Marmotte News.....

...safe and sound thanks Syd. This was a real beast of a ride and although very well prepared we all found this very tough. Over the years I've done my fair share of endurance events but I have to say this was amongst, if not THE toughest. The addition of heat and altitude can take its toll on the unwary. Any error in judgement either of pace, hydration and food was severly punished and unfortunately for Dan he came unstuck on all 3 eventually and ended up in a heap on bend 13 of L'Alpe d'huez with severe cramp. Alan had a bad dose of Delhi belly in the 2 days before the race and how he even started (never mind finish)this event is credit to him. Chris put in his usual battling performance and the 3 of us crossed the line together after encouraging each other all the way up the boiling ascent of L'alpe. Somehow I'd found myself at the feed station at the foot of l'alpe d'huez ahead of the others and at that stage I foolishly had thoughts of a gold medal (being an old git my age gave me an extra 30 min cut off) - all I had to do is do the last climb in less than 1 hour 30 mins (which Dave and Janet had done the day before comfortably in a similar time). I quickly regained my senses, I'd had a good day so far and blowing up in 32C heat on L'Alpe was the only likely outcome. So I sat down and stuffed my face with fruit, sweaty salami, bread, rotten bananas, fruit cake, and a gallon of water laced with my remaining salt tablets. Girding my loins for the final push I was about to mount my bike when Alan and Chris arrived. I'd last been with Chris on the Col de Telegraph but had n't realised that Alan had taken refuge in a cafe whilst throwing up what little food he had in him. Meanwhile Paul was picking his way carefully ticking off all the climbs very methodically and finishing with a flourish on L'Alpe stopping only once for water. Janet joined Alan in the sicky races but battled on as gamely as ever. Dave, well if any one was going to finish he was. A fantastic performance by all and the experiences learned here will be of benefit to us all in the future. Dan will be back and some of us will be there to support him after all both he and Alan are genuiune gold medal contenders. Each and everyone of us has a story to tell and no doubt the others will fill you in on their version. Yesterday it was "never again" but now it's "maybe". If you want some action piccies try photobreton.com and put in our race numbers Chris-1955, Alan-1491, Dave-773, Me-1900. I don't know the others.

Well done to all of you sounds a bit of a grueller....piccies convey it quite well!...you all look knackered apart from Dave, who looks ok...bit scruffy mind!...

Dan was unlucky....do you fancy redeeming yourself in the 24hr MTB race?...still places available!...Jan it would be your kind of event surely?

John has it in a nutshell.
The week was a brilliant laugh, my disappointment and downright shame in getting it so bloody wrong was made tolerable by the guys I went away with, Thanks chaps. I obviously took a bit of stick which was well deserved due to some idiotic decision making and preparation by me, and total lack of respect for the course the terrain and the other riders.

My take on the guys (and girls) performance would be summarised by : -

Smartest ride award = John (a lifetimes experience of the mountains got John through with the least drama and fuss than us all).

Most unlikliest to even start award = Alan(due to the whole world falling out of his arse with a stomach bug 24 hrs before the start and not being able to take part in the warm up ride the day before)

Downright heroic ride = Dave, no-one still knows how he managed it in such unforgiving terrain, having not starting training till about 8 weeks ago, stuff of legends, the mans an animal ! Tortoise and the hare springs to mind :)

Most selfless ride = Paul, having prepared, lived and breathed the event for 6 months, was on for a definate finish and possible silver medal. However he was prepared to sacrifice his own personal finish result and possibly not finish the event at all wasting a whole years training to selflessly attempt to help get some misguided fool up the last 5 miles of the last mountain of the day, losing great chunks of his own ride time. Cheers mate, I wont forget it.

I know I havent mentioned Chris and Jan, but we always knew they would do it ;) Janet suffered with sickness badly toward the end but ended up with a brilliant finish. And Chris obviously had to make it through the suffering as there is a bar at the top of the Alpe :)

As for me, the schoolboy errors are laughable :) No compact, as I thought I would hammer round with a standard 39 without breaking sweat ! Untried and tested sports drink and energy bars which I found I couldnt stomach when I felt good let alone when I felt bad, so I ate and drink only a quarter of what I should coz I felt I would spew ! I started in the second group half an hour behind everyone else bar Paul, so I went from the gun and up the Glandon passing the field like it was a 20 mile TLI race !! ooops. I skipped the first two food and water stops because I was determined to get the 30 mins back on the others as soon as possible. Needless to say my rather questionable decision making and hugely misjudged early pace had me blowing catastrophically having just passed John and Jan half way up the telegraph. I grovelled up to the top of the Galibier in a right state, cramps like I have never experienced before, covered in salt from all the sweat and losing huge amounts of time on everyone who I'd caught earlier. I finally threw in the towel at bend 9 on the Alpe, in tears when I could no longer even walk with the bike let alone ride it.

