Have just found out that my entry has been accepted. This year the stage for L”Etape du Tour will be the 172km climb to Mont Ventoux with 3,000m of climbing, made famous/infamous by Tom Simpson.

Quite frankly I am now sh**ting myself having assumed that I hadn’t got place as it’s less that a month to the event.

Is anyone else doing this?

Eh? You’ve only just found out you’ve got an entry? wowzer! That just about sums up the circus that is the Etape entry procedure.

1 week and 2 days until La Marmotte for me.

Good Luck!

Yeah, I’m doing the Étape. Can’t say I’m particularly looking forward to it (not being a climber and all), but it should be a lovely run out in Provence.

I am hoping to do the La Marmotte in Sep/Oct when it’s a bit cooler!

Good luck by the way

Just popped my roadie cherry, one of Etape or Marmotte on the agenda for next year. Lets have full post-mortem reports please gents…..and good luck

was reading a report on the spanish one queanth something or other which sounds pretty good. 30 euros and as much san miguel as you like after. Sold it to me!

I’m off to L’Etape – the final details came in the post yesterday.

I got suckered into it as a stag-do and then my mate managed to break-up with his Fiancee.
I’m keeping my legs hairy as proof I’ve not turned to the dark side 🙂

La Marmotte has got my leeser entry fee for the last 2 years. Easier to get a entry, lot cheaper, consistently hard.

Etape route by its very nature varies each year.

Was aiming for gold this year, but I need to lose an hour and 15mins on last years time of 10hrs. It seems too much to lose to me, I might get halfway towards it I guess.

Bet you Ventoux etc is warmer than La Marmotte course if it’s dry. Alpe D’Huez is hot by the time the ride gets onto it though. Hopefully I’m heat acclimatised this year though as I now live near Lyon.

mugsys-m8 remember don’t do any work in the valley up to the foot of the Telegraph – over the whole day that’s where I had the highest heart rate – suffered for it on Alpe d’Huez.

was reading a report on the spanish one queanth something

Quebrantahuesos?

Quebrantahuesos?

thats the fella.

Cheers Ap. I’ll try. Worst for me was Le Telegraph, so you might just be right, i.e I worked too hard along the valley and was shocked at the climb, as It was about the only section I’d not done and thought it was an anthill before getting on the BIG Bad Boy! Must remeber to eat more too.

Jealous…and yet not. This year’s course is an absolute fvcker. Rode most of it last month. An awful lot of people will be so focussed on the Bastard de Provence that they’ll overcook it horribly on the many smaller climbs on the way. The Col d’Ey is a corker – really stunning round there.

Route was being re-surfaced whilst I was out there…enjoy the speed 🙂

I’m doing L’Etape, I had my place confirmed back in January … I was feeling good and going well until Tuesday evening when I ripped my left calf muscle road racing the local league. Now I’m kinda shitting it that I can rest it enough for it to fix up in time, given that I can hardly walk today …

… otherwise 6 months severe cake deficiency and training gets pissed up the wall and I’ll be one very angry ADH 😡

How fit/ how much training do you have to do to take on the etape?

Mountain Biker Does Etape

Great blog!

It’s not the distance that bothers me (I’ve done a fair few century rides over the years) it’s the climbing. Sounds like low gears and taking it steady are the best plan.