L'Alpe d'Huez......

Planet X

.........anyone on here climbed it? 13+k, 21 hairpins.

blorg

No, but I am considering heading over in that direction September-time.

Ciaran500

I did it about 3 years ago, took just over 52 minutes and it had just started snowing as I got to the top. The bus got stuck as it was dropping people at the first hotel.

blorg

What time of year did you do it Ciaran? How would you rank it compared to the hills we have around here (goes without saying it is longer!)

What gearing did you have and how did you tackle it?

52 minutes sounds like a very good time BTW.

Quigs Snr

I did it, but it took me more like an hour and a half. In my defence, I had 3 hours sleep the night before (world cup final), had been on the bike since 6 that morning and ridden 178km before I got there, including the 32km ascent of Col D'Izoard and the not as steep but still 25km long Col Du Lauteret. In addition I had run out of water and it was more than 40 degrees C.

Thats my excuses out of the way !

As I rode up it with my legs feeling like someone had hollowed them out and filled them with cement, I realised that it wasn't that bad. I was thirsty, tired, cramped and cooking in my own juices, but if I was fresh it would not be too bad at all.

I had a 36-25, although I had to stand and ride a bigger gear most of the way due to the cramp abating somewhat when I stood.

The first 6 hairpins are tough, they are a good bit steeper than the rest. After the church and hairpin 6 I felt it level a little, at that point (and it's hard to tell because I was in bad condition at the time), I wouldn't have expected it was much worse than Slieve Mann, perhaps a little but not a lot. 14k is a long way though. Especially tough on the morale is when you get to Hairpin 1 and realise you still have another 2k of mostly climbing to get to the finish !

If I went back, I would ride steady but hard or the first 6 hairpins and them blast it from there.

Thats a pretty serious time you scored Ciaran, what club do you race for ?

blorg

Just checking the results for the 2004 Tour de France Time Trial (not stage finish), times ranged from 39:41 (Armstrong) to 51:13. Sort of puts that 52 minutes into perspective.

Quigs- I would be happy if I got up the thing at all, 1h30+ would be more what I would be expecting and I would be taking it easy, there would be no blasting anywhere I can assure you!

Ciaran500

blorg wrote: »

What time of year did you do it Ciaran? How would you rank it compared to the hills we have around here (goes without saying it is longer!)

What gearing did you have and how did you tackle it?

52 minutes sounds like a very good time BTW.

LOL! >_<

I was joking. I went skiing up there about 3 years ago and I timed the bus to compare it to the TDF times. Tried to make that obvious with the ending. Sorry

I'd be lucky to make it to the top if I cycled it.

Gavin

blorg wrote: »

Just checking the results for the 2004 Tour de France Time Trial (not stage finish), times ranged from 39:41 (Armstrong) to 51:13. Sort of puts that 52 minutes into perspective.

Quigs- I would be happy if I got up the thing at all, 1h30+ would be more what I would be expecting and I would be taking it easy, there would be no blasting anywhere I can assure you!

I think Ciaran may have been facetious & his bus brought him up..

edit. beat me to it.

blorg

Ha OK, both Quigs and myself completely missed that one! I thought you meant a bus got stuck in front of you or something. By snow I was thinking of that infamous Giro stage from a few years back (this year's Etape was also meant to be pretty cold at the summits.) So a bike is faster than a bus even up L'Alpe d'Huez (if it's ridden by a pro rider .)

Quigs Snr

Yep missed the bus part, just saw the 52 minutes and thought holy cow we have a cycling god in our midst ! I'd like to go back and attack just the Alpe to try get a time (you can have your time recorded officially there as far as I know). I know a lad who did it in 59 something and I can usually beat him on the climbs, so I'd hope to break the hour (but not by much!). May go and give it a bash next year (or possibly just do the Marmotte in which case I will be going up it on my knees again).

blorg

Quigs Snr wrote: »

or possibly just do the Marmotte

I am not sure the word "just" should appear in this sentence!

Quigs Snr

You might have a point there ! Few lads I know did it and said that the Etape was a cakewalk in comparison. Tempting, although I think I might dust off the old compact chainset for that one. Just in case...

blorg

Have you done the Etape- I am guessing yes, that your climb up the Alpe at the end of a long day was part of that? If so how would you compare with the W200 or anything else in this country? I hope to do the Etape (or the Marmotte!) next year.

Raam

One of the guys who posts here did the Marmotte...Ventoux is his handle.
My bro' had mooted it for next year, but I dunno.

Brian?

blorg wrote: »

Have you done the Etape- I am guessing yes, that your climb up the Alpe at the end of a long day was part of that? If so how would you compare with the W200 or anything else in this country? I hope to do the Etape (or the Marmotte!) next year.

