Etape 2009 -Ventoux!

TinyExplosions

Right,
I know it's very early to be talking about this, but places can be hard to come by... this years Etape is the Ventoux stage and I'm definitely up for the challenge... who else is in? 20th July is the date

Diarmuid

I'll be doing it. It's on the rest day of the Tour itself which is sweet.

TinyExplosions

I meant to include thanks to you for providing the link, but then forgot... sorry!

You're in France, so can get us all entry, right

blorg

I'd definitely be on for it. Would be great if a French resident could help with entries as I think the packages tend to be a fair bit overpriced.

Also interested in doing La Marmotte on Saturday 4 July 2009- anyone? Starts in Bourg d'Oisans, easy entry I believe and looking at the route it turns out I have actually done all the climbs on it already, it basically _is_ that 174km route we saw mentioned about the place when we were there. Someone may have got ahead of me to a certain intermediate point going up the Croix de Fer, will be working on that not happening again



EDIT: Good training to prepare for the Etape I reckon.

paddyb

Cant do it next year due to some holidays already booked but when I was looking in to it, the only way to go seemed to eb through tour operators as they had entries.

http://www.onyourbike.ie/
http://www.frenchcycling.com/sport/etape/index.html

probably a good few uk operators as well

TinyExplosions

blorg wrote: »

I'd definitely be on for it. Would be great if a French resident could help with entries as I think the packages tend to be a fair bit overpriced.

Also interested in doing La Marmotte on Saturday 4 July 2009- anyone? Starts in Bourg d'Oisans, easy entry I believe and looking at the route it turns out I have actually done all the climbs on it already, it basically _is_ that 174km route we saw mentioned about the place when we were there. Someone may have got ahead of me to a certain intermediate point going up the Croix de Fer, will be working on that not happening again

I'd be on for that.... I can see a 3 week cycling holiday coming on here... starting with Marmotte on the 4th, and Etape on the 20th

Can also prove it was no fluke to the Glandon... now, where's my CERA?

blorg

@paddyb- the entry form is published in Velo magazine and if you are a French resident and can get it back quickly you can do entry-only and don't have to go on one of the packages.

@Tiny- your challenge is accepted. I will have to sort out my TUE for salbutamol and then I am good to go

stopped_clock

I was thinking of doing either the Marmotte or l'Etape...

blorg

stopped_clock wrote: »

I was thinking of doing either the Marmotte or l'Etape...

On different days, why not do both!

TinyExplosions

blorg wrote: »

On different days, why not do both!

My problem is the time between them... would be expensive to fly over twice in the month to do both, and would mean taking nearly 3 weeks holiday if I stayed in France... dunno if I want to take that many days off

penexpers

The 4th is the Ring of Kerry!

Raam

penexpers wrote: »

The 4th is the Ring of Kerry!

Alpe d'Huez v Moll's Gap.....hmmmmm

penexpers

Raam wrote: »

Alpe d'Huez v Moll's Gap.....hmmmmm

I know where I'll be

Diarmuid

blorg wrote: »

@paddyb- the entry form is published in Velo magazine and if you are a French resident and can get it back quickly you can do entry-only and don't have to go on one of the packages.

That's true, but it's also lottery based and you need a French doctors cert. The latter isn't so difficult but if you are booking flights etc the uncertainty could be a bit of an issue. It was the end of April when I found out last year.

paddyb

blorg wrote: »

@Tiny- your challenge is accepted. I will have to sort out my TUE for salbutamol and then I am good to go

hey blorg, i give you my asthma inhalers going over so you can top up on salbutamol when it gets tough!!!

blorg

Diarmuid wrote: »

That's true, but it's also lottery based and you need a French doctors cert. The latter isn't so difficult but if you are booking flights etc the uncertainty could be a bit of an issue. It was the end of April when I found out last year.

Ah OK, I didn't know that, thought it was first come first served. Any more info on the French doctor and the dates involved?

