#10028796, By pistol The cycling thread

pistol 5 Dec 2013 12:17:18 13,018 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 19 years ago

elstoof wrote:
I'm still undecided on the Marmotte, the focus for me is the Etape next year so I'll be looking to peak for that. I'm keeping my options open on the marmotte, I'll see how it's all stacked out closer to the time and possibly book a room or campsite in the run up - not keen on signing up to an operator. If I do go I won't care about the time and just enjoy the climbing.

I'm not a bad climber in all, relatively light for my height, 6' tall with a 65kg fighting weight.

Same height as me and I was 76kg on this year's Marmotte, and my lightest ever. Last year I was 78kg.

Using an operator does does a lot of the stress out of it, and if you pick a good one there are usually good riders around you and I like meeting new people etc. There were 16 or 17 of us at AlpCycles and from all over the place. UK, Europe, even Australia. Plus staying at the top of Alp Duez means you are already at the finish line. It does mean you have an early morning descent down it to get to the start line but it's wakes you up. You always hear tyres going bang on that early morning descent with riders using the wrong tyres or tubes. Plus AlpCycles provide support on the event. It's not cheap but I get cheap BA flights so I'm lucky, and club a lot of the time. Also get extra luggage allowance.

I think you'll struggle to get a Marmotte place if you leave it to the last minute. Etape can be good or bad, depending on the route. It often changes and I prefer the Alps weather to the Pyrenees, which can often be terrential, windy and/or foggy.

Edited by pistol at 12:18:45 05-12-2013

Edited by pistol at 12:19:54 05-12-2013