Marmotte 2015

borntobike · 26-03-2015 10:09pm

The Mick Byrne is a great event but at €15 it is much better value than W200. It is a tougher event in my opinion and a real test.

borntobike · 26-03-2015 10:13pm

Hey Golden Boots good to hear that you are doing 2016. Allez Le Gooch.

Deadly Submarine · 26-03-2015 10:57pm

Good to hear your going back in 2016 Golden Boots my abiding memory from last year while climbing Glandon was the sound of pedals turning gears clicking sounds of silent suffering all around and in the middle of it all yourself and borntobike talking GAA le Gooch etc etc very funny

Jim Stynes · 27-03-2015 12:02am

borntobike wrote: »

The Mick Byrne is a great event but at €15 it is much better value than W200. It is a tougher event in my opinion and a real test.

I am doing the Wicklow the following week. Is it that much better that it would worthwhile for me to travel down 2 weeks in a row? I live in the north so it would be a 2 and 1/2 drive!

Deadly Submarine · 27-03-2015 12:20am

Mick Byrne is a great test for anyone taking on the Marmotte and for elevation gain and pure endurance if you can come through it in good shape your on the right track for the 4th of July in the Alpes a must do in my opinion

Red Belly · 27-03-2015 8:28am

Jim Stynes wrote: »

I am doing the Wicklow the following week. Is it that much better that it would worthwhile for me to travel down 2 weeks in a row? I live in the north so it would be a 2 and 1/2 drive!

I'm also considering both. Anyone think that might be overkill, an injury risk etc., that close to the Marmotte?

07Lapierre · 27-03-2015 9:27am

Red Belly wrote: »

I'm also considering both. Anyone think that might be overkill, an injury risk etc., that close to the Marmotte?

No. Do both. I did the WW200 and the next weekend I did a 150k (2000meters climbing) spin around Wicklow.

As for injury? Well just take it very handy on the descents.

Leroy42 · 27-03-2015 11:11am

Whether you do the organised sportives (MB or W200 etc) you should be aiming for a long cycle at least once a week in the month or two before the event. Get as much climbing done as possible. You should be aiming for the MB200 and then the following week the W200. Both not only get a good amount of climbing, but also its the time in the saddle. Only way to see how you cope with 8/9/10 or whatever hours on the bike is actually do it.

Shorter cycles are great for fitness and most of us don't have the time to be heading off on 8 hours cycles on a regular basis so these events are a great excuse, whilst also have the support of others around should something go wrong.

Use these to not only test out the legs, but also your eating/drinking strategy. Bearing in mind the W200 starts at 7 am (I think) so that means eating probably at around 5.30. How do you cope with that? Are you normally just a coffee and biscuit morning person, cause that ain't going to cut it for Marmotte. You need to get a sizeable breakfast down you, but also something that doesn't leave you lethargic and leggy for hours afterwards. Some people just can't eat in the morning, you need to either sort that or prepare a strategy around it.

What sort of food can you consume during the event. Whilst gels and jellies are fine for club runs, 7+ hours could play havoc with your stomach and its best to know this. There is plenty of food on these events (and Marmotte) but its useful to understand what effect eating during the cycle will have on you. How many gels can you stomach during the day. I find that once I reach a certain point I just can't take any more gels. Even the high 5 drinks etc become too much for me and I can take nothing but water. My lesson from those is that I should have taken more solid food and kept the gels until later in the day.

Also, the length of your stops. It is easy to let time simply drift by at the stops. Get into a conversation, let the legs free up etc. The timing of the stops is completely down to each individual. Some prefer to grab and go, others to sit down and chill for a bit. Whichever works best for you. For me, I prefer a quick stop. Refill the bidons, grab some food, nature break and then back on the bike. Anything longer and I start to stiffen up and find it really hard to get going again. Others I know see a big advantage in taking a few minutes to chill and let the body recover and then being able to head out again. It's not so much the time, its how your body reacts to having to get moving again.

The other thing that will become apparent during these events is just how comfortable your chosen bike clothes really are. Being that long in the saddle will show up any annoying problems with the gear. Those shorts that always felt great suddenly become a chaffing hell after a few hours! If possible (and Irish weather will play a part here) use the clothes you are planning on using on the day itself. Do the bib straps start to dig in? Is the zip on the jersey hard to open close? Do you normally cycle with/without gloves? This all seems small and silly, but on an event like Marmotte you need to put everything into the cycle and not be worried about these little issues. A zip on a jersey ain't going to make or break the day, but a slightly ill-fitting pair or shorts, in the heat for 9 hours?