Raam

blorg wrote: »

Ah OK, I didn't know that, thought it was first come first served. Any more info on the French doctor and the dates involved?

Don't somethling 10,000 people do the Etape?
Sounds like a nightmare!

blorg

Raam wrote: »

Don't somethling 10,000 people do the Etape?
Sounds like a nightmare!

I suspect you would get far enough ahead on the first climb that most of that 10k would be safely behind you.

Diarmuid

blorg wrote: »

Ah OK, I didn't know that, thought it was first come first served. Any more info on the French doctor and the dates involved?

The magazine will be out end of February .(either last or 2nd last Wednesday). You have 15 days then to send in the form with a cheque and a "certificat médicale" stating that you are fit to take part in a bike race. Then over the next few months they draw out names out of a hat to pick the people who will race. I think I saw my name on the website on one of the last days in April. Some were later again. Then the official letter came in the post sometime in June.

EDIT: If you are not too set on doing the Etape then looking at the Marmotte, the Ardchoise and plenty more. I'll be updating a google calendar with Sportives in France/Italy over the next few months if you are interested. Entry to these will be a lot easier and cheaper.

tomc

Four guys I know forged the doctors cert and got the entries no sweat, this saved them a fortune on the packages!

TomC

Raam

tomc wrote: »

Four guys I know forged the doctors cert and got the entries no sweat, this saved them a fortune on the packages!

TomC

A doctor's cert! I mean, really. How bureaucratic is that?

Chips Lovell

Raam wrote: »

Don't somethling 10,000 people do the Etape?
Sounds like a nightmare!

I wouldn't mind doing it, but the fact that its so popular now really puts me off. Bit of a logistical nightmare and might get fleeced on accomodation etc.

Blorg's idea of doing the Raid Pyrenean is very appealing and a bigger challenge. Won't know if I can get away for any cycling trips though until at least the new year.

barrabus

I have nothing to back up my suspicions but I reckon the Marmotte would be more enjoyable and less hyped than l'etape.

I think l'etape would be all about the massive crowds and rushing.
Am very interested in doing the Marmotte ..

EDIT - El Tontos post re crowds wasn't up when I composed this one.

Raam

barrabus wrote: »

I have nothing to back up my suspicions but I'd be reckon the Marmotte would be more enjoyable and less hyped than l'etape.

I think l'etape would be all about the massive crowds and rushing.
Am very interested in doing the Marmotte ..

EDIT - El Tontos post re crowds wasn't up when I composed this one.

A chap who posts here on and off did the Marmotte this year, Venteux (sp).
I think he said it was brilliant.

E@gle.

i hope to do this as well

Diarmuid

barrabus wrote: »

I think l'etape would be all about the massive crowds and rushing.

I did the Etape along with a few others and apart from the terrible weather at the Etape, I enjoyed them all. Better bang for buck with the other smaller ones but the attraction of the Etape is that it is a big and busy TdF stage. BTW The Marmott is a serious day out, 5000m vert, not recommended for a first sportive.

stopped_clock

Is this doctor's cert included with the entry form (as in a blank one)?

If not, I have a bilingual template that should do the trick (courtesy of my old running club).

Diarmuid

stopped_clock wrote: »

Is this doctor's cert included with the entry form (as in a blank one)?

Yea the cert is on the form in the magazine. You need the doc to fill it out and stamp it.

TinyExplosions

We could easily do the Marmotte, and stay in the chalet we used when I beat Blorg up the Glandon -it's perfectly placed, and could easily hold 10 of us...

stopped_clock

Diarmuid wrote: »

Yea the cert is on the form in the magazine. You need the doc to fill it out and stamp it.

Ah, grand so.

blorg

TinyExplosions wrote: »

We could easily do the Marmotte, and stay in the chalet we used when I beat Blorg up the Glandon -it's perfectly placed, and could easily hold 10 of us...

