
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I've turned back more than once on walks when I've been really close to a summit I've been heading for. Always disappointing, but I think a lot of accidents happen when people are really close and can't bear the thought of turning back so close to the goal. A mountain will always be there another time (hmm ... except the chunk of the Tunnel du Chambon that's falling down), and you have to make sure you will be too. Turning back is the best way to ensure that.[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19642287#p19642287]BenderRodriguez[/url] wrote:I am disappointed now, of course, but the reality is that I might have ended up in serious trouble had I forced my self to do more. In any case things have to be really bad for me to even consider pulling over and stopping, so if I thought that I couldn't continue any further, then that probably was the case. It was always going to be a dangerous game going all-out for a half-decent time in those conditions, but had I rode more conservatively I would probably feel even worse about that then I do about failing to finish. Oh well, at least I got my wish of finishing in such a state that I was sure that I had given it my all!
Exactly... look at Everest 1996left the forum March 20230 -
Chapeau to everyone who took part. I didn't start; was on antibiotics last week for a chest problem, that coupled with the hot weather meant I decided to miss out. But I had two mates over who went ahead, one finished in 7 hours flat, 107th overall... very impressive indeed0
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80kgs here and at least one of our group is heavier so you didn't have to be a lightweight climber to finish but undoubtedly it helps. For me the key was keeping cool and that meant stopping frequently and pouring lots of water on yourself - it helped that I always do the Marmotte with 2 * litre bottles.
I started with a plan to stop 3 times but at became 8 (6 of them after the Mollard stop) including hose pipes and streams and I was pouring a litre of cold water over my head each time and most of the water in my bottles went the same way. Also made sure any locals with a hose or a bottle of water aimed it my way and finally rode most of AdH with my helmet on my bars - I couldn't understand why people suffering with heat would want insulation on their head, it does make a difference. I actually finished a little stronger on AdH than I'd been on the CdF just because there was more water available to keep cool, on the CdF I was really questioning if I could get up another HC climb.
The other thing is did everyone give themselves time to acclimatise? We set out the Saturday before so we'd had a week in those temperatures, I think that does help a lot unless you live in a similar climate.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
Great day out but so hot. I felt good on glandon but people were flying past me, by Mollard they were going backwards. I felt good until 4km into alpe d'huez when i overheated and needed to stop and be hosed down. I was shaking and retching but the cold water bought be back from the brink and from there it was just getting to the finish. Did 7:23 chip time but could very easily have been a trip into an ambulance, the heat just destroyed me. Having a power meter to pace myself with made the difference for me.
Fantastic event the volunteers and locals coming out with hoses were amazing. Hopefully will be back next year to do the normal course and go faster0 -
Greg would you say it was hotter than the year we did it?
the road temp on the alp that year said 45C :shock: Its the only time in my life i've needed to sit down under a running tap to cool down and earlier in the day stuffing snow into my helmet on the top of the Galibier.
CJ 80kgs you sure that's not food stuck in your beard? Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Greg would you say it was hotter than the year we did it?
the road temp on the alp that year said 45C :shock: Its the only time in my life i've needed to sit down under a running tap to cool down and earlier in the day stuffing snow into my helmet on the top of the Galibier.
CJ 80kgs you sure that's not food stuck in your beard?
Yes, I would say so. Going up Lacets, which was about three hours in, the temp was 31. Once I came back down and continued along the valley, it was 36. So that's somewhere between 10 and 11 in the morning.0 -
That was indeed some ride. Managed to get around in 10h 17 and I currently weight 95kg so it's not all about being stick thin. I enjoyed most of it and dealt with the heat OK. I had more issues with holding down food and felt weak from lack of calories more than baking in the sun. Oranges and cola were the only thing to be palatable but this resulted in some epic burps. From about 1/2 way up Col du Mollard it was steady carnage of persons sprawled out by the side of the road. Not great for moral seeing all the people who probably had great fitness but could not handle the heat. Much like altitude sickness it a bit of a gamble how your body will react without extensive acclimatization. Winter turbo sessions in a sauna anyone?