Red Belly · 27-03-2015 11:58am

Thanks for the tips. Great common sense stuff. Two weeks before the Marmotte I'm contemplating two Sportives back-to-back. On Saturday, Cycle Ataxia which I believe is about 100k relatively flat and then the Dragon Sportive on Sunday which is 140k with a fair bit of climbing and which I found very tough last year. After that in the two weeks leading to the Marmotte I'd be planning to just stick to a few shorter easy spins alternating with shorter spins with a few climbing intervals. I will arrive in Alpe D'Huez on the Wed before the event. I'd be tempted to ride halfway down and then back up just to get a feel for Alpine riding on the Thursday. What do people think?

My programme leading up to the Marmotte would involve:

April 25 Tour of Wicklow 116k Lots of climbing
May 31 Randonee 200k Lots of climbing
Jun 7 WW 200 Lots of climbing
Jun 20 Cycle Ataxia 100k Pretty flat
Jun 21 Big Dragon Sportive 140 Lots of climbing

There are other possible Sportives but unfortunately some of them clash with family events but I may add something to the list.

I am currently doing a weekly long ride of 100-150k, with as much climbing as I can manage to fit in. Tomorrow I plan to spend 6-7 hours in the saddle for 150 k effort. I also plan to do four other rides per week of between 25-60k. Some will be easy recovery efforts and others will involve a fair bit of short sharp climbs with me trying to set new pbs all the time. In the longer efforts I intend to practice climbing at a nice steady pace, keeping my heart rate in zones 1-3 as much as I can. I'm very conscious that our relatively short climbs here in Ireland tend to encourage attacking the climb and I need to work on reining that temptation in.

Rb

Leroy42 · 27-03-2015 12:11pm

@Red Belly, that all sounds very good. In terms of the Thursday before, I wouldn't have an issue with doing half the Alpe. 1st time we went over we did the full Alpe on the Thursday, and being the 1st time we were ever over there, we probably went too hard. I wouldn't do it again, but half is fine. It is certainly worthwhile to get a feeling for the climb and get your bearings.

You are dead right in terms of the climbs here. The default is to attack on then suffer to the top. Problem with that is that in the Alpine climbs you don't get much chance to recover so staying out of the red is vital. None of this Contador/Froome attacking non sense!

Practice climbing out of the saddle as often as possible. I don't mean full-on attack mode, just keeping the same speed/effort but out of the saddle. This allows you to use different muscle groups during the climbs over there which is necessary since each climb is 60+minutes long.

If you get through all the training & sportives then the Marmotte is fairly straightforward, in that it turns from 'Will I be able to do it?' to 'What time can I do it in?'

What sort of time are you aiming for?

07Lapierre · 27-03-2015 12:28pm

Red Belly wrote: »

Thanks for the tips. Great common sense stuff. Two weeks before the Marmotte I'm contemplating two Sportives back-to-back. On Saturday, Cycle Ataxia which I believe is about 100k relatively flat and then the Dragon Sportive on Sunday which is 140k with a fair bit of climbing and which I found very tough last year. After that in the two weeks leading to the Marmotte I'd be planning to just stick to a few shorter easy spins alternating with shorter spins with a few climbing intervals. I will arrive in Alpe D'Huez on the Wed before the event. I'd be tempted to ride halfway down and then back up just to get a feel for Alpine riding on the Thursday. What do people think?

My programme leading up to the Marmotte would involve:

April 25 Tour of Wicklow 116k Lots of climbing
May 31 Randonee 200k Lots of climbing
Jun 7 WW 200 Lots of climbing
Jun 20 Cycle Ataxia 100k Pretty flat
Jun 21 Big Dragon Sportive 140 Lots of climbing

There are other possible Sportives but unfortunately some of them clash with family events but I may add something to the list.

I am currently doing a weekly long ride of 100-150k, with as much climbing as I can manage to fit in. Tomorrow I plan to spend 6-7 hours in the saddle for 150 k effort. I also plan to do four other rides per week of between 25-60k. Some will be easy recovery efforts and others will involve a fair bit of short sharp climbs with me trying to set new pbs all the time. In the longer efforts I intend to practice climbing at a nice steady pace, keeping my heart rate in zones 1-3 as much as I can. I'm very conscious that our relatively short climbs here in Ireland tend to encourage attacking the climb and I need to work on reining that temptation in.

Rb

Another option is the Col De Sarenne, which a lot of people do. The road surface is not great but its a nice "leg warmer" of a climb..

https://www.strava.com/activities/161542188

Red Belly · 27-03-2015 12:41pm

Leroy42 wrote: »

What sort of time are you aiming for?

