Marmotte Pyrenees 2017

loumacari

Hi all
Anyone else do this? Thought I'd share my reflections on the newest (I think) of the Marmotte's, now in its second year. Be interested to hear others'.

1. 5,600m of climbing in 100 miles hurts. A lot. I've not done this much climbing in a single ride before and, frankly, I won't again. Absolutely brutal.

2. It's a stunning ride. The geography in this part of France really is breathtaking and the views from the summit of the Tourmalet, Aspin, Hautacam etc are almost as breathtaking as the journey up them.

3. The feed stations are passable, literally. Lots of energy products, and some but not enough proper food. The ubiquity of water wells/troughs in villages meant it wasn't worth queuing for water.

4. You'd be surprised who doesn't make it. c2,200 starters this year and c1,200 finishers. Even accounting for the numbers that signed up but didn't make it to the start line, that's a high attrition rate. But the number of grisly European quinqagenarians who made it to the finish line in and on kit from the 80s was remarkable (and humbling). God I hope I'm that fit when I'm 50+ (/god I wish I was that fit now).

5. The fittest are really fit. The winner finished in approx 6.5 hours, about 3 hours before me. Now, getting the excuse out the way (I had a dodgy stomach, and narrowly avoided a Dumoulin moment half way up the Aspin), and accepting for our different strategies (him - a bloc start to finish; me - climb, photo, cheese, descend sheepishly, repeat), that is quick (his time, not mine). Chapeau to you, sir (and to the first Brit who finished 25th).

6. You don't really need the big ring. Which is just as well. The cage on my di2 FD broke about half way through (no idea how, but an expensive break...) and so I was stuck in my 34 for the whole afternoon. Think there was just one occasion where ideally I'd have shifted up....

B