La Marmotte 2018

nellie72

Driving down Wednesday night. Doing the Grimpee on Friday and then the Marmotte on Sunday (my first time).

Hoping to get round in under 9 hours.

With any luck the alpine weather will get a bit better than at present.

Anyone else heading down? Any tips from previous riders very welcome.

aberdeen_lune

I’m heading over with a couple of club mates. Looking forward to it. I’m a first timer as well so no advice to give apart from drink plenty and be prepared for a variety of temperatures.

mamil314

Are they really testing fastest finishers for PEDs? Sounds like a pretty serious event for an amateur sportive ride, are disc brakes banned, as well?

DeVlaeminck

Tips.
- I used 2*1 litre bottles, every time I've done it the heat was fierce, the last time was on the changed course after a tunnel collapse and almost half the field DNFed and someone died of heat/exhaustion on AlpeD.
- 1 litre of water to climb Glandon, fill both bottles there which will get you to Valloire, Refill one litre top of Galibier, I would probably refill both foot of Alpe D'Huez now too but do one plain water to pour over your head.
-Get in a group on the valley before Telegraph and on descent on Lautaret.
- Don't be afraid to push reasonably hard there is plenty of recovery on the descents, it's not a steady effort for 8 hours.
- If the forecast is nailed on hot no need to carry huge amounts of clothing, a light race waterproof may be sensible but no more, if it's poor it can be very very cold up high though.

ugo.santalucia

mamil314 wrote:

Are they really testing fastest finishers for PEDs? Sounds like a pretty serious event for an amateur sportive ride, are disc brakes banned, as well?

There is a winner and all... the winner might get tested... you will never get tested... not even if you ask to... sorry...

Vino'sGhost

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Tips.
- I used 2*1 litre bottles, every time I've done it the heat was fierce, the last time was on the changed course after a tunnel collapse and almost half the field DNFed and someone died of heat/exhaustion on AlpeD.
- 1 litre of water to climb Glandon, fill both bottles there which will get you to Valloire, Refill one litre top of Galibier, I would probably refill both foot of Alpe D'Huez now too but do one plain water to pour over your head.
-Get in a group on the valley before Telegraph and on descent on Lautaret.
- Don't be afraid to push reasonably hard there is plenty of recovery on the descents, it's not a steady effort for 8 hours.
- If the forecast is nailed on hot no need to carry huge amounts of clothing, a light race waterproof may be sensible but no more, if it's poor it can be very very cold up high though.

thats all good advice 3 massive climbs but theyre not too steep so you can put your back into it without blowing, 2 massive descents where you can recover a bit and quite a drag to the Telegraph which whenever I've done it has always seemed harder than it should have done.

Marvinman

anyone had their Pen allocation yet? I don't know / cannot recall when that gets confirmed and a friend has not heard anything yet?
Thanks

nellie72

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Tips.
- I used 2*1 litre bottles, every time I've done it the heat was fierce, the last time was on the changed course after a tunnel collapse and almost half the field DNFed and someone died of heat/exhaustion on AlpeD.
- 1 litre of water to climb Glandon, fill both bottles there which will get you to Valloire, Refill one litre top of Galibier, I would probably refill both foot of Alpe D'Huez now too but do one plain water to pour over your head.
-Get in a group on the valley before Telegraph and on descent on Lautaret.
- Don't be afraid to push reasonably hard there is plenty of recovery on the descents, it's not a steady effort for 8 hours.
- If the forecast is nailed on hot no need to carry huge amounts of clothing, a light race waterproof may be sensible but no more, if it's poor it can be very very cold up high though.

Thank you!

nellie72

Marvinman wrote:

anyone had their Pen allocation yet? I don't know / cannot recall when that gets confirmed and a friend has not heard anything yet?
Thanks

I’ve not heard anything yet

jethers77

Leaving Wednesday to drive down and get there Thursday. Have a few days chilling as it's my first Marmotte. I have my starter number but I don't think you get your wave times until you sign on.

bendertherobot

Pen allocation is broadly by number isn't it? I'm 900 odd, so up the front somewhere.

nellie72

My number is in the 8000's. I thought there was only 7500 entrants!

aberdeen_lune

So pen allocation. Is it just based on when you entered or is it based on previous results or race license category?