I'll be happy with finishing within the cut-off. I'd be overjoyed with a silver medal time. About 10:19 for me I think.

Thanks for the feedback. Great to get it.

rb

Bloggsie · 27-03-2015 2:29pm

Red Belly wrote: »

Thanks for the tips. Great common sense stuff. Two weeks before the Marmotte I'm contemplating two Sportives back-to-back. On Saturday, Cycle Ataxia which I believe is about 100k relatively flat and then the Dragon Sportive on Sunday which is 140k with a fair bit of climbing and which I found very tough last year. After that in the two weeks leading to the Marmotte I'd be planning to just stick to a few shorter easy spins alternating with shorter spins with a few climbing intervals. I will arrive in Alpe D'Huez on the Wed before the event. I'd be tempted to ride halfway down and then back up just to get a feel for Alpine riding on the Thursday. What do people think?

My programme leading up to the Marmotte would involve:

April 25 Tour of Wicklow 116k Lots of climbing
May 31 Randonee 200k Lots of climbing
Jun 7 WW 200 Lots of climbing
Jun 20 Cycle Ataxia 100k Pretty flat
Jun 21 Big Dragon Sportive 140 Lots of climbing

There are other possible Sportives but unfortunately some of them clash with family events but I may add something to the list.

I am currently doing a weekly long ride of 100-150k, with as much climbing as I can manage to fit in. Tomorrow I plan to spend 6-7 hours in the saddle for 150 k effort. I also plan to do four other rides per week of between 25-60k. Some will be easy recovery efforts and others will involve a fair bit of short sharp climbs with me trying to set new pbs all the time. In the longer efforts I intend to practice climbing at a nice steady pace, keeping my heart rate in zones 1-3 as much as I can. I'm very conscious that our relatively short climbs here in Ireland tend to encourage attacking the climb and I need to work on reining that temptation in.

Rb

hi Red Belly,

see you on the cycle ataxia in June. for now I am vicariously doing the Marmotte through you and the others, for now its a non runner, but in a few years time, who knows?

best of luck.
Bloggsie

Jim Stynes · 27-03-2015 8:09pm

Great stuff in here the last few days lads. Some great advice and things to keep in mind for preparing for La Marmotte. Im currently trying to recruit someone to do the Mick Byrne!

Bloggsie · 30-03-2015 9:26am

Jim Stynes wrote: »

Great stuff in here the last few days lads. Some great advice and things to keep in mind for preparing for La Marmotte. Im currently trying to recruit someone to do the Mick Byrne!

The Mick Byrne, wasn't he the former Ireland soccer team physio

MediaMan · 31-03-2015 12:27am

Here's a suggestion that may be helpful to Alpine first-timers based on my experience of the Marmotte last year. Think about your preferred cadence on the hills and whether you might need to re-gear your bike. What I found was that, although I thought I would be happy with my 34 x 28 lowest gearing, that was not the case. Even though that gearing is more than plenty for any climb I've ever done here in Ireland, it was not suitable for the Marmotte, not because the hills are steeper there (they're not) but because they are longer.

The difference is that you can take on Irish hills a lot faster that you can take on the Alps because the Irish hills are shorter and you can pound up them. On the Marmotte you will be climbing at your all-day pace, 'cos it takes all day :-). So I'd suggest that for anyone who thinks that this might be an issue, go out and climb a medium to long climb here that is about 8% gradient (typical of the Marmotte hills) at a relaxed pace that you would do if you were going to be doing the climb continuously for 2 hours. Rockbrook to the Viewing Point via Cruagh would be a good one for those in the Dublin area. Then look at your cadence and see if your would be happy to sustain that for most of the day.

What I found was that I spent most of my climbing time in the Marmotte at a cadence of about 55-60 rpm, which is way below optimal for me. I could have done with a 30 or 32T on the back, and my mates that did have that level of gearing were very happy. It does depend on your hill climbing speed and whether or not you are happy at low cadence, so your ideal gearing may be different.

