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Who has ridden the Marmotte?

20 posts & 10 voices | Started 1 year ago by Taz | Latest reply from tonyg2003

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Taz - Member

Doing it this year.

So far my prep has been pretty good. Ridden several long & hilly rides including the Tumble Up 4 life last week (~140 miles & 7000 metres of climbing!!)

Have a few more long hilly rides planned mixed in with some shorter really hard MTB rides. I also aim to drop a further 2 - 3kg in weight.

Wanted to get some thoughts from past participants on key things to be considering either on the day or to add into my last ~8 weeks or so of prep. Even thoughts on the actual route / event would be helpful

Thanks

Posted 1 year ago #
tonyg2003 - Member

Hi

I rode it 4 years ago. Probably the hardest thing that I have ever ridden :). I was racing a fair bit that year (2nd cat roadie) but I'm no mountain climber - 80kg - at that time.

The problem with even training like hell in the UK (Marmotte is "only" 5500m) is that you can't replicate the big climbs. Or even the descents (your neck takes a beating on the 47km down the Galiber). The Tumble is a pussy cat compared to the Galiber.

The most important thing is to ride at a pace. I rode at no more than 160bpm on the Glandon/CdF/Galiber, but was still stuffed on the Alp.

Oh and drink as much as you can.

Tumbleup4life sounds crazy! My in-laws live in Govilon and I've never ridden it more than 2 times in a ride! Shame I missed it. Oh BTW you went up the "easy way". Riding the other way round the Blorenage is much steeper!

Posted 1 year ago #
Surrounded By Zulus - Member

Do you have a head for heights? That's what got me when I did it. There are a couple of sections that give you the proper screaming abdabs if you are not to keen on heights.

Other things to think about are tunnels and trying to ride through them with shades on, and clothing choice - we started in beautiful sunshine, had that until the top of the telegraphe, thunder up the galibier, sunshine down to the foot of the alpe then torrential rain all the way up and back down it.

It is a great route though.

Posted 1 year ago #
Taz - Member

Thanks Guys

Tony - The Tumble was a great event and it was great that a few locals just turned up on the day to join in. Certainly didn't feel like the easy way on the 15th climb :-). Was a beautiful day but the wind was brutal

Have a long w/e in the Pyrenees end of May to hopefully help get some long climbs and descents under the belt.

SBZ - Terrified of heights. I guess that is not good 8O.

Will do the very light packable jacket and arm warmer thing. Have reactive light glasses so hopefully that will be ok.

Posted 1 year ago #
Surrounded By Zulus - Member

In that case just make sure you are in a good group going up the glandon and down the other side then again on the descent back into bourg d'osians and you'll be grand. I am not good with heights but managed it reasonably well.

Posted 1 year ago #
onehundredthidiot - Member

SbZ just stared at the shoulders of the rider in front. I fought up the Alpe. Alkaseltzer for the minerals and pain killers.
Plenty of water and if you can get out the week before then ride up the Glandon just to get an idea of what you are up against but really easy. Do not ride the Alpe you'll just set it up as a horror ending if you are suffering along the route.

Posted 1 year ago #
DenDennis - Member

prep and advice above sounds good. Usual proper nutrition and hydration strategy of course. There's actually quite a few water stops on the course, make sure you top up at every one.
Deffo pace it, if you want to try to up pace then save that for the run in to and up the Alp, you'll either be grinning as you fly past people or more likely hanging on and thinking 'i'm glad I went fairly easy till now, otherwise I'd be sat head in hands by the side of the road like that poor chap, and that one'.....
There's a long flattish boring bit between Glandon and the Telegraph- try to work in a bunch as much as poss during that bit, it seemed a killer when I was alone for most of it.
Also, what is your bottom gear? You be in it quicker than you'd have imagined- my super granny last hope bailout was deployed a few km into the first climb! gulp. You'll enjoy it though, I'd like to try to get silver one day.....

Posted 1 year ago #
Surrounded By Zulus - Member

If you do find yourself along on that long false flat between the glandon and the telegraphe look behind yourself at regular intervals or you might, as I did, find yourself being wheelsucked to death by half of the field. When that happened I just peeled off the the side of the road and had a wee break.

Gears wise I had a compact and a 13-29 cassette and could have done with more options as I was in my get out of jail gear most of the day.

Posted 1 year ago #
DavidB - Member

I rode it to gold standard about 5 years ago. I didn't think the height thing was that bad, tunnels were worse than that. Be very careful descending to Bourg as this is where you pick up traffic. Best advice I can give is to make sure you can suffer. Because you will up the Alpe no matter how fit you are.

Posted 1 year ago #
tonyg2003 - Member

I forgot about the tunnels - very scary. I'd recommend descent photochromatic shades or if you can - no shades. Buzzing camper vans off the Lautaret was a buzz too.

Compact and 13-29 is a good call too for the Marmotte. 12-25 wasn't!

Tumble4life sounds like an event to mark in the Calender. At least I'd only have 0.5mile back to base - or maybe that's too close.