Am I right in saying that the Etape route changes every year?

I have no hope of doing it next year but its something i would love to do in a few years.

Raam

briankeating wrote: »

Am I right in saying that the Etape route changes every year?

You are right

blorg

Raam wrote: »

You are right

Yes, it's a stage from that year's Tour (which itself changes) and which stage is announced after the Tour route. Always a mountain stage and L'Alpe d'Huez is quite popular I believe. This year was apparently an "easy" Etape (note this is a relative term!) taking in the Tourmalet and Hautacam although the weather turned out to be dreadful with 2C temperatures on the summits.

Raam

We should organise a group trip over to do some of the climbs some time. Tiny, are you busy today?

TinyExplosions

Raam wrote: »

We should organise a group trip over to do some of the climbs some time. Tiny, are you busy today?

*sigh*... ok, so I've got us a van that we can put our bikes in (seriously!), all we need now is someone with a car willing to bring 4 or 5 of us... anyone?

Brian?

blorg wrote: »

Yes, it's a stage from that year's Tour (which itself changes) and which stage is announced after the Tour route. Always a mountain stage and L'Alpe d'Huez is quite popular I believe. This year was apparently an "easy" Etape (note this is a relative term!) taking in the Tourmalet and Hautacam although the weather turned out to be dreadful with 2C temperatures on the summits.

Sounds lovely. I had a feeling this was the case, but I thought it was the Tourmalet last year as well so I had doubts.

Quigs Snr

Etape changes every year but the Marmotte doesn't and is probably the better ride (it always ends on the Alpe D'huez and usually around 6000 riders take part, its much harder though, 5 mountains I hear including Galibier). Blorg I did the 2006 etape (account written somewhere if you do a search, I think it was in a thread about a bike case, as I recall its a wee bit long winded). I did the Wicklow 200 and the Mt Leinster Challenge as warmups, how did they compare ? They didn't. No comparison whatsover, nothing prepares you for the heat and the length of the climbs, they are not that steep, but would be a bit steeper than Slieve Mann mostly on better surfaces but they just go on forever. Don't believe the hype though, they are all very manageable if you approach them the right way.

Looking back the etape isn't all that hard, it felt hard because I was not very strong back then, I had only just started on the bike really - I would imagine that I would beat the 2006 version of me over the same course by the guts of 2hrs if I had to do it again tomorrow !

Its a great experience though, well worth doing. You really do feel like a pro on the day, the amount of people out on the side of the Alpe cheering me on and running alongside me throwing water on me like I was leading the tour itself (I was actually in about 3000th out of 8000th position - like I said I was a lot weaker back then!) remains with me. I imagine that in my twilight years and I look back at the highlights of my life that one will be among them.

blorg

Sounds great Quigs. I've done a fair bit of cycling in Spain, including climbing up mountains (albeit I am sure not as crazy ones) so I am relatively used to the heat; as long as it is below 35 C I am _relatively_ OK (of course I would prefer the low 20s!)

ventoux

Raam wrote: »

One of the guys who posts here did the Marmotte...Ventoux is his handle.
My bro' had mooted it for next year, but I dunno.

Hi there,
I went this year and done the Marmotte and its a great day once your legs are up for it.Lots of training required,but its worth it.As a rough guide I done the wicklow in 7.10 but the Marmotte took 8.15 on the bike,my mate took 7.50 on wicklow and 10hrs in france.

From reading some of the treads,a few of ye are thinking of heading for the Alpe.Personally I would wait till next year as you need to be very fit to be comfortable on the long climbs.Also if ye can get the tour on the Alpe its a day you will never forget, and to ride it on tour day gives you such a buzz.Base your selves in Bourg for the wek and ye wont have far to go to take on some of the other tour giants.

E@gle.

blorg wrote: »

I hope to do the Etape (or the Marmotte!) next year.

Im hoping to the E'tape next year as well. Its my main goal along with some races.

Bambaata

i was hoping to do ti next yr too but i think i may be getting ahead of myself

blorg

Bambaata wrote: »

i was hoping to do ti next yr too but i think i may be getting ahead of myself

Next year is an age away, TBH I reckon I could have done it this year based on my improvement since the start of the season. (Hence why I am keen to get up these mountains now to conifirm or deny!) If you are willing to do a bit of winter training I reckon you will have no problem next year.

Hope to see you tomorrow so I can grill you on triathlon tips (what to wear being no.1!)

Diarmuid

briankeating wrote: »

I have no hope of doing it next year but its something i would love to do in a few years.

Do you mean you don't have enough time to train? I bought a bike last October and finished this years Etape in the middle of the bunch. It's not that hard. One year's training is plenty of time