My only advice to anyone else wanting to do the Marmotte from this club would be
Go with John ! Dont ride with me ! If I come within 50 yards of you, leg it !!

Whether to offer sympathy to Dan first or just to dive in with the A55 kicking he needs.....

I'm sure he's beat himself up over this the last few days so I wont kick a man while he's down, oh no can't resist, You plonker!!!

Fancy not sampling / sorting your gels etc, and I thought you had sussed that all out, dohh!
Sounds like a real grueller, proper character building hey Al'??

Well done though on a mighty good effort from VC!!!
!!Wot No Bar!!

So you'll be coming next year to show us how its done then Syd ?

'cos that bar might get stuck where the sun don't shine!!

If Dan has an almighty struggle what chance have I got?
even if I could raise my bar I don't think it would get anywhere near Dan's level.
I reckon I'd need 3 days to do it!!
I did notice there is a wimps version, maybe just maybe I could give that a bash, I think that cuts out the Telegraph.

Seriously am gutted for Dan!
Was there a rain cloud in sight??

!!Wot No Bar!!

Thanks for your interest Syd, before during and after our trip to the Alps.

Headlines this week in le Monde and Paris Match "Who is that scruffy git riding that superb bike? - that ain't no scruffy git fella' - dat be Mark Cavendish!"

Can I congratulate my fellow Marmites who completed in less than half a day.

Two notable events:

1. Alan (not a well man at the time) coming out of his cosy chalet room to drive down a rain swept mountain to help an unknown Dutch lad, who was 25 km from his own hotel, walking his bike up the hill carrying a broken chain. Chain fixed and Dutch lad off on his way home moments later.
2. Dan passing me on Col de Glandon (the first col - about six Llanwrst hills in length and gradient) having set off 30 mins after moi. He was competing with a standard of cycling that I have not come across before in two Etapes and many Sportives.

Not significant? - well, filled me with pride - enough said.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - a very old European Fairy Story - latest version with Six Dwarfs but no Fairies.

John - an old head on young shoulders, and legs - a golden era.
Chris - this lad can do anything - but don't tell Sian.
Alan - great ride from a man challenging the sewage systems of the Dauphin Alps.
Paul - new kid on the block - it's not about the bike - well done Paul.
Janet - sick about Alp D'uez - but well done wife - started training May Day 2008.
Dan - will come back stronger and stronger!
Moi - pass me the panniers and beard clippers.

Better to have soared for a moment with the eagles (Dan) than spend an eternity scratching in the back yard with the chickens (me).

We will return - all fitter,wiser and more determined than ever for our unforgettable experience on 05/07/08.

Brilliant post, you are indeed a verbal sculptor. Having counted myself out of ever wanting to get on a bike again after the event (truly). I am now counting the days till next years Marmotte and or jolly to the Joux-Plane & Tour de France.

I am inspired by your soaring eagles, scratching chickens analagy, however the "live fast - die (very) young" theory somewhat blew up in my very salty / sweaty face.
Highlight of the trip ? Well it just has to be the log moment :)

What a trip and what a bike ride, some great comments above all of which I echo.

My highlight was most definitely the cresting of the mountains - Let me explain...

I thought it was me, being a little silly, crying as I somehow found it somewhere to get to the top of those mountains. But when I shared my feminine side with the guys... well, they'd all had similar experiences!

Also had some good feeling knowing that I was fastest up the Alpe - clearly not trying hard enough earlier.

See www.la-marmotte.org for timed stages.

My individual awards:

Dave Lee: Nicked my nurofen and flapjack then told me to f**k off and leave him alone at the top of the Telegraph, all forgiven when attempting to out swim a river in full flow! What a sight!

Chris Lord: Best driver, without him we would never have even made it there.

Alan Overson: The sound effects from the bathroom were incomparable. Say no more, but ask me and Dan about the dolphin noises!?!

Dan Liddle: I've been sitting here sniggering about typing stuff like

"Loser"
"Must try harder"
"Needs to learn how to handle pain"

But let's face it, he's not such a bad chap and believe me, he really was suffering and we all know he'll be back next year whooping us all.

Jan: Could see me, feet away, getting my pasta at the end of the day but didn't have the energy to attract my attention - so phoned me!

John: Wanker!

Great trip, great company, Thank you all!

A compliment in itself!

Just watched this years race on ITV4. Now there's a challenge !!