Any Boards doing The Etape?

bunnygreen

Any boards doing the Etape next week?,if so are you wearing your Boards kit?.

ventoux

Hi
Decided to do the Marmotte instead as the Etape didn't scare me enough.
Also package deals are quite expensive so we booked all ourselves.I always wanted to do one or the other,and by some accounts the Etape is a little over hyped.Good luck if your going and watch the tunnels on the tourmalet.

Diarmuid

Finished the Etape on Sunday, Weather was brutal, raining most of the day, the summits were around 4degreesC! Started about 50 riders from the last but broom wagon wasn't an issue. Tourmalet was ok apart from last 3km where I was running out of steam, Hautcam was brutally steep but managed it. Lots of punters walking the climbs. Passed a good few Irish lads. One lad who I gave a few encouraging words on Tourmalet, replied, after grabbing his breath that he had a pimple on his bum and a sore back. I think the rest of his race was painful :-) Took a tumble in Lourdes but nothing serious.

Happy to finish considering the conditions but plenty room for improvement on my 8hr20 time

bunnygreen

Well done Diarmuid,yes it was a rough day,the Hautacam was a killer,about 6 km in i was suffering badly,paced myself up and let it rip 3 from the top,did it in 7.35.What did you think of the poxy descent after we got the medals and stood in the corral waiting to be let down?.That was cold and dangerous,got back to the hotel and stood in the shower for a half hr thawing out.Did you check out your pictures from the Etape website?.I looked at mine and in most of them im grimacing.Congrats again on finishing,2000 odd did'nt.

penexpers

Well done to both of ye for finishing it!

niceonetom

chapeau messieurs, chapeau!

blorg

Jesus well done guys that sounds like a killer with the weather like that.

Morgan

I finished it in 7h33m. Saw a load of Irish jerseys too. The climbs aren't any steeper than what we have in Wicklow - they just go on for a lot longer. You can see some photos and videos of the conditions here:
http://theclimb.blogs.nytimes.com/

niceonetom

I'd read some of that blog (as directed to by the bsnyc, who more or less hates that guy) before l'etape but i just watched the videos he posted now. that weather looked really really nasty and i didn't see a single smiling face in any of those videoclips. seriously, fair play to yee lads, i hope you had more fun than he had (could he not have found somebody to do it with?).

TinyExplosions

Morgan wrote: »

The climbs aren't any steeper than what we have in Wicklow - they just go on for a lot longer.

Why is it that that makes my mind go from "Never goin to do the Etape" to "It sounds like a do-able challenge"...

blorg

Definately plan to do it next year- can be expensive though, as generally if not French you have to go as part of a tour group.

bunnygreen

The general consensus is that this years was easier in terms of distance and the climbs,compared to the previous couple of years.Although the weather was bad i'm very thankful it was'nt 30 odd degrees,that would have been a whole other ballgame.The feeling is next years will go back to the Alps and the the distance will be longer.Personally i think every cyclist should do something like this once,they love their cycling in France and the crowds that came out to support us i found very inspiring and moving.Morgan is right when he says that its the length of the climbs that we are not used to here.I did some of the classics during the week around the general area and the scenery was incredible,awesome and inspiring,climbing through clouds is pretty cool and then coming out to a vista as mighty as the Aubisque,well thats something.Tiny, i'm a mediocre climber,i made up a lot time on the flats and on the descent of the Tourmalet,if i can do it you can for sure.
Who cares if its overhyped ,ive a headful of great memories ,maybe all that mountain air has gone to my head but im already thinking ill do the Alps next year,if thats where its at.To be part of of a mass of cyclists with different goals but ultimately just to finish is a very rewarding thing esp when it over a route steeped in TDF myth.

bunnygreen

Hey Blorg,i can hook you up with the group i did it with,ive no connection with them,but the service we got was outstanding.

blorg

bunnygreen wrote: »

Hey Blorg,i can hook you up with the group i did it with,ive no connection with them,but the service we got was outstanding.

That would be great, would appreciate any tips/advice you might have too. Next year the Alps!

ollietrex

Bunnygreen if you could send me on the details as well I would be quite interested in doing it next year. Its defo on my list of things to do...

trek climber

When is the route for next years Etape announced ?

bunnygreen

i think its Oct this year

FrankGrimes

Wow, serious respect to anyone who did this - that's men from boys stuff right there.

I have cycling up Alpe D'Huez pretty high on my things to do before you die list, doing it as part of an Etape would be ideal but obviously insanely difficult. Still, I'll do it some day, later more likely than sooner though, 2010 sounds pretty good!

Diarmuid

bunnygreen wrote: »

.What did you think of the poxy descent after we got the medals and stood in the corral waiting to be let down?.

The descent was a nightmare at the end. My arms were locked in position when reached the bottom from gripping the brakes.

I have cycling up Alpe D'Huez pretty high on my things to do before you die list, doing it as part of an Etape would be ideal but obviously insanely difficult. Still, I'll do it some day, later more likely than sooner though, 2010 sounds pretty good!

Check out La Marmotte then. It's supposed to be the most difficult sportive but you have a full year to train for it. No point putting it on the long finger. You can register from Ireland (probably in a few months) and so get the same deal as the French: €32 + medical cert. Doing the Etape from Ireland is more costly as you have to buy the tickets through a tour company.

I bought a bike last November and decided that I'd do the Etape in January. You don't need to be superman to do it, just do the work from Jan -> July and you will finish.

ventoux

Well done to the lads on compleating the Etape.
There's no easy days in the Alps or Pyrenees.

Just back after competing in the afore mentioned La Marmotte.It's a long tough day in the saddle but worth all the training when you cross the line.
I had a decent day getting around in 8 13 cycle time and about 9hrs inc. stops.This qualified me for gold in my cat so I was delighted at the end.Check it out and pencil it in for next year as its alot easier to enter than the Etape.

bunnygreen

Hey Ventoux,(aptly named)thats absolutely brilliant,well done indeed,great time and a gold medal for your cat,the Marmotte is no stroll thats hard climbing,chapeu my man chapeau.

Diarmuid

Good man Ventoux! La Marmotte is supposed to be pretty brutal alright.

You might be interested in another sportive in September, your namesake, Les Routes du Ventoux on the 7th September. Probably not worth it if you are coming from Ireland but it could be interesting.

ventoux

Cheers lads
As I usually get away only every second year the Ventoux will have to wait.There are plenty of great sportives all around Italy and France without having to enter the big ones, but I would like a crack at the Grand Fondo sometime.