Marmotte 2016

itboffin

I must need my head seeing too, after 2013 I said never again.

Oh well

fuzzdog

Hello.
Yes. Same here. Did you finish this year? I didn't. Back for more but this year seems to be on the original route and as long as it's not 40 odd degrees again it will seem a breeze by comparison.

I was intrigued by the mention of Marmotte Pyrenees. No details yet though.

itboffin

I did it in 2013 and yes I finished even though it was hot as hell, I'm hoping for dry and a bit cooler so I can improve on my time.

smithy21

Doing it for the first time this year :shock:

stanthomas

Already sold out!
You can still get in via the Trophee de l'Oisans.

I'm not doing it this year. Had a funny turn on Alpe d'Huez; don't know whether it was the heat or something else but discretion seemed the better part of valour. First DNF in 8 attempts. Taking a year off to contemplate my navel :?

itboffin

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19743259#p19743259]stanthomas[/url] wrote:

Already sold out!
You can still get in via the Trophee de l'Oisans.

I'm not doing it this year. Had a funny turn on Alpe d'Huez; don't know whether it was the heat or something else but discretion seemed the better part of valour. First DNF in 8 attempts. Taking a year off to contemplate my navel :?

You're not alone a few of my friends who've done it multiy times before and good times DNF last year, same thing bottom of the alpe, I'm just amazed I'm doing it again

I have zero tolerance for choppers and the marmotte is a euro chopper-fest-royal

Oh well

DeVlaeminck

The heat affected a lot of people this year, I must have spent at least an extra 10 minutes getting water and on the Alpe most of it went over my head. It's worth getting there the weekend before just to acclimatise, this year was exceptional but I've done it 4 times and it's been over 30 degrees on the final climb every time.

itboffin

I remember last time at bend 7 or so the ladies in bikinis handing out water, that was a welcome distraction for the intense heat.

I've just booked our group a few miles down the road from bourg this year just so happens it also has a michelin star restaurant, oops!

But more seriously I'm going to be dress head to toe white next year, fuck that boiling hot climbing 10% for 10 miles after 115 miles of relentless slog in a furnace, of course what will happen now is it'll bloody well snow or piss with rain.

cc78

The new temporary road at the Lac du Chambon opened today; assuming it survives the winter then this should hopefully mean the Marmotte will be able to return to the traditional route over the Galibier...

r.gilling121

Just got my number for this year. Made me realise that I need to lose 5kg and get back training. Looking forward to doing the traditional route after the odd one last year.

itboffin

Broke my wrist today which is seriously annoying as I've never been fitter this early in the year

bigpikle

Another first timer here as well. I've done the Maratona, QBH, several Raids etc, so this is the one big one I've been keen to cross off the list for a while. Really pleased to read that the original course is back on again so now its time to really focus on the training again.

Can anyone xplain the numbering process? I'm assuming its a system of pens and fairly controlled? The Maratona and QBH werent that strict outside of the seeded front group. I'm number 5200 something.

briantrumpet

cc78 wrote:

The new temporary road at the Lac du Chambon opened today; assuming it survives the winter then this should hopefully mean the Marmotte will be able to return to the traditional route over the Galibier...

Apart from a brief closure because of avalanche risk, it's still open: http://www.lemedia05.com/2016/31982/la- ... avalanche/

...though there was a bit of controversy with gendarmes turning back tourists in cars coming from the French Bourg side: http://www.lemedia05.com/2015/30910/cha ... polemique/

In other words, it all looks fine for a few thousand cyclists later in the year.

Leroy42

Bigpikle wrote:

Can anyone xplain the numbering process? I'm assuming its a system of pens and fairly controlled? The Maratona and QBH werent that strict outside of the seeded front group. I'm number 5200 something.

Yes the numbers refer to pens. They have a pretty good system in place for filtering the numbers into different pens. They seem to to pretty strict about it, I have seen plenty of people turned back from entering pens with the wrong numbers.

1st 400 are the 'Elite' or invited (at least that is the official line) and they go off at 7.00am. Next wave is 401 to 2000 which sets off at just behind them. Next bunch is 2001 to 4000 and sets off at 7.20 I think and then everyone else goes off at 7.50.

Your timing doesn't start until you cross the mat so starting position doesn't really matter too much and having been in each of the waves in different years the speed to the 1st climb doesn't really alter that much, a minute or two either way.

Main issue comes with the sheer numbers on the Glandon and particularly at the top where the water stop is. But the Glandon is a long 90mins+ climb so no matter what the field is pretty strung out by the top and since the timing is suspended on the Glandon descent just make sure you get across the timing mat at the top of the Glandon and the relax and don't get worked up if you are held up.

itboffin

1500s for me 7am start which will be bloody cold but glad not to be at the back like last time, I might even get over the glandon without walking o the bloody grass banks due to pricks just stopping in front with no warning, on mass.

and relax

gavinbay

I can confirm the route de secours is open, having taken it a few times this past winter season (I live in Serre Chevalier), and is a fantastic alternative to the old road.

Though if you are driving up from Grenoble to Serre Chevalier via Bourg Oisans to the Lautaret and on to Galibier via La Grave etc then all the signs will say the road is closed and that you must take the diversion via Gap or Frejus.

