Etape 2006

Mark said:

Hi there

The Etape website says:

The official entry form will be published in the french magazine
"Vélo Magazine". It will be very difficult for non-residents in
France to buy this magazine and send back the entry form by post on
time to be selected. Registrations are closed in 2 or 3 days by
post mail.

So, to enter the event, non-residents should book an entry in
authorised travel agencies.

Is this the same as previous years? I could have sworn I'd seen an entry
form to download and post in the past.

Isn't there also something about needing a medical certificate to enter?

Cheers,

Mark

You do need a Drs note. They have done this to limit entries as it's a
very overcrowed and over subscribed event but there are plenty of
equally taxing cyclosportif events which are easier to enter, why not
pick one of these instead?

Mark said:

Hi there

The Etape website says:

The official entry form will be published in the french magazine
"Vélo Magazine". It will be very difficult for non-residents in
France to buy this magazine and send back the entry form by post on
time to be selected. Registrations are closed in 2 or 3 days by
post mail.

So, to enter the event, non-residents should book an entry in
authorised travel agencies.

Is this the same as previous years? I could have sworn I'd seen an entry
form to download and post in the past.

They stopped the download forms this year. You now have to book through
Grahm Baxter SportingTours or suchlike. Too pricey! Try a good
Cyclosportive instead...
Bonne Route
Dan Gregory

Blonde said:

Mark said:

Hi there

The Etape website says:

The official entry form will be published in the french magazine
"Vélo Magazine". It will be very difficult for non-residents in
France to buy this magazine and send back the entry form by post on
time to be selected. Registrations are closed in 2 or 3 days by
post mail.

So, to enter the event, non-residents should book an entry in
authorised travel agencies.

Is this the same as previous years? I could have sworn I'd seen an entry
form to download and post in the past.

no it's not, they have introduced this either this year or next, they
know they can fill it up whatever. You can enter from a French address
if you know someone who lives there, but being French hardly guarantees
you will get in either.

Quoted message said:

You do need a Drs note. They have done this to limit entries as it's a
very overcrowed and over subscribed event but there are plenty of
equally taxing cyclosportif events which are easier to enter, why not
pick one of these instead?

ditto that; I would not personally enter l'Etape as a first sportif.
You are also pretty much guaranteed entry to the others. Try
l'Ardechoise, la Marmotte or l'Aregieuese (there must be a site which
lists them all). You can enter independently for much less than going
through an organised tour.

"Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Etape website says:

The official entry form will be published in the french magazine
"Vélo Magazine". It will be very difficult for non-residents in
France to buy this magazine and send back the entry form by post on
time to be selected. Registrations are closed in 2 or 3 days by
post mail.

So, to enter the event, non-residents should book an entry in
authorised travel agencies.

Is this the same as previous years? I could have sworn I'd seen an entry
form to download and post in the past.

They changed it this year.
You don't (didn't) _have_ to book through an 'authorised travel agent'
though, and you didn't need a French address not to do so. All they are
saying is that it would be difficult for a non-French resident to get hold
of a copy of Velo mag and send the entry form in quickly enough to get a
place. If you booked through an authorised agent you were guaranteed a
place, otherwise it would just depend on the luck of when your entry arrived
in the post at Velo mag's offices and was opened. There was a specific
allocation of UK agent places, otherwise you had to take your chances with
the general rabble of French and other nationalities all trying to get in!

Note that of the two UK agencies with the largest allocations this year,
Sports Tours International has already closed their list for pre-booking
2006, and Baxter's isn't taking any pre-bookings. You will probably need to
act pretty smartly once the route is announced.

Quoted message said:

Isn't there also something about needing a medical certificate to enter?

Yes, but it's no big deal... well, some people had to pay their GPs quite a
lot to get them to sign the forms, while others did it for free or still
other entrants just forged it. A BCF racing licence was also accepted as an
alternative.

Rich

Richard Goodman said:

"Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Etape website says:

[UK Etape entries only through an 'agent']

They changed it this year. You don't (didn't) _have_ to book through
an 'authorised travel agent' though, and you didn't need a French
address not to do so. All they are saying is that it would be
difficult for a non-French resident to get hold of a copy of Velo mag
and send the entry form in quickly enough to get a place. If you
booked through an authorised agent you were guaranteed a place,
otherwise it would just depend on the luck of when your entry arrived
in the post at Velo mag's offices and was opened. There was a
specific allocation of UK agent places, otherwise you had to take your
chances with the general rabble of French and other nationalities all
trying to get in!

Note that of the two UK agencies with the largest allocations this
year, Sports Tours International has already closed their list for
pre-booking 2006, and Baxter's isn't taking any pre-bookings. You
will probably need to act pretty smartly once the route is announced.

Bugger. So the only option is a frantic dash for a Baxter's place, or to
be in France when Velo magazine is published?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Isn't there also something about needing a medical certificate to
enter?

Yes, but it's no big deal... well, some people had to pay their GPs
quite a lot to get them to sign the forms, while others did it for
free or still other entrants just forged it. A BCF racing licence was
also accepted as an alternative.

Right oh. Sounds doable.

I know people have suggested the other cyclosportifs and I would very
much like to ride them as well. I've never done the Etape and as it
doesn't look like it's going to get any easier to enter I thought I'd
see if I could do it in 2006.

Cheers,

Mark