Etape du Tour 2019
Comments
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Dorset Boy wrote:My certificate has been approved but it sat as pending for weeks. They will have 15,000 to work through - what's your bib number?
12828..Orbea Orca OMX DI2 MyO
Kinesis 4s Di20 -
I have been monitoring BBC weather and it looks like it will be a hot day maxing around 30 degrees c. I am trying to decide whether I take arm-warmers.0
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Not the fault of ASO by the way, French law imposes a medical certificate for all competitive sports. French GP's are quite used to issuing certificates : some just check the blood pressure and heart rate of the patient, make him or her do a series of squats to get the heart rate up and then see how long it takes to recover. Some sports federations and doctors want to go further, and maybe add an ECG and even a stress test for the over 35's. But even with all of these tests, there is no 100% guarantee that you will detect every possible condition.elbowloh wrote:
Of course its not worth anything, but ASO won't let you take part without it, unless you have a race licence.TwoToeBenny wrote:Shoulder of Lamb wrote:I got the text to remind me to upload my medical certificate. Went to my GP this morning and they refused to issue it, saying that under guidance from the BMA they had been instructed not to issue these any more as nobody can certify that you are physically ready and that it could open them up to being liable.
Anyone else had this? What to do?
I didn't quite understand this prior to doing last years event, whilst I'm physically capable as I guess most people think they are... a GP won't understand the stress you put urself thru, and also won't take into consideration temperature, hydration and any other number of variables. So I'm not sure the bit of paper is really worth anything.
I enjoyed doing the even last year and will hopefully do another sometime...
However one of my abiding memories was of helicopter paramedics going to work with chest compressions etc on afairly heavy gent in the road. I don't know If he survived but it was pretty grim.0 -
darthmaul40 wrote:I have been monitoring BBC weather and it looks like it will be a hot day maxing around 30 degrees c. I am trying to decide whether I take arm-warmers.
hoping it's just the morning start that might have a slight chill..
At 2000 + it's tough to judge the temp and reports are often inaccurate too.
As an amateur it's not easy carrying everything you need for a ride like this0 -
I’m planning to carry a rain jacket if the forecast calls for it (doesn’t at the moment) but I think I’ll be fine otherwise.0
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I am wondering are we riding a longer distance than the pros. On the Etape material the stage is listed as 135Kms, however on the Tour material the stage in listed as 130Kms, does that mean that Etape will be longer than the distance the pros ride?0
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Possibly for the race km 0 is at the end of the neutralised zone. it's nice and short regardless.0
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It’s short. I don’t know how nice it is!0
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For those planning (like myself) to ride back to Albertville at the end, you should be aware that the main road (N90) from Moutiers is a fast dual carriageway. For much of it there is a wide enough hard shoulder although there are parts (on viaducts) where the hard shoulder is very narrow. There are also roadworks on the first stretch just outside Moutiers which mean that one of the carriageways is closed. So you'll need to be on your guard.
From what I can see there is a minor road running parallel to the main road for part of the way which may be a better option. I may give it a recce over the next couple of days.
Weather is looking good here. Sunny with some cloud but not too hot.0 -
I have just arrived at St Martin De Belleville. The weather is lovely and the mountains are gorgeous.
I wish everyone well with the ride on Sunday.0 -
Re: Medical certificates - thanks for the replies earlier in the thread. Once the GP says no, you are basically in the realms of self-certifying, which is what I did. Created my own certificate which was approved yesterday.