So ignore these signs and continue. The road is only classed a route de secours and was built for the local communes of La Grave and Villar D'Arene but is open to all light traffic as the local economy is very much reliant on the tourist trade which has been decimated this past year, good friends own a hotel in La Grave that is very much cycling friendly http://www.hotel-edelweiss.com/and they have a continual battle in that people think the road is closed.

briantrumpet

GavinBay wrote:

I can confirm the route de secours is open, having taken it a few times this past winter season (I live in Serre Chevalier), and is a fantastic alternative to the old road.

Though if you are driving up from Grenoble to Serre Chevalier via Bourg Oisans to the Lautaret and on to Galibier via La Grave etc then all the signs will say the road is closed and that you must take the diversion via Gap or Frejus.

So ignore these signs and continue. The road is only classed a route de secours and was built for the local communes of La Grave and Villar D'Arene but is open to all light traffic as the local economy is very much reliant on the tourist trade which has been decimated this past year, good friends own a hotel in La Grave that is very much cycling friendly http://www.hotel-edelweiss.com/and they have a continual battle in that people think the road is closed.

The new road has apparently had some problems, hence the closures, I suspect, but as far as I can tell it is open now. There have been a couple of landslips:

http://www.lemedia05.com/2016/34003/cha ... ermanence/

http://www.lemedia05.com/2016/33190/cha ... redi-midi/

gavinbay

I wrote this article having cycled down to it in the autumn from home in Serre Che about six weeks before the road opened when it was touch and go whether they would open it before winter arrived.

http://stylealtitude.com/newsandblog/2015/10/12/tunnel-du-chambon-closed-a-new-route-offers-hope/

briantrumpet

GavinBay wrote:

I wrote this article having cycled down to it in the autumn from home in Serre Che about six weeks before the road opened when it was touch and go whether they would open it before winter arrived.

http://stylealtitude.com/newsandblog/2015/10/12/tunnel-du-chambon-closed-a-new-route-offers-hope/

Nice article, thanks. I've never actually cycled that road (I was due to do so in 2013, but our route was diverted because of the snow around at the beginning of June), but I'm interested in the geology, engineering and politics, as there are several similarly challenging roads in my summer neck-of-the-woods. I rather like the latest photo of the slip I've come across:

grimpeur

On the off-chance, does anyone have any spare accomodation going or ideas for a single/double room somewhere Thurs - Sat night?

I have an entry but the rest of my party have dropped out.

cdc02254

If anyone cant make it and want to sell there number please message me.

itboffin

anyone else having problems with their medical certificate?

I've uploaded mine three times now and they keep rejecting it but the email rejection has a generic list of reasons, including not readable, out of date, not signed or dated mine is fine on all counts and matches the one I submitted in 2013 and the one my friend submitted last week from the same doctor.

this is seriously stressing me out now

DeVlaeminck

File size isn't too big is it ?

itboffin

ha! it turns out the problem was their end, all sorted now.

phew!

now there's the small matter of finishing the event

davidof

Cycled up to Alpe d'Huez after work last night. Weather is warm, muggy, but stormy. It lashed down in the Glandon valley all evening with thunder etc but the ADH climb was more, or less, dry. Lots of Brits around the place but few cycling - I don't know if they intend to cycle but some looked very, ahem, gravitationally challenged (even more than me).

itboffin

Christ that seemed a lot harder than last time I did it, thankfully it wasn't to hot and the rain only came down briefly just before ADH

r.gilling121

I thought it was a lot easier than last year, mainly due to the weather. I was nearly an hour quicker than last year and actually enjoyed it whereas last year it was a sufferfest for alpe d'huez. I was finished before it rained but my dad was descending Galibier which was not dodgy.

rc856

Hi,

Not as many event reports as I was hoping to read.
It's on the radar for our club trip next year.
Someone's mentioned booking through Sport Tours Int. Anyone use them this year?
I googled them and found some negative stuff from a few years ago. Have they changed?
The posts were about the Ventoux event with the bus delays which wouldn't be a problem with finishing and staying on the Alpe.

Cheers

itboffin

If you want an organised trip ledom tours great people and regulars on here too, they'll take great care of you.

http://ledomestiquetours.co.uk/

DeVlaeminck

RC856 wrote:

Hi,

Not as many event reports as I was hoping to read.
It's on the radar for our club trip next year.
Someone's mentioned booking through Sport Tours Int. Anyone use them this year?
I googled them and found some negative stuff from a few years ago. Have they changed?
The posts were about the Ventoux event with the bus delays which wouldn't be a problem with finishing and staying on the Alpe.

Cheers

I'd stay in Bourg and go for the week - gives you time to do plenty of riding and acclimatise in case it is hot - also get used to the descents for those that haven't ridden in the mountains before. If you stay on the Alpe then every ride is going to finish with having to climb back up which limits the riding you can do because it adds a massive climb on the end of every one.

Easy enough to arrange for yourself and getting in the event is straightforwards so long as you are on the ball. I can give you the address of a house we stayed in which was pretty good and literally 100yards from the start. If you've not been before don't worry about getting back after the finish it is literally just a case of rolling down the Alpe.

rc856

Hi,

Any info would be appreciated. Would love to do a week but more likely it'll only be 3 nights