Thank god for the Mavic Van at the Col du Mollard feed station. One of the mechanics fixed a severed gear cable in 15 mins whilst I had a dunk in the fountain and a spot of luncheon.
If I enter an event of such magnitude again I will look to sort out my diet. The Directeur Sportif at home loves to bake and I’m partial to a bit of cake.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19644766#p19644766]Greg66 Tri v2.0[/url] wrote:Greg would you say it was hotter than the year we did it?
the road temp on the alp that year said 45C :shock: Its the only time in my life i've needed to sit down under a running tap to cool down and earlier in the day stuffing snow into my helmet on the top of the Galibier.
CJ 80kgs you sure that's not food stuck in your beard?
Yes, I would say so. Going up Lacets, which was about three hours in, the temp was 31. Once I came back down and continued along the valley, it was 36. So that's somewhere between 10 and 11 in the morning.
yes yes but how was the fondue?Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19644766#p19644766]Greg66 Tri v2.0[/url] wrote:Greg would you say it was hotter than the year we did it?
the road temp on the alp that year said 45C :shock: Its the only time in my life i've needed to sit down under a running tap to cool down and earlier in the day stuffing snow into my helmet on the top of the Galibier.
CJ 80kgs you sure that's not food stuck in your beard?
Yes, I would say so. Going up Lacets, which was about three hours in, the temp was 31. Once I came back down and continued along the valley, it was 36. So that's somewhere between 10 and 11 in the morning.
yes yes but how was the fondue?
TBH, for all the talk of how wonderful French cuisine is, I'd forgotten how shit French cuisine is in places like a ski resort. Like, really shit.
Anyway, to put the Marmotte into perspective I've been reading on a couple of tri forums about Ironman Frankfurt, which was the same weekend. 41 degrees during the bike and 36 during the run. Two competitor deaths from the heat and/or sodium imbalance. Can't begin to imagine what their families must be going through.
I know the a Marmotte sometimes claims a life - I think in 2013 a rider bought it on the Glandon descent - but nevertheless it is a stark reminder of what can happen if you are a bit too determined to get a return on all your preparation.0 -
I hadn't quite appreicated what an achievement it was to finish until these last couple of days, reading reports on sites like this and looking at twitter feeds. I did 9,43 and my only goal for the day was to finish which probably helped. I'm not sure power outputs was the way to go in that heat, heart rate would have been a far better method of guaging output and intensity, and probably perceived rate of exertion was even better. Despite the heat I was fine up until just after bend 21 on the Alpe. Mollard and CDF were probably my strongest sections fo the ride. I remember hearing somebody in the sporting world say that you should never put your body somehwere your mind hasn't already been. And that was the key for me. I'd mentally prepared for the final ascent to be every bit as hard as it was, and I'd envisaged how I would deal with that and the monkey on my back telling me to stop and this is the only explanation I have for finishing. I really can't explain to myself how I did it. By bend 13 I was shivering but fortunately just did the mother of all ice bucket challenges under a waterfall for about a minute and ploughed on. It was carnage all around, like a war zone. I felt so sorry for those who were clearly struggling on the final climb in particular, but everyone was a hero whether the finished or whether they had the good sense to know when they had had enough. It was so tough I burst into tears when I reached the finish, my girlfriend had to pour 3 litres of ice cold evian over me as I just slumped over my bike sobbing. I can't compare it to the other route as this was my first Marmotte, and frankly nor do I care much now. It would take a lot of persuasion for me to do this again, not just because of the event itself but the sacrafices of 8 months training and the diet to get my weight down from 85kg to 72kg. I'm looking forward to getting a bit more balance in my life again and concentrating more on my racing. That said it was an epic day in the bike and I'm so pleased I've done it. Chapeau to everyone who even started it :shock:0