DeVlaeminck

Aberdeen_lune wrote:

So pen allocation. Is it just based on when you entered or is it based on previous results or race license category?

Used to be first two starts were for people with good previous times, people who have provided evidence they are good (first cat etc), previous winners and I think certain categories like disability. Third was just a mass start, might now be subdivided.

DeVlaeminck

Last time I did it 3-4 years ago we were in the mass start and our house was near the start line, we just waited outside our front door til the motorbikes brought everyone round and tagged on at the front - I'd recommend that. I've done it with a seeded start and to be honest starting near the front of the last start is no different.

Marvinman

Interested in what length of taper people are employing before Marmotte? As I’m flying down on Thursday 5th July, I think one longer ride of say 60 miles next weekend 30th June giving me an 8 day period.

Currently riding around 225m/week

aberdeen_lune

I was thinking of a one day taper just cafe ride on the Saturday, the day before the big event. Planning on a 100 miler mext Saturday.

nellie72

Marvinman wrote:

Interested in what length of taper people are employing before Marmotte? As I’m flying down on Thursday 5th July, I think one longer ride of say 60 miles next weekend 30th June giving me an 8 day period.

Currently riding around 225m/week

I did my final long ride of 104 miles on Saturday. Next weekend i will do a 50-60 miler. Also commuting daily to keep the legs spinning.

Drive down Wednesday/Thursday next week and will do a couple of short rides to acclimatise when i arrive, including the Grimpee on Friday.

Can't wait!

jethers77

nellie72 wrote:

Marvinman wrote:

Interested in what length of taper people are employing before Marmotte? As I’m flying down on Thursday 5th July, I think one longer ride of say 60 miles next weekend 30th June giving me an 8 day period.

Currently riding around 225m/week

I did my final long ride of 104 miles on Saturday. Next weekend i will do a 50-60 miler. Also commuting daily to keep the legs spinning.

Drive down Wednesday/Thursday next week and will do a couple of short rides to acclimatise when i arrive, including the Grimpee on Friday.

Can't wait!

Brave doing the Grimpee before the main event, I don't think my legs could take that. Also driving down Wed/Thurs but will just cruise around the valley and maybe up some of the smaller easier climbs to keep the legs primed.

nellie72

Next week’s weather forecast not looking too clever at the moment :?

cush123

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Tips.
- I used 2*1 litre bottles, every time I've done it the heat was fierce, the last time was on the changed course after a tunnel collapse and almost half the field DNFed and someone died of heat/exhaustion on AlpeD.
- 1 litre of water to climb Glandon, fill both bottles there which will get you to Valloire, Refill one litre top of Galibier, I would probably refill both foot of Alpe D'Huez now too but do one plain water to pour over your head.
-Get in a group on the valley before Telegraph and on descent on Lautaret.
- Don't be afraid to push reasonably hard there is plenty of recovery on the descents, it's not a steady effort for 8 hours.
- If the forecast is nailed on hot no need to carry huge amounts of clothing, a light race waterproof may be sensible but no more, if it's poor it can be very very cold up high though.

Some excellent advice in this post. A couple of things I learned last year :

Don't stop at the top of the Glandon, it's chaos. I stopped at a fountain halfway down when clock is stopped and filled my bottles.
Take note of the time in the neutral area - my finish time was 8:01 last year and had I known I'd have had a shorter stop at the bottom of ADH.
It was chilly last year - 3 degrees at the top of the Glandon but I was still ok descending in gillet and arm warmers.
Don't kill yourself to hold a fast group in the valley - I hit my highest heart rate of the whole event at that point. Don't be afraid to let a wheel go as another will be along. My average speed from end of neutral descent to bottom of Telegraphe was 20mph.
I think of it like this - Glandon - constantly trying to keep the power down as legs are fresh and don't want to get ahead of myself. Telegraphe was comfortable spinning. Bottom half of the Galibier up to the river was tougher than I remember. Top half of Galibier was pretty tough, end of. ADH was pure suffering from beginning to end. It's just a case of measuring what effort you have left over that 60-75 mins or so. I was high 5'ing the crowds going in to ADH and that gave me a real boost!

