Holy crap! That was the hardest day out on a bike I’ve ever had but totally brilliant at the same time. If you’ve been thinking of it i’d fully recommend it but don’t underestimate it! Took us 7hrs to cover the 110 miles and boy did we know about it afterwards!

7 hours is seriously impressive! My mate was aiming for a gold time ~ 9 hours I think, but was sick twice on the ascent of the Croix de Fer and retired. Put in a lot of work to prepare and no he is very disappointed.

thinking about this for next year… not sure i have enough miles in my legs though

any more thoughts for those of us considering it?

@ Blazin-saddles – nice ride!

Cheers all. I was 150th, 1st guy home took 6hrs 9 mins!!

Sock puppet –

It’s do-able for everybody with the right training, I passed a guy on the Glandon with 1 arm and 1 leg! I reckon you need several months of decent riding and aim to cover 100-120 miles a few times in the months preceeding the event, ride up some big hills, maybe enter a couple of UK sportives. Good news is I reckon MTBing is good prep as the climbs are so long and steep that places like Coed and the like replicate it quite well, some Merida type events would also be a good way forward.

DO alter your normal gearing, I rode 39/53 with 12-27 and whilst fine when fresh, by the time I got near the top of the Galibier I was really struggling. I blew to pieces on l’Alpe d’huez and took an hour and 10 mins, I’d been up in under 50 mins the day before!

I’d recommend the event though, well organised, ran like clock work and with 8000 people of the start line that’s no mean feat!

Blazin Saddles that’s a result and a half!

I’m not sure of my official time as results don’t seem to be out online yet, but I did 1/2 hour ish better than last year, and rode Alpe D’Huez in one hit and faster than last year which I’m chuffed about. Hit a wall on the telegraphe again though and towed my caravan of pain up it! (and yes aP I sheltered all the way along the maurienne! Your words were echoing round my head. Must get in a group must get in a group!). Cramped a couple of times.

Found it way harder than last year with a lot less bodies strewn along the galibier and alpe d’huez and less people clip clopping. Still carnage on Glandon descent with accidents a plenty. It’s scary. And most annoying still the same no. of idiots who think it acceptable to throw the gel wrappers etc away.

In essence, big up to all who rode it!

this is definitely on my list of things to do.

I did it. My word – what a ride!

It was my first go at it so everything was new but the climbs were just brutal, and so long. The Glandon and Telegraph went really well but the Galibier was really tough and by the time we got to Alp d’Huez I was cream crackered, but got up it slowly. I was it bits by the end though.

I’d definitely advise doing it. Just an incredible route, and the descents are brilliant. Just don’t think it’s like a Fred Whitton! It’s much tougher.

Well done to all of you.

mugsys_m8 – that must have been why I felt my ears burning on Saturday!

I’m aiming for the Nove Colli next year, might be persuaded to go back to La Marmotte 😐

did you all go through companies or organise it yourself? I was thinking about making it into a holiday next year and camping at bourg.

wors: It’s really straightforward to do it yourself. Much easier than the cloak and dagger of the etape du tour. We camp in Bourg. However since October we’ve moved to near Lyon. E mail me (address in profile) if you need any help with doing an entry. Entries open in January ish.

Not quite ready to admit to ‘next year’ but there will definitely be a next time. Although my aim was Gold, I realised I was too far off about a month ago. It is possible for me but maybe in another couple of attempts.

Blazing Saddles: you weren’t one of the Honister green boys were you?

Results are up on the sport communication website. My time was 9 hours 42 mins. 21 minutes faster than last year. Doesn’t sound like a lot as a %age of ride time, but it seemed difficult enough to get that time.

The stage times (ie. col checkpoint times) aren’t up as far as I can tell yet.

cheers mugsys_m8 i’ll bear it in mind.

we just camped at a nice place about 8km from bourg, just where you turn right on the route itself to head towards the Glandon climb. We flew on Friday to Geneva, drove down in the afternoon, camped Friday night, rode Saturday, then flew back on Sunday. Ideally, we’d have done a extra day either side but it was fine.

Given there are 7000 riders, it’s very well organised.

3 of us went, I blew to pieces on the Telegraph and ended up walking 6Km to the top of the Galibier, so didnt bother going up the alp.

Way harder than last years Etape, but I was better prepared for(broken rib 4 weeks ago) and the temp didnt help – my Suunto registered 39 degrees on the bottom of the Telegraph

Organisation was loads easier than etape – plane to geneva, hire car and camping.

Had a hideous day but will deff be going back, I have a grudge now

As everyone said it’s real easy to enter and get to and very friendly, we flew to geneva and stayed in a challet at the top of l’alpe d’huez.

We’ll be back next year as I want my sub 7hr now! I blew my doors off and cramped every muscle in my legs at top of the Galibier and crept up L’alpe so def possible I reckon. Also hoping for a start somewhere near the front as our 4000 start number didn’t help us, even though we managed to sneek into the back of the 1st wave off we still had to ream it to get into a good moving group.

I did it, blimey 7hrs is a hell of a time, I consider myself half way decent on the road, and at 64 kgs ok with hills too, I took 9hrs and was pretty pleased, 7hrs is stunning, well done, maybe I should re-assess who good I really am 🙂

look out Marmotte – andyfla is not a man to be trifled with!!!!

*waves*