Posted 1 year ago #
hh45 - Member

Above is all solid advice. I rode it in 2009. Pace yourself is the key thing whoever you are. Its not worth chasing someone up the Telegraph however cute their ar$e. For me eating enough is much harder than drinking enough. I wish i had used more gels for their instant energy rather than slow burn and so hard to swallow bars. The savoury stuff in Valloire at base of Galibier was good.

We all found it really painfully hot esp at base of Alpe in early PM with heat radiating off walls and suddenly after that 47km descent you realised how empty your legs are!

Cold first thing but arm warmers should suffiice. Deffo get in a group for the ride to base of Telegraph.

And enjoy, its a great ride.

oh and be careful of cars on the last descent - its open roads and bonkers long, steep, dark, bendy tunnels!!

BTW your training sounds like more than enough.

Posted 1 year ago #
Taz - Member

Guys - top advice. Very much appreciated

Looking forward to it in that strange I know I'm going to hate it but.... way

Guess I need a new cassette (12- 25 currently)

Posted 1 year ago #
DavidB - Member

Taz I rode it with 13-29 which was fine, if you are a Campag man this will save you buying a new chainset. in fact I accidentally rode a harder ride (Fausto Coppi) in 12-25 after forgetting to change cassette, didn't really notice the difference as it's all suffering in the end.

Final piece of advice, no matter how bad you feel DO NOT finish at the bottom of Alpe D'uez. A couple of friends did and were gutted a day later. Even at your lowest you will make it up there somehow. The last bit up to the finish line is pure unmitigated joy.

Posted 1 year ago #
aP - Member

I rode it in 2008. I made the mistake of working in a group between the foot of the Glandon and Telegraph which cost me about an hour later on. I'd suggest using a HR to make sure that you control your effort early on as it's really easy to get carried away in the rush at the start.
Be prepared for the 200m descent halfway up the Glandon and be wary of the initial descent off the top after the feed station. There will be lunatics riding between motorhomes and the cliff wall on the way down - don't get involved!
The descent off the Lauteret is ok but the tunnels have an edge of hairy. I just made sure I went off the front of the group I was in before entering each one.
I rode each climb and descent in the week before so that I wasn't unduly surprised on the day.
Have fun!
Maratona dles Dolomites for me this year - crazy Italians!

Posted 1 year ago #
Taz - Member

Thanks guys

Sorry one other question

What type of food is typically on offer at the food stations? Bananas really mess me up so need to think about how much I need to carry

aP - Love to hear how the Maratona goes. Potentially one for 2012

Posted 1 year ago #
Surrounded By Zulus - Member

There was lots of cheese and baguettes there when I did it.

This thread has given me the notion to go back and do it next year - thanks for that.

Posted 1 year ago #
reggiegasket - Member

I've ridden it the last two years. Great ride. Managed a gold ride last year.

Tap away up the Glandon. Views are excellent. Feed stop at top is manic. Descent is brilliant! Make sure you have good brakes.

Telegraph is tree lined so a nice ride. Again, the feedstop at the top is manic - better to keep going as there's a better one a few miles further on, before the Galibier starts.

Galibier is the daddy, and this is where you'll start to tire and find out how good your fitness/endurance is.

Descent off the Galibier is long, so make sure you're winstoppered/giletted up. Watch out for the dark tunnels (rest sunnies on end of nose...) and careful riding in big groups in case they concertina up.

Save everything for AdH! If you've shot your load on the previous 3 climbs then you'll really suffer. Even if get it just right it's still a real challenge. Eat and drink and caffeine gel it on the approach.

I ran with a SS jersey, arm warmers, gilet and full w/proof shell (Montane Featherlite) which was bang on both years. I carried and ate about 6 ZipVit bars and 6 smart gels, and enough powder to re-fill my bottles maybe three or four times, plus I grazed on the cheese butties/flapjacks at the feed stations. Don't run your tyres too hard as the extra rim temp on descents will push this up even further - I saw plenty of riders with blowouts (I ran tubeless).

Good luck. It's a belting day in the mountains.

[I ran 33/48 and a 11-28 cassette, which was perfect]

Maratona dles Dolomites for me this year - crazy Italians!

me too aP

Posted 1 year ago #
fogliettaz - Member

I am doing the Etape later this year which is a very similar course to the Marmotte. After reading the posts above I may have to send the new cassette back 12-27 with a 50-34 up front?

Posted 1 year ago #
DavidB - Member

Taz, I always do these events carrying my own food. You never know what will be on offer and can waste ages fighting through the crowds. There is usually some form of energy bar but never anything quality. Lots of fruit available and bread, cheese, ham as well. Like regglegasket, I carried a bag of powder to cover 4 bottles (I had 2 filled already), then 8 high five caramel bars, as many fig rolls as I could get in and a few gels.

Posted 1 year ago #
tonyg2003 - Member

The 2011 Etape will be alot "easier" than the Marmotte. 104km is quite short and no lovely Glandon to ease your legs in!

Posted 1 year ago #