I arrived in the area yesterday and I did the climb up to Val Thorens today. It's a brutalist climb at 38km long, I hadn't appreciated quite how long that is until now. It took me best part of 3 hrs - I rode within myself, especially on the lower slopes. It's never steep and a 28 tooth biggest gear at the back was more than fine and I spent most of the ride a couple of gears down from that. There are a 2-3 downhill sections which bring a bit of respite, one of which is so long (maybe 2km) that I stopped to make sure I hadn't taken a wrong turning. Weather was in the high 20s (maybe 28) when I set off in the late afternoon, looks like it will be a few degrees hotter on sunday so make sure you wear sunscreen. There is quite a bit of shade on the way up especially in the lower part and there was a refreshing cooling breeze. It's never steep (probably maxes at around 8-9%) and its more about finding a rhythm. I wasn't quite sure of the end so i kept on riding till I ran out of road at the top of the resort near to the highest of the apartment buildings - there was no sign of any barriers or scaffold although there was a banner over the road as you enter the resort and I suspect that will be the end of the tour stage.
Regarding the road between Moutiers and Albertville, I would advise against riding on the dual carriageway. I am staying about 3km from Moutiers in a place called Aigueblanche and you can ride that part along the old road which has been converted into a cycle path. I will cycle to Albertville tomorrow to register and will report back on the road, also hope to cycle up Col de Roseland as well.
Remaining questions for me are whether or not to bring my Shake Dry jacket for the morning or arm warmers or nothing.0 -
Yeah, cycled down to Albertville today. It's around 27km from where I am staying so about 30km from the base of the VT climb in Moutiers. It takes around an hour, it's mostly downhill on good, traffic free roads. Don't for any reason go on the dual carriage way - cycles are not permitted and there is no need.0
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Shoulder of Lamb wrote:Yeah, cycled down to Albertville today. It's around 27km from where I am staying so about 30km from the base of the VT climb in Moutiers. It takes around an hour, it's mostly downhill on good, traffic free roads. Don't for any reason go on the dual carriage way - cycles are not permitted and there is no need.
Yep, I've plotted a route on the minor roads running alongside the N90. Definitely avoid that at all costs!0 -
Careful all. It’s hot here in Albertville. 34c and a blazing sun on the climbs. Didn’t think the village compared well with previous editions. Next Sat’s Stage of Le Tour is going to be a bramah.0
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DNF for me, had a really bad spell of food poisoning last night, this morning and shouldn't have really started. Great bloody timing, not had any form of bad stomach in years.
Not enjoyable when you're putting out 115 watts up hill..Orbea Orca OMX DI2 MyO
Kinesis 4s Di20 -
6 hr 21 for me, 781st overall. Happy!0
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Chapeau !Dorset Boy wrote:6 hr 21 for me, 781st overall. Happy!
I blew up around St. Martin and was hors limite. But it was a great experience and now I know that you can't train for these kinds of climbs in a flat area. At least I can't0 -
Def Defyr wrote:
Chapeau !Dorset Boy wrote:6 hr 21 for me, 781st overall. Happy!
I blew up around St. Martin and was hors limite. But it was a great experience and now I know that you can't train for these kinds of climbs in a flat area. At least I can't
The wheels also came off for me at just after St Martin. I did manage to finish in 8hrs 10 mins but I suffered terribly for the last 10 kms walking and stopping etc. I even went into a petrol station to get some coke to give a bit more energy. I need to do much better on my hydration strategy.
I did really enjoy it up to St Martin and I made it to Moutier in around 4 hours. I thought the Roseland was amazing and the crowds were wonderful.
I would definitely like to do another one in a few years.0 -
Bugger. Sorry you had to bail.Teebs_123 wrote:DNF for me, had a really bad spell of food poisoning last night, this morning and shouldn't have really started. Great bloody timing, not had any form of bad stomach in years.
Not enjoyable when you're putting out 115 watts up hill..
I had similar in 2014 with, i did finish, but with the aid of imodium!0 -
I finished in 5 hrs 53 mins, 322 overall and 15th in my age category (49 - 54). However, I found the climb to VT much more gruelling than I was expecting and really suffered in the last half hour. As the average gradient was only 5%, I assumed despite the length it would be a relatively easy spin compared to others. But that average was misleading, and the final 8k or so were really quite hard, and the final km just cruel. In terms of the scenery, I also thought it was a let down compared to other climbs in the Three Valleys.