Sounds good to me, we should look at rustling something together. Not sure if Ryanair is keeping up the flights to Grenoble mind, we may have to fly to Geneva. I'll leave you turn up the Glandon this time while I'll continue on course up to the Croix de Fer. I'll have the advantage over all of ye having done the Galibier from the Telegraph side (I would like to point out that while Tiny beat me up the Glandon, I beat the lot of them up the Galibier and back to Bourg d'Oisans- and they were in a car )

E@gle.

i was thinking of doing the etape with onyourbike.ie then i seen the Price

barrabus

blorg wrote: »

. I'll have the advantage over all of ye having done the Galibier from the Telegraph

Not me mate... been there done that bought the tee shirt .. look foward to doing it on a racer in july.



btw what is the story with the Raid Pyrénéen? Is it an annual event or do you just do it off your own bat any time of year?

Freddy687

I got an entry only package from custom getaways in the US for htis years etape. Cost €200, a bit steep I know, then arranged a family hoilday around the date.
The normal setup at the start is to let people off in bunches of a thousand. This makes it alot easier to ride and means that you will spend all day catching people and being passed by the faster ones from behind.
The advantage is that the roads are closed, but you must cuttof points during the day.
Talking to guys that have done the Marmotte, its normally a pay on the day event, about €40 entry. Run on open roads and no real time limit.
It is a pity the gap is two weeks as it would great to do them in the one week.

blorg

E@gle. wrote: »

i was thinking of doing the etape with onyourbike.ie then i seen the Price

Yeah, it's nuts, TBH I don't think I would do it unless I can get entry-only (which I believe is in the region of €50 direct entry.) Certainly will not be dropping €2,000 on a package excluding the flights. Having said that I have heard only good things about OnYourBike and wish them well, but €2k is insane.

blorg

barrabus wrote: »

Not me mate... been there done that bought the tee shirt .. look foward to doing it on a racer in july.

Ha, I meant the group of us that went over. You will be a formidable opponent barrabus!

btw what is the story with the Raid Pyrénéen? Is it an annual event or do you just do it off your own bat any time of year?

As far as I can gather it is a do it off your own bat, you can get a card and collect stamps I believe for some sort of certification and there are tour companies that organise supported group attempts at it (I reckon we could manage an independent Boards attempt of some sort, just have to consider if we are carrying all our stuff with us or not.)

trek climber

E@gle. wrote: »

i was thinking of doing the etape with onyourbike.ie then i seen the Price

Bloody hell - must do the lotto at the weekend

Chips Lovell

E@gle. wrote: »

i was thinking of doing the etape with onyourbike.ie then i seen the Price

Was just looking at their photos from last year and there's someone in a Boards jersey there.

Raam

el tonto wrote: »

Was just looking at their photos from last year and there's someone in a Boards jersey there.

oobydooby

blorg wrote: »

(I would like to point out that while Tiny beat me up the Glandon, I beat the lot of them up the Galibier and back to Bourg d'Oisans- and they were in a car )

Hang on, just to clear this up, when Tiny beat you up the Glandon was he in a car?:eek:

blorg

oobydooby wrote: »

Hang on, just to clear this up, when Tiny beat you up the Glandon was he in a car?:eek:

Ha no, he did that on the bike all right :mad: I went on over the Galibier again the next day; the others turned back after climbing the Telegraph (emty wanted to come with me but he was driving the car ) I thought they'd catch up with me on the ascent but I got over the mountain and back to Bourg d'Oisans before them (over 70km!) It is a cracker of a descent, near 50km almost all downhill (losing around 1,900m altitude.) The Marmotte follows that route AFAIK although it then finishes up the Alpe d'Huez (was dark by then so called it a night that evening; got up 6:30am the next morning to go up the Alpe again but no-one else wanted to come with me ) I think I've done basically the entire route on the bike other than the descent from the Croix de Fer (which we traversed in the car, it would be a hairy descent) but over 2 and a bit days, it would certainly be a challenge to stick that all together into a continuous 174km.

barrabus

blorg wrote: »

As far as I can gather it is a do it off your own bat, you can get a card and collect stamps I believe for some sort of certification and there are tour companies that organise supported group attempts at it (I reckon we could manage an independent Boards attempt of some sort, just have to consider if we are carrying all our stuff with us or not.)

