Marmotte 2010

I'm pretty much definately in, not sure what tyres I'll be using by then but I'm running contis at the moment!

1. Dancing James
   
2. Hippy
   
3. Cliveo
   
4. zed
   
5. MrSmyth
   
6. fatboyralph
   
7. bringmemymarmotte
   
8. GINA
   
9. Daccordi
   

Would love to do it again but can't see me having the time to train properly for it next year.

1. Dancing James
   
2. Hippy
   
3. Cliveo
   
4. zed
   
5. MrSmyth
   
6. fatboyralph
   
7. bringmemymarmotte
   
8. GINA
   
9. Daccordi
   
10. maxl
    
    

Mountains rule.

This should give you a taste for what it's like.

http://www.vimeo.com/5464145

Pray for a sunny day, I've ridden it twice, once in the rain and once in the sun. I know which I prefer.

1. Dancing James
   
2. Hippy
   
3. Cliveo
   
4. zed
   
5. MrSmyth
   
6. fatboyralph
   
7. bringmemymarmotte
   
8. GINA
   
9. Daccordi
   
10. maxl
    
11. claus
    
    

could be well up for it but have see how next years event calendar will look like for me.
@ DJ, andyp would be interested to hear first hand what the event is like. will chat to you next time we meet.
@ andyp, what is the time in the saddle for the average club rider on the marmotte, around 8:30?

8:30 would be a gold in my age group. I think anything under 9 hours is a good ride and would put you in the top third of the field.

:o

what time could someone expect who can ride 180k in 5:30 h on a fairly flat course?

How heavy are you?

It's really hard to say Gina. There are about 25 kms of flat roads on the Marmotte, the rest is either uphill or downhill so it really depends on your climbing and descending ability. If you're fast uphill and a confident descender then it'll be possible to do a quick time but if you're neither then that'll lengthen the time to complete the event.

It also depends on what kind of day you have, i.e. I was in flying form in 2006 but had a bad day on the day, and struggled on the Telegraphe, the easiest climb on the route. Thankfully I managed to improve and finished but I suffered like a dog on the Alpe.

i would love it. that is if i get in good form for 2010

FWIW, it's the hardest one day ride I've ever done. There are four mountains, the Glandon, the Telegraphe, the Galibier and Alpe d'Huez which adds up to 5000 metres of vertical gain.

The Telegraphe/Galibier combination, from the north side remains the toughest climb I've ever done. The feeling you get when you see the road steepen at Plan Lachat epitomises the phrase 'my heart sank' and when you first see the summit you cannot believe you'll ever get there.

5000m in less than 180k = big ouch.
White Rose was tough for me and it was obviously smaller climbs and only 3800m in 180k.

Can someone just hang onto this useless 10kg for me for a bit?

[QUOTE=claus;799225]1. Dancing James

1. Hippy
   
2. Cliveo
   
3. zed
   
4. MrSmyth
   
5. fatboyralph
   
6. bringmemymarmotte
   
7. GINA
   
8. Daccordi
   
9. maxl
   
10. claus
    
11. Bareknuckleyellow
    
    

I've already got it down in my plans for next year so would be good to do some training with everyone else.

Anyone got a place up north? There's not enough hills in this Shit Town (Live).

take it for training and hand it back at the start line if you dont mind

Btw, I'm not trying to put anyone off doing this event, rather I'm trying to give you an idea of the task in hand. It's a fantastic event over a course than goes through some stunningly beautiful mountains. Every year thousands of Dutch cyclists enter it and, so one of them told me, you're not considered a 'proper' cyclist in Holland until you've finished it.

You'll have a blast but, and this is the important bit, you have to train for it properly. If you've never ridden in the mountains before then I'd recommend you do so beforehand so you understand what you're undertaking.

If you finish it then the feeling of achievement and the relief is hard to describe. I was in tears after I finished it, which was all a bit odd at the time, but I'd put 6 months of effort into getting there and the emotions were running riot at the end.

So you clearly need a new challenge andyp.. I've got the perfect one.. it's called Andy + Hippy + Tow Rope*..

*no, not a bondage session

And I use it to whip you into shape? ;p

anyone fixed?

polo bike will be good enough, right?

Can someone just hang onto this useless 10kg for me for a bit?

What's that, your head?

hehe that's pretty funny.. those self-help books are working a treat.

he he

7hr 55min. Smash it up dudes!

is it a race?