Good luck and enjoy!

iglooboy

Driving down Thursday AM. I have done it before but had an upset stomach. That made it tough...Try and do it properly this time.
Rear lights I believe are obligatory due to the tunnels. Makes sense. Not sure about a front light but take one anyway. I was even told by someone that a refective vest is required but I think they are getting mixed up with French law requiring cyclists to wear reflective clothing at night. At least I hope there wrong. It woud be pretty hard on the eyes otherwise!

A friend did the route a couple of weeks ago. 6 Foot of snow on the Galibier. Take clothing for any eventuality.

Ignore the weather reports until the day. It can change in hours.

Mamil22

Seven of us traveling down on Thursday morning, (1st Marmotte for all of us) last decent effort completed this morning with a 55 mile club run, (managed 300 a week for the last 6/7) so hopefully a few days rest and a couple of short easy rides when we get to France will see me fresh- ish for the event. Weather looks more promising so here’s hoping we all have a great trip but more importantly enjoy the occasion if that’s possible.

jethers77

Mamil22 wrote:

Seven of us traveling down on Thursday morning, (1st Marmotte for all of us) last decent effort completed this morning with a 55 mile club run, (managed 300 a week for the last 6/7) so hopefully a few days rest and a couple of short easy rides when we get to France will see me fresh- ish for the event. Weather looks more promising so here’s hoping we all have a great trip but more importantly enjoy the occasion if that’s possible.

Similar for me, did 60miles Sunday with just efforts on the hills and easy everywhere else. Driving down Wed/Thurs.

Have you looked at routes for riding Friday and Saturday? I want to go up some of the smaller local climbs to get some views but also don't want to kill my legs so close to the event

Mamil22

jethers77 wrote:

Mamil22 wrote:

Seven of us traveling down on Thursday morning, (1st Marmotte for all of us) last decent effort completed this morning with a 55 mile club run, (managed 300 a week for the last 6/7) so hopefully a few days rest and a couple of short easy rides when we get to France will see me fresh- ish for the event. Weather looks more promising so here’s hoping we all have a great trip but more importantly enjoy the occasion if that’s possible.

Similar for me, did 60miles Sunday with just efforts on the hills and easy everywhere else. Driving down Wed/Thurs.

Have you looked at routes for riding Friday and Saturday? I want to go up some of the smaller local climbs to get some views but also don't want to kill my legs so close to the event

Sorry no real plans for Friday/Saturday apart from “no hill climbing” we are approx 10k from Bourg so our first ride will be to go there for a coffee etc.

aberdeen_lune

Well yesterday was epic. First time for me riding the Cols. loved it. The final climb up the Alp was a cauldron though. Had to tough it out carnage all around. Well done to everyone who tamed the beast.

stueys

Aberdeen_lune wrote:

... The final climb up the Alp was a cauldron though. Had to tough it out carnage all around. .....

This. I saw 39.7c on my garmin at the bottom of ADH. Lots of people in trouble. I guess at least I'm heat acclimatised now ;-)

JSS

I am afraid I abandoned at the Valloire feed stop. Was having an awful day and just couldn't hack it. Wrote about it here:

https://www.sportive.com/la-marmotte/53 ... ide-report

Did manage to finish four years ago so think that it was just one of those bad days on a bike.

ugo.santalucia

Stueys wrote:

Aberdeen_lune wrote:

... The final climb up the Alp was a cauldron though. Had to tough it out carnage all around. .....

This. I saw 39.7c on my garmin at the bottom of ADH. Lots of people in trouble. I guess at least I'm heat acclimatised now ;-)

Max on the day in Bourg was a mere 29 though... :roll:

stueys

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Stueys wrote:

Aberdeen_lune wrote:

... The final climb up the Alp was a cauldron though. Had to tough it out carnage all around. .....

This. I saw 39.7c on my garmin at the bottom of ADH. Lots of people in trouble. I guess at least I'm heat acclimatised now ;-)

Max on the day in Bourg was a mere 29 though... :roll:

Ok....what do you want me to tell you?

ugo.santalucia

That temperatures taken on a device left in the sun are meaningless? Could even say 50 degrees if you stop pedalling.

29 max in July is average for that valley, it can get a lot hotter... a few years ago I think it got to 36 on the Marmotte day. Anyone who wants to do the Marmotte needs to be prepared to deal with "average"