L'Etape Du Tour 2016

[velocgee]

I signed up even before examining the route (WTF?!!)...

Another big one

but not sure I'm doing it, though...

[Kawasicki]

Last years event was my first timed event on a bike. I trained pretty hard for 6 weeks beforehand and held back (at least up the climbs) on the day.

I enjoyed it. I just signed up for next years, aim to actually train properly this time round.

[SixPotBelly]

I'm in too.

Certainly looks a sporting parcours..

[okgo]

Tempted to give it a go, when do I need to enter by?

[richardxjr]

Sooner the better I think if only because of this

website said:

There’s no time to waste, the date on which you register will be taken into account when the starting areas are allocated!

Later starters really suffered this year from what I heard.

[sidicks]

I've heard lots about L'Etape and a few people at work have done it in recent years, but just how hard is it?

I did a (very) gentle London to Paris last year which was my first 'proper' cycle event. I'm thinking about doing something like Geneva-Nice or Paris-Geneva next year which I know will be considerably harder.

I'm envisaging L'Etape to be significantly harder again, but does that mean that you really need to be an experienced cyclist, or with the right training and dedication, could this be achievable in 8-10 months?

[richardxjr]

sidicks said:

Geneva-Nice

Other way round re difficultness. Geneva-Nice on the Route des Grande Alpes is like doing 5x L'Etapes in a row! Think you do most of next year's Etape route on the first day, then it gets harder, but of course it's at your pace and you're not racing. Was supposed to be riding that next year but plans have changed.

Would be a good start to your trip alright. The weather did for many otherwise fit hopefuls this year I believe. Very hot.

Edited by richardxjr on Tuesday 20th October 21:11

[Kawasicki]

sidicks said:

I've heard lots about L'Etape and a few people at work have done it in recent years, but just how hard is it?

I did a (very) gentle London to Paris last year which was my first 'proper' cycle event. I'm thinking about doing something like Geneva-Nice or Paris-Geneva next year which I know will be considerably harder.

I'm envisaging L'Etape to be significantly harder again, but does that mean that you really need to be an experienced cyclist, or with the right training and dedication, could this be achievable in 8-10 months?

Easily achievable in that time

[numtumfutunch]

sidicks said:

I've heard lots about L'Etape and a few people at work have done it in recent years, but just how hard is it?

I did a (very) gentle London to Paris last year which was my first 'proper' cycle event. I'm thinking about doing something like Geneva-Nice or Paris-Geneva next year which I know will be considerably harder.

I'm envisaging L'Etape to be significantly harder again, but does that mean that you really need to be an experienced cyclist, or with the right training and dedication, could this be achievable in 8-10 months?

Agreed thats loads of time to prepare

I love the Etape, its a humungous great big party, and have done a few
My last was Annecy in 2013 and it felt to me at least that they had lowered the sweep bar somewhat
This was mostly judged on the number of "large" Yanks on 6k bikes sweating it out on foot at the bottom of the final climb after Id completed, celebrated, refreshed, socialised and then ridden back down it again - and Im no cycling god

There was carnage in 2010 and 2011 with plenty of hardcore cyclists terminated by Norbert Dentrassangle and his chums Les Flics
The cut offs must have been made more lenient, there is no other explanation

Anyway this year Im skipping it if only for the fact that I dont fancy the return trip from finish to start with 10,000 other people

Cheers

[SixPotBelly]

okgo said:

Tempted to give it a go, when do I need to enter by?

Would be great to have as many PHers there as possible, but have thought you'd prefer battling at the sharp end of an Italian Gran Fondo than fighting through the crowds on what's essentially a huge sportive? The distinction is far less relevant to me as I'm only racing the broom waggon in either type of event

Kawasicki said:

Easily achievable in that time

Absolutely agree.

[velocgee]

note to those considering this:

quality of training more important. Mate did 3k miles of training to my 600 and yet I dropped him on 1st climb and beat him by 45mins overall this year. and he is a far accomplished rider than me (I am NOT a climber). So do intensity work and get some sportives in.

And sign up NOW

[Amateurish]

I've signed up. I know I am going to suffer when going up the Joux Plane!

PS they are laying on transfers to take you from Morzine to Megeve on Saturday. So it will be logistically easy to base yourself in Morzine.

[SixPotBelly]

Amateurish said:

PS they are laying on transfers to take you from Morzine to Megeve on Saturday. So it will be logistically easy to base yourself in Morzine.

I may have misunderstood but aren't the navettes just for bods, not bikes. The idea being that you base yourself in Megeve but dump your car at the finish the day before and they bus you back. If you were based in Morzine you could conceivably use them to get to the start, but you'd be there a day early and without your bike...

[okgo]

SixPotBelly said:

Absolutely agree.

Maybe, I think getting an early start would be preferable, not sure if that would be possible with no previous time to rely on. Not mega fussed about these things in general but a few mates may do the Etape so may as well have a go.

[ALawson]

My friends have booked a chalet in Morzine from the 2-9th July already, this may be a nice way to end the week!

Do most people drive down or fly? I would probably drive down on the Thursday/Friday if I was going for the previous week.

[Amateurish]

SixPotBelly said:

Amateurish said:

PS they are laying on transfers to take you from Morzine to Megeve on Saturday. So it will be logistically easy to base yourself in Morzine.

I may have misunderstood but aren't the navettes just for bods, not bikes. The idea being that you base yourself in Megeve but dump your car at the finish the day before and they bus you back. If you were based in Morzine you could conceivably use them to get to the start, but you'd be there a day early and without your bike...

I think you are right

[jamiebae]

I'm in. I've ordered a 32T cassette and it'll give me a bit of an incentive to get some decent training in, this year it was so hot I barely rode the bike all summer and lost a lot of fitness.

I'm under no illusions about how tough it'll be, but none of the gradients are too monstrous so I think I should be OK. I don't mind a long climb, but when it ramps up over 10% is where I struggle so I'm hoping going from a 36/28 to a 36/32 will give me a suitable bail-out gear.

[Amateurish]

I haven't done the first two climbs, but I've done Ramaz and Joux Plane a few times each. Only Ramaz has 10%+ gradient, about 2/3 of the way up, just before you reach Sommand. It's the nasty bit where you have a long tunnel.

[AMG01]

http://www.sportive.com/etape-du-tour/519507/2016-...

Summary of the challenge, Col De Joux Plane looks like a fun way to finish it off!

[SixPotBelly]

AMG01 said:

http://www.sportive.com/etape-du-tour/519507/2016-...

Summary of the challenge, Col De Joux Plane looks like a fun way to finish it off!

Great link

I'm taking solace that the longest climb is only half as long as my longest to date. It's just that on this event there'll be more of them...