So Easter 2009?
I can picture it now Easter Sunday 2009 Christ will rise from the tomb (again) and the boardssies rise to the top of Col du Tourmalet?;)

bunnygreen

Hey,that's me in the Boards jersey,i think it was at the top of Luz Ardiden,a few days before the E'tape,i've posted previously about the whole event so won,t go into it again here.Just a quick note on the pricing with On Your Bike for next year's event,it has gone up in price for sure but have to say the package they put together is absolutely 1st class,they really have it together,i have no connection with them only my experience as a client .As a lot of the comments here indicate if your more independently minded you can do it for way way cheaper I climbed Ventoux back in September from both sides and its a monster,so having got that out of the system i'll give The Marmotte a go next year.Good luck to anyone who's going to do the E,tape next year ,if the weathers good it will be a great day and those views,you,ll have earned them.

E@gle.

TBH la marmotte package with sportactive looks far appealing

blorg

barrabus wrote: »

So Easter 2009?
I can picture it now Easter Sunday 2009 Christ will rise from the tomb (again) and the boardssies rise to the top of Col du Tourmalet?;)

April might be a bit early, a lot of the Cols would still be closed. Late May would probably be the earliest?

This is a photo of the start of the road to the Tourmalet from April 2006

paddy's hill

The Raid Pyrenees was started in 1952 by Cyclo Club Béarnais from Pau, it can be ridden any time from 1st June to the 30th September. Tourmalet and d'Aubisque are not passable the rest or the year. The entry fee is €16 euro, you get a card which must be stamped at various points along the route. Upon returning the card to Pau you receive a medal and certificate.
You have 100 hours to complete the Raid, i.e. start at 09:00 Monday, you must finish by 13:00 Friday. It is 710km and crosses 18 cols with 11000m of climbing, you can go west to east or east to west. There is also a 10 day version with 28 Cols, which is the easier version. See a map here.

niceonetom

TinyExplosions wrote: »

We could easily do the Marmotte, and stay in the chalet we used when I beat Blorg up the Glandon -it's perfectly placed, and could easily hold 10 of us...

the ideas man strikes again-> boards .v. marmotte 2009.

i'd be up for trying to string those climbs together. it's a terrifying thought (5 vertical kilometres!!!) but very exciting.

TBH the etape doesn't appeal anywhere near as much (though i'd love to actually try a stage route sometime), mostly because of the cost, the crowds, the logistical problems of doing an A to B route rather than a loop etc.


tiny- i'd ease on the whole glandon thing if i were you. people are demanding to know the specifics. do you really want that? :P

Diarmuid

niceonetom wrote: »

the ideas man strikes again-> boards .v. marmotte 2009.

i'd be up for trying to string those climbs together. it's a terrifying thought (5 vertical kilometres!!!) but very exciting.

TBH the etape doesn't appeal anywhere near as much (though i'd love to actually try a stage route sometime),

You could cycle the TdF stage yourself while over for the Marmotte. The start of la Marmotte and start of the Etape 2009 are about 2 hrs drive apart.

TinyExplosions

niceonetom wrote: »

tiny- i'd ease on the whole glandon thing if i were you. people are demanding to know the specifics. do you really want that? :P

The specifics are fine by me... I had a 5/10 min head start, but was half dead, so it counts... it's when they start looking for the urine tests that I'll stop going on about it

Diarmuid

So anyone doing the Etape this year?

Anyone going to be in the region around July 21st? I will probably have a spare entry so any interest?

Running Bing

How would you know your in the shape to do this?

How could one test oneself over here to see if they would be able for it?