Daniel and Geoff have already said they might be up for this. Anyone else? Accommodation goes fast apparently, and we'd probably beteer firm things up sooner rather than later.
My preference is for self catering accommodation. This way we can control EXACTLY what we eat; I was suspicious of the not very warm pasta the hotel was supplying for supper (and breakfast). Self catering or hotel is one decision. The other is do we want to be in Alpe D'Huez or at the bottom of the hill in Borg D'Oisans? I think the resort has the edge. I will make some enquiries; I do have some contacts.
Daniel
Sounds good Skelders. Driving or flying depends on the vehicles we have available. My preference is flying, but it is not a strong one. Oz is just before the first climb; so 'on the day' we will pass it full of anxiety for the ride ahead!
Daniel
hi guys.......just checked site and it seems to be 3rd July.........our anniversary is 1st july so doesn't look poss. for me at present......what is the plan , going and return?...any idea of overall costs??...if possible would like to do it...over to you seasoned masochists....
Daniel, does that mean a downhill spin to the start then? what about when finished, how far away would we be? or does it loop back round (my European geography is no better than my local!!!!)
Last time I went to Vaujany (on the other side of Alpe D'Huez) we took the Euro star, I must say a very pleasant experience. Depends on how much time you have of course, c 12 hrs door to door i think.
will know outcome of available 'green passes' from the Director of Internal Affairs after this weekends summit
Geoff, Skelders,
La Marmotte finishes at the top of Alpe D'Huez. I assume you mate's place is in the ski resort of Oz. The (only) road does go down into the valley and so we would have to ride back up to Oz..... OR ..........take the cable car!
I've got some costs noted somewhere I will hunt these down and post them.
The French Alps are incredibly romantic during the summer months. Indeed an ideal location for an anniversary. Is Anne a good cook?
One scenario is this;
Friday; Early morning Easyjet to Geneva. Hire cars/van. Sign on in Alpe D'Huez.
Saturday; La Marmotte
Sunday; Grimpe (TT up Alpe D'Huez). Fly back from Geneva.
Here are my estimates of cost, based on the above schedule. Note it assumes £120 for two nights in the Pic Blanc Hotel, I assume self catering will be cheaper.
Flights £120
Pic Blanc Hotel £120 (share a double room)
Food £100
Car hire (per person) £100 ?
Race £40
Total £480
http://www.sportstoursinternational.co.uk/cycling/la-marmotte................just checked in there.5 days 4 nights all-in half board with YOU arranging a flight is £610.so Guys, this is a good deal Daniel is offering..I won't be able to make it this year as it is our anniversary and I already do too many cycling activities.........maybe the next year.
Hi James, I stayed there last year and it is a good place to be. I guess I'll be arriving into town sometime on Friday afternoon (driving from Bristol). What's your phone number? Mine is 0-seven-nine-84-26-sixty-80.
Aye, scary isn't it? My final prep was getting pasted on the Dave Lloyd Mega this Sunday. Those hills are brutal. Several riders were Marmotting and/or Etapping. I'm shattered.
Ouch that one really really hurts.Those hills are just all wrong and not for cycling up. Give me Galibier any day rather than the Bwylch y nasty.
i hope your powers of recovery are doing their thang!!!
only some very light riding for me at the moment as i had to visit the bone cruncher on Friday to try and get my back to work..... Lots of stretching and a bit of turbo stuff with 3 min intervals and 2 min easy.
my overall fitness isnt going to get much better in 6 days so i figure i just need to look after myself till the big day.
Got my gears to work yesterday which is always helpful. Never buy Flying Snake cables they are rubbish and have really large friction properties. Dura-Ace rule (pre cut just bolt them on)
La Marmotte starts at Bourg DOisons (at the foot of Alpe DHuez) and then climbs col de Glandon, col de telegraph, col de Galibier and then Alpe DHuez. It is 110 miles with 5000m of climbing. We stayed in the most fantastic chalet in Oz http://www.altitude3330.com/ Oz is a neighbouring ski resort to Alpe DHuez. Last year I did a reasonable time, 9:20, but I wanted to improve it to get a gold medal.
Come Saturday morning I rode down to the valley to ride to Bourg DOisons. I was soon riding in the opposite direction the sportive would be taking in less than an hour. I passed a Dutch woman painting encouragement onto the road. I though about asking her to paint Daniel, but figured it would be simpler to call myself Henk.
I would have got to Bourg DOison sooner but I got stuck behind a group of serious Dutch velomihottie, nice equipment too. CARBONE!
My start time was 07:30, so saw the 07:00 start shoot off (they were moving!). Almost the last guy over the timing mat had the most terrible luck as his rear derailleur bounced, got stuck and broke. Out of the race after only 3m! I hope he got it fixed by the Mavic support van.
Got to my start pen and chatted with some Btrits. Rolled out with some guys from Spirit Racing, they knew Carmelo; nevertheless they were very friendly.
Passed James D doing a very sensible pace up the col de Glandon. I pushed on, I had to at least try to beat my time from last year. Didnt I?