Jim Stynes · 07-04-2015 5:22pm

Went up Teide, 67 mile with about 40 of it just a constant climb. I found it very tough! Absolutely relentless. I've never experienced that sort of constant climbing before. Gradient wasn't a problem it was the length that killed me. I know now more than ever that if I am to finish la marmotte then I need to do some serious work and lose about 2 stone. What a great day out on the bike though. Orica, Saxo and Katusha all passed us. Nibali is in Tenerife at the moment as well, hopefully I will drop him on wednesday when I do it all again from the other side haha

I was starving for the last 10 mile, one of the fellas I was sticking with was hungry from about the 20 mile mark. He ended up in the broom wagon with 5k from the top. Devastating for him. I learned loads from the experience though:
- I need to eat more while on the climb. I was like a different man when I got some food and coke into me at the top.
- I will definitely be going for 50 34 and 11-32 gear ratio for La Marmotte!
- I am a pussy while descending, although I was still going near 40mph at times. Some of the others were just diving into corners and flying down the mountain.
- I need to shift a good stone and half at least. Carrying that weight up a long climb will soon wear you out!
- I need more climbing miles in the legs. I would go ride 80-100 mile tomorrow at an average of about 18mph but this was totally different than I have ever done. Don't know how you could prepare for that at home though.
- Pros are amazing! I don't know how they do that for their job. Bound to be easier ways of making money than that.
- The guide was a semi pro who rides a Wilier zero 7. I now want that bike as well as a Colnago C60 Italia.

A great experience and a massive wake up call for La Marmotte.

Bloggsie · 07-04-2015 5:29pm

I dont climb at all bar the strawberry beds hill, (to scared to go into wicklow), I cannot imagine the hurt that a climb of that gradient would bring, I have heard that eat little and often is the way to go!

07Lapierre · 07-04-2015 5:37pm

Don't Panic Jim! You've still time....... Weather is getting better, the evenings are getting longer. At this stage every ride should include climbs. Once you loose the weight you'll be flyin by July!

Leroy42 · 07-04-2015 5:47pm

But you managed it Jim, thats the main thing. it's only the start of April so to be able to undertake such a climb then Marmotte is well on track. The 1st year we did Marmotte we were in the same boat, longest climb we had ever done was Wicklow Gap, so about 25 minutes. How do one compare that to Galibier?

We did a week in Malaga which included the Colado Bergamo (80 mins or so) and that was a shock to the system. One because of the actual length of the climb, but also the heat and the switchbacks.

The great thing was that we did it and that gave us all great confidence for the Marmotte.

In my long-winded way, I'm saying not to worry about the performance. Take all the learnings you mentioned, you have 13 weeks to deal with them, that is loads of time given that you obviously have a great level of fitness already.

There is only one way to prepare for Marmotte, and that is to climb. Of course the climbs we have here are not the same but they are all we have. Climb/descend/repeat. You need to bear in mind that you have 5000m to climb in one ride on Marmotte. Get your longest local climb and think how many times you need to climb that! Descending isn't as important on Marmotte but it is part of the ride. So while you can technically prepare for the climbs by doing 2x20 sessions on the flat/turbo, you also need to practice your descending.

- Practice eating and drinking on climbs. Due to the relatively short nature of most climbs over here you can get by without eating or drinking during them. Make it a habit of at least drinking while on all climbs.
- Agree about the gearing. Go with whatever you feel comfortable with (comfort will not be a word you will use on Marmotte!)
- Don't worry too much about the descending. Just go out the pace you are comfortable at. There is really only the Glandon descent (which is neautralised) and the top of the Galibier descent so you won't lose any major time regardless.
- There is 13 weeks to go. Even 2 stone is 4.5kgs. That is roughly 0.5k per week. With the increase in training, the is reasonable to achieve (obviously I have no idea what weight/bmi you are so all depends on if you are already underweight or slightly over)
- Yes
- Yes

Jim Stynes · 08-04-2015 6:16pm

Cheers for the replies lads. Went up Teide today again but started half way up. Only about 1350m of climbing but nearly double that in descent. Was a lovely day and a great ride but wish I would have started from the bottom again. Didn't make the same mistakes as I did on Monday and found it so much easier. So much better on the descent as well. I would nearly even say it was easy today! Confidence for la marmotte has been restored but as I said before loads of work to do!!

Im 6 foot about 14 and half stone at the minute. I would love to be 13 stone. Spend your life trying to bulk up for gaelic football and doing weights to get stronger. Now I am trying to strip away it all haha!

Doc07 · 09-04-2015 12:55am

Jim Stynes wrote: »

Cheers for the replies lads. Went up Teide today again but started half way up. Only about 1350m of climbing but nearly double that in descent. Was a lovely day and a great ride but wish I would have started from the bottom again. Didn't make the same mistakes as I did on Monday and found it so much easier. So much better on the descent as well. I would nearly even say it was easy today! Confidence for la marmotte has been restored but as I said before loads of work to do!!