But, in spite of all that, it was an epic day on the bike, and part of a really amazing five days cycling in the area. I am looking forward to the Tour going up the newly paved cycle path to the top of the Col de la Loze (from either the Meribel side or the Courchevel side) next year.0 -
darthmaul40 wrote:Def Defyr wrote:
Chapeau !Dorset Boy wrote:6 hr 21 for me, 781st overall. Happy!
I blew up around St. Martin and was hors limite. But it was a great experience and now I know that you can't train for these kinds of climbs in a flat area. At least I can't
The wheels also came off for me at just after St Martin. I did manage to finish in 8hrs 10 mins but I suffered terribly for the last 10 kms walking and stopping etc. I even went into a petrol station to get some coke to give a bit more energy. I need to do much better on my hydration strategy.
I did really enjoy it up to St Martin and I made it to Moutier in around 4 hours. I thought the Roseland was amazing and the crowds were wonderful.
I would definitely like to do another one in a few years.
I made it to Moutiers in 4.5 hours, which was my goal but I think I pushed it too hard on the "secret" part of the Longefoy climb. I started going way too far into the red and was pedaling squares in the last few kms to St. Martin and knew that I wasn't going to be able to ride the last 10k up to VT. No shame, heard that 3k out of 13k starters were over time. Funny tho, I felt fine around 7 pm and went for a recovery spin...would love to try again.0 -
Only 10,300 finishers, so a pretty hefty attrition rate.0
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Crikey - some pretty impressive times here... Chapeau to all who took part.
I managed about 7h30 which I was relatively pleased with until I had look at this thread. Also found the final climb tough but for me it was the lower part I found difficult in the baking sun. I had climbed it a few days earlier but it was a different story with 100km in the legs and a few degrees hotter. I took 10-15mins and some sustenance at St Martin and got to the top OK - bar that last bit which I was not at all expecting, tried a sprint finish but went way too early and almost had a cardiac arrest on the line.
Will be interesting to see how the pros handle it although they will have opposite weather apparently (max 12C!).0 -
Has anyone found a list/spreadsheet of all results rather than a list of 100 people at a time? Would be interesting to have full visibility of all starters, non-finishers, age groups etc to filter through.0
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Dorset Boy wrote:Only 10,300 finishers, so a pretty hefty attrition rate.
think a lot of those finishers were also outside the official cut off time. If everyone had started in pen 15 there would be a lot more missing out.
I was pen 10 but got caught by the wagon at the bottom of VT. Got there at 1600 and they had closed the road off by then. Took the bus up to the top as we were staying part way up. The official bus then took 4 hours 30 mins to get to the top of the climb. At that speed I might have been able to make it up quicker on the bike.
Need more training for next year I think0 -
Some great times here, chapeau!
My tube disintegrated on the Notre Dame Pré descent. Lost me a good hour as my spare wouldn't inflate inside the tyre, got a spare tube off a fellow competitor (Thanks Steve).
Was on for a sub 7 until that happened. Legs were remarkably fresh, the lost hour took the wind out of my sails so I cruised up VT and finished in over 8 1/2 hours total, 7'15" moving so a bit disappointed with that.
Found the heat ok, we'd been over since the Wednesday so I'd 5000 metres in the legs by Sunday. Lovely Etape though, stunning scenery. Not sure I'll do another unless they go back to the Pyrenees or Ventoux.0 -
Quality ride!Dorset Boy wrote:6 hr 21 for me, 781st overall. Happy!0 -
Alejandrosdog wrote:
Quality ride!Dorset Boy wrote:6 hr 21 for me, 781st overall. Happy!
Thank you though my position has been amended to 785th now
! The Dorset hills paid off! 
If I descended like a loon :shock: (well that's unfair as 'up front' they are excellent descenders! ) I'd have been close to top 500 as my climbing was 516th fastest. Not bad for a 50+er, even if I say so my self! 
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