The descent from col de Glandon was time neutralized. Very sensible, Id seen several people being fitted into neck braces last year. For the hot transition to col de telegraph I hooked up with a group from Australia (they didn't know Carmelo). They werent sure if theyd climb Alpe DHuez or not. I though Australians were hard!
From last year I couldnt remember much about the col de Telegraph. This year it asked 'are you an Australian or a man?' It was certainly hot this year. Lots passed me and I realized I was needing to switch to survival mode. The Aussies pass me.
Êtes-vous un Australien ou un homme ?
From the summit of col de Telegraph there is a short drop to Valloire. Here a much needed food stop doesnt sufficiently prepare you for the brutality of the col de Galibier. There is no top the The Galiber, you just keep going till you pass out; only when you come round descending the Lautaret at 35mph do you realise you must have passed the summit.
LAlpe DHuez was hot. Very hot. Very, very hot. I was creeping up at a miserable pace. Some guy managed to dump about a litre of water into the vents on my helmet; a great shot as the deliciously cool water seemed to dribble down my face for several minutes afterwards. Getting cooled by water had an almost immediate improvement on my speed; clearly I was overheating. A solider with a big hose was dosing us down at about half way; bliss. Brocken riders leaned against the wall at the side of the road; or sought comfort in the fast flowing streams at the road side. Others lay in the shade. Some were pushing their bikes up the relentless never ending gradient. I reached the top in distress, obviously suffering from heat exhaustion. I called my mate James who kindly agreed to meet me on the Grenoble Road at the valley and give me a lift back to the chalet.
At the end of the day I did the time I should have expected, but I missed the time Id hoped for. Heat played its part, but really my additional mass compared to last year was the biggest factor. I was about 55 minutes down on last year; so disappointing really.
Did I enjoy it? Well, not as much as last year. It is just the most massive day out on the bike in some of the most awe inspiring scenery for cyclists; so I probably did enjoy it.
Do it, but be prepared. Staying in Oz worked out very well; it can accommodate a train load of people .
G'day mates!
Henk van de Fiets
POSTSCRIPT
I am thrilled to report that me friend, and colleague James Dobbin, won the time trial up Alpe DHuez on the Sunday (Grimpe DAlpe). An incredible time, sub 46 minutes. It was all very stressful at the finish because we couldnt tell if hed won or not. Hed been 4th across the line, but had not crossed the timing mat with the other leaders at the bottom. I think hes the first Britton to win this!
Hey..well done..just getting through the Marmotte regardless of time definitely makes you a man in any language!
Reading that made me re-live what had to be one of the hardest yet amazing days I've had on a bike....and since then when in trouble in races my mantra has been 'I CAN DO THIS...I'VE DONE THE MARMOTTE!'..it works.....so congratulations for going back and great ride by your mate James
Great write up Daniel, and i could feel your pain on Alp d Huez. That mountain on that day is an amazing sight ,ive never seen so many destroyed cyclists. i still have flashbacks to my own "personal crisis" on bend 8, sat in a stream mumbling to myself. I would definately, honestly have swapped my Cervelo for 25 cl of ice cold lager at that moment.
I suspect if there is a hell for wicked cyclists it will be a never ending Alp d Huez on Marmotte day!
Having said that, would love to do it again...maybe a CCA Marmotte chaingang next year?
James Dobbin? is that the lanky red haired chap who used to be national hill climb champ?
Thanks for the positive energy! I am actually feeling brilliant right now. It's funny the day gets better with memory. Grimace fans can find photos at http://www.photobreton.com My number was 3533 and James D was 2426. How are you feeling now James?
Results at http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2010/pdf/marmotte.pdf and for the Grimpe http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2010/pdf/grimpeealpe.pdf
Yes the Grimpe winner, James Dobbin, is the same said former national hill champ.
I'm already preparing for next year, and so is Tim. Who else is going to form 'Le chemin bleu'?
Comments
Daniel
Daniel
Last time I went to Vaujany (on the other side of Alpe D'Huez) we took the Euro star, I must say a very pleasant experience. Depends on how much time you have of course, c 12 hrs door to door i think.
will know outcome of available 'green passes' from the Director of Internal Affairs after this weekends summit
Skelders
La Marmotte finishes at the top of Alpe D'Huez. I assume you mate's place is in the ski resort of Oz. The (only) road does go down into the valley and so we would have to ride back up to Oz..... OR ..........take the cable car!
I've got some costs noted somewhere I will hunt these down and post them.
The French Alps are incredibly romantic during the summer months. Indeed an ideal location for an anniversary. Is Anne a good cook?
One scenario is this;
Friday; Early morning Easyjet to Geneva. Hire cars/van. Sign on in Alpe D'Huez.
Saturday; La Marmotte
Sunday; Grimpe (TT up Alpe D'Huez). Fly back from Geneva.
Daniel
Flights £120
Pic Blanc Hotel £120 (share a double room)
Food £100
Car hire (per person) £100 ?