Im 6 foot about 14 and half stone at the minute. I would love to be 13 stone. Spend your life trying to bulk up for gaelic football and doing weights to get stronger. Now I am trying to strip away it all haha!

Jim,
I have no doubt you will complete the Marmotte inside the timecut.
It's on my wish list for 2016.
If you can drop a few lbs do but don't obsess about weight, plenty of heavier guys leave me for dust around Wicklow, albeit much shorter climbs.
I can empathise with the weight loss. I was a wannabe Bodybuilder stuffings face at every opportunity before I got into cycling last year. Slowly but surely I've dropped 14 kg.
Might bump into you on the WW200

Jim Stynes · 19-04-2015 6:52pm

Nearly 130km (lap of lough neagh) done yesterday with nearly 4000ft of climbing and just over 170km done today with 7000 odd ft of climbing around the mournes (County Down). I was feeling ok at the end but my legs were very tired! Im feeling completely bollixed now though, lying in bed and can hardly move. Going to take a good rest for a few days, struggling with saddle sores as well ffs. A great day for cycling all the same, really enjoyed it.

Good news is I have lost a bit of weight below 14 stone for first time in a few years. Hopefully another half a stone to come off over the next month.

Hope your training is going well lads.

mp2012 · 19-04-2015 6:59pm

Fair play Jim. Similar to myself, just below 14 stone and looking to get to just below 13 for the 4th. Going to try and cover 200k a week with 3000m climbing every week now. Covered 2000m yesterday in 100k, but tired with it, still so hard to imagine another 3000. Did Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden last year back to back and was destroyed with it. Was a truly wonderful day on the bike yesterday though.

We'll keep at it.

Kyran7 · 23-04-2015 10:30am

Hi Folks,
I haven't been on here in a while. Great to see all the comments anf feedback. I'm looking for some advice. I too am heading over to the Marmotte. Driving down in Camper with the family. Can't wait for it.

I'm nearly 40, fairly new to cycling but I have to say I've caught the bug for it after having played different sports but mainly football all my life.

Aa few of us actually went over and did the Marmotte route after the official event last year. 4 of us did it. We got around although we died on Alpe D'Hueze near the end. This is where I'm looking for some advice. We rented bikes last year. We requested triples on the front and I have to say it was fantastic.

This year I'm bringing my own bike. I want to do something with the gearing but I don't have the technical knowledge to know what I'm even looking for. I want to make the day as easy as possible. Eliminate as many of the variables as possible. I'm working hard in training at the moment but as many of you have been saying there is nothing over here to compare. It's the relentless slog that breaks your balls. I bombed up the Glandon and Telegraph last year but The Galibier was a different story. From about 1/4 way up my body was gone. Kept going though as I knew we had the long decent to come. And that decent is absolutely unbelievable. I'm currently at 13st 5lbs. I was 12st 13lbs when I completed last year. I'll target 12st although 12st 7lbs might be more realistic. So, could someone please recommend what I should look for regarding gearing. Should I put a triple on the front? Is that crazy? Any feedback is welcome. The last thing I want is to find that I'm grinding up hills early in the day. Thanks Lads.

07Lapierre · 23-04-2015 11:51am

Putting on a triple is not that simple. I assume your current bike has a double chainset? to change to a triple, you'll need a new chainset and a new left-hand (triple) shifter. These items are expensive. Depending on how much wear you have on the components, you might need a new chain, a new cassette and possibly a new rear derailler (long-cage).

Also, if your current bike has a compact chainset, then changing the rear cassette might give you a lower gear than fitting a triple.

Kyran7 · 23-04-2015 12:15pm

What would you recommend on the back with only a double on the front? I'm being bamboozled with numbers at the moment.

Kyran7 · 23-04-2015 12:20pm

Yep, it's a double. And I realize it's not that simple and inexpensive to replace. What would you recommend on the back with only a double on the front? I'm being bamboozled with numbers at the moment.

ford2600 · 23-04-2015 12:22pm

Kyran7 wrote: »

Yep, it's a double. And I realize it's not that simple and inexpensive to replace. What would you recommend on the back with only a double on the front? I'm being bamboozled with numbers at the moment.

Have you a compact 50/34 or 53/39.

The compact is easier to climb with.

If you could get a 30 or 32 on back you'd be flying. Cheaper just stick on a wide range cassette and the cheapest long cage rd you can get

07Lapierre · 23-04-2015 1:05pm

Kyran7 wrote: »

What would you recommend on the back with only a double on the front? I'm being bamboozled with numbers at the moment.

The first thing u need to do is confirm what gearing u currently have on your bike.

Marmotte 2015

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