Race £40
Total £480
Hotel Le Pic Blanc
Address: Rue du Rif Briant
38750 Alpe dHuez
Telephone: +33 (0) 4 76 11 42 42
Fax: +33 (0) 4 76 11 42 43
Email: hotel.pic.blanc@hmc-hotels.com
Awaiting my start number now.....
Daniel
07976 423158 - but last time i went abroad it didnt work for some reason my office has yet to work out....
Not long to go now....
Daniel
i hope your powers of recovery are doing their thang!!!
only some very light riding for me at the moment as i had to visit the bone cruncher on Friday to try and get my back to work..... Lots of stretching and a bit of turbo stuff with 3 min intervals and 2 min easy.
my overall fitness isnt going to get much better in 6 days so i figure i just need to look after myself till the big day.
Got my gears to work yesterday which is always helpful. Never buy Flying Snake cables they are rubbish and have really large friction properties. Dura-Ace rule (pre cut just bolt them on)
Come Saturday morning I rode down to the valley to ride to Bourg DOisons. I was soon riding in the opposite direction the sportive would be taking in less than an hour. I passed a Dutch woman painting encouragement onto the road. I though about asking her to paint Daniel, but figured it would be simpler to call myself Henk.
I would have got to Bourg DOison sooner but I got stuck behind a group of serious Dutch velomihottie, nice equipment too. CARBONE!
My start time was 07:30, so saw the 07:00 start shoot off (they were moving!). Almost the last guy over the timing mat had the most terrible luck as his rear derailleur bounced, got stuck and broke. Out of the race after only 3m! I hope he got it fixed by the Mavic support van.
Got to my start pen and chatted with some Btrits. Rolled out with some guys from Spirit Racing, they knew Carmelo; nevertheless they were very friendly.
Passed James D doing a very sensible pace up the col de Glandon. I pushed on, I had to at least try to beat my time from last year. Didnt I?
The descent from col de Glandon was time neutralized. Very sensible, Id seen several people being fitted into neck braces last year. For the hot transition to col de telegraph I hooked up with a group from Australia (they didn't know Carmelo). They werent sure if theyd climb Alpe DHuez or not. I though Australians were hard!
From last year I couldnt remember much about the col de Telegraph. This year it asked 'are you an Australian or a man?' It was certainly hot this year. Lots passed me and I realized I was needing to switch to survival mode. The Aussies pass me.
Êtes-vous un Australien ou un homme ?
From the summit of col de Telegraph there is a short drop to Valloire. Here a much needed food stop doesnt sufficiently prepare you for the brutality of the col de Galibier. There is no top the The Galiber, you just keep going till you pass out; only when you come round descending the Lautaret at 35mph do you realise you must have passed the summit.
LAlpe DHuez was hot. Very hot. Very, very hot. I was creeping up at a miserable pace. Some guy managed to dump about a litre of water into the vents on my helmet; a great shot as the deliciously cool water seemed to dribble down my face for several minutes afterwards. Getting cooled by water had an almost immediate improvement on my speed; clearly I was overheating. A solider with a big hose was dosing us down at about half way; bliss. Brocken riders leaned against the wall at the side of the road; or sought comfort in the fast flowing streams at the road side. Others lay in the shade. Some were pushing their bikes up the relentless never ending gradient. I reached the top in distress, obviously suffering from heat exhaustion. I called my mate James who kindly agreed to meet me on the Grenoble Road at the valley and give me a lift back to the chalet.
At the end of the day I did the time I should have expected, but I missed the time Id hoped for. Heat played its part, but really my additional mass compared to last year was the biggest factor. I was about 55 minutes down on last year; so disappointing really.
Did I enjoy it? Well, not as much as last year. It is just the most massive day out on the bike in some of the most awe inspiring scenery for cyclists; so I probably did enjoy it.
Do it, but be prepared. Staying in Oz worked out very well; it can accommodate a train load of people .
G'day mates!
Henk van de Fiets
POSTSCRIPT
I am thrilled to report that me friend, and colleague James Dobbin, won the time trial up Alpe DHuez on the Sunday (Grimpe DAlpe). An incredible time, sub 46 minutes. It was all very stressful at the finish because we couldnt tell if hed won or not. Hed been 4th across the line, but had not crossed the timing mat with the other leaders at the bottom. I think hes the first Britton to win this!
Chapeau!
to you and both James'
Reading that made me re-live what had to be one of the hardest yet amazing days I've had on a bike....and since then when in trouble in races my mantra has been 'I CAN DO THIS...I'VE DONE THE MARMOTTE!'..it works.....so congratulations for going back and great ride by your mate James
Martin
I suspect if there is a hell for wicked cyclists it will be a never ending Alp d Huez on Marmotte day!
Having said that, would love to do it again...maybe a CCA Marmotte chaingang next year?
James Dobbin? is that the lanky red haired chap who used to be national hill climb champ?
Results at http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2010/pdf/marmotte.pdf and for the Grimpe http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2010/pdf/grimpeealpe.pdf
Yes the Grimpe winner, James Dobbin, is the same said former national hill champ.
I'm already preparing for next year, and so is Tim. Who else is going to form 'Le chemin bleu'?
Daniel
i'm up for next year