Training for L'Etape 2006

Quoted message said:

Is there anyone out there who has done the L'Etape? I would be
particularly interested in ideas for training plans as well as any
anecdotal stuff

I did the Etape in 2001 and La Marmotte last year.

Give us a bit of background about yourself - how much cycling have you
done before etc and then there's people here who can give could advice.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

Quoted message said:

Hi

Is there anyone out there who has done the L'Etape? I would be
particularly interested in ideas for training plans as well as any
anecdotal stuff

Cheers

Paul

I did the Etape in 1994. Training ? Ride lots.

Quoted message said:

Hi

Is there anyone out there who has done the L'Etape? I would be
particularly interested in ideas for training plans as well as any
anecdotal stuff

There's an interesting set of video diaries kept by Alex Araujo as he
prepared for the Etape on www.cycling.tv (if you have broadband).

All but one cover his training schedule and techniques. He was aiming for a
gold medal time.

Tom.

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Quoted message said:

Hi

Is there anyone out there who has done the L'Etape? I would be
particularly interested in ideas for training plans as well as any
anecdotal stuff

I did it this year. Tremendous fun, thrilling atmosphere like no other
cycle sporting event you could do. Do it.

Training, as MSeries said, is basically ride lots. Ride lots of hills.
Ride distance. Spend hours in the saddle. Especially, ride hills -
mountains actually, if you can. There's nothing to compare with the sheer
length of continuous 'up' that you find in the Alps and Pyrennes here, and
if you've never ridden a mountain before it might surprise you how
morale-sapping a long unrelenting continuous 'up' can be the first time you
encounter it. Once you get used to it you realise it's just a matter of
mind over matter! Audax and other cyclosportive events are good
preparation.

Have a look at www.etape.org.uk for a lot more info.

Rich

I haven't ridden l'Etape but did a mountainous French sportive this
year, the only thing I could think to add to the good advice here is;
Drink, drink lots, drink all the time, preferably isotonic drinks. And
eat loads as well.
And don't try and stay with a bunch you are not happy keeping up with.
They take their sportives very seriously indeed, I don't know your
abilities but if you are used to audax and century ride type things you
may be well down the field so stay at a pace you are comfortable with.
And above all enjoy it!

The other thing to do to prepare for it is start saving! I reckon the
etape cost me something over £2000 to do, made up of around £700 to the
travel agent for entry fee, accommodation and transport, another £700 for
the new bike I had to build and a further £200 to replace the wheelset that
got written off in an accident on a training ride, and then over £400 on
various and sundry training rides that I did including several weekends and
a whole week in Switzerland - flights/travel and accommodation, meals etc.

Of course the bike remains a 'permanent' asset and I'm glad I have it.
Having to buy two wheelsets instead of just the one was unfortunate and
atypical, hopefully, and noone is obliged to go flying off to Switzerland
every six weeks or so to train in the mountains - that wasn't really my only
reason for doing it but it was very useful to be able to do it. Given that
I had a friend to feed and accommodate me I don't think I spent much more on
it than weekends away in a B&B in the UK would have cost me.

Also booking through a travel agent isn't absolutely necessary, but given
that ASO seems to block book all the hotels in the start/finish towns in
advance of announcing the event, it means making your own arrangements could
be difficult if you don't or leave you far to travel very early in the
morning or afterwards to get to/from the ride. Still if you do manage it
there could certainly be savings to be made there. We were booked into a
hotel with rooms costing 60Euro/night and paid the travel agent (supposedly
just buying the space from ASO and passing it on at cost) something like
£100~150 a night!

Could have had a week's skiing holiday for the whole family for the cost of
that trip... 😉

Rich

Richard Goodman said:

The other thing to do to prepare for it is start saving! I reckon the
etape cost me something over £2000 to do,

I think the fact it is so oversubscribed has prompted some sharp
practices, such as only issuing places next year to UK entrants through
organised companies. There are of course many alternatives, and with
dirt cheap flights and a bit of self organisation you can do them for
peanuts.

Richard Goodman said:

etape cost me something over ?2000 to do, made up of around ?700 to the
travel agent for entry fee, accommodation and transport, another ?700 for
the new bike I had to build and a further ?200 to replace the wheelset that
got written off in an accident on a training ride, and then over ?400 on

Most people will have a bike and will pass on the weekends in Switerland,
bringing the cost down to the 700 pound mark.

--
Arthur Clune

Arthur Clune said:

Richard Goodman said:

etape cost me something over ?2000 to do, made up of around ?700 to the
travel agent for entry fee, accommodation and transport, another ?700 for
the new bike I had to build and a further ?200 to replace the wheelset that
got written off in an accident on a training ride, and then over ?400 on

Most people will have a bike and will pass on the weekends in Switerland,
bringing the cost down to the 700 pound mark

is that 700 for a week? and staying/travelling how? whatever it rules
out me ever doing it, when any of the other big French rides can be
organised for less than half that amount.

Was talking to a clubmate about it last night; he thinks the whole
event has been "dumbed down" due to inexperienced riders entering it,
having never ridden it myself I don't know but have the stages got
easier?

MartinM said:

Was talking to a clubmate about it last night; he thinks the whole
event has been "dumbed down" due to inexperienced riders entering it,
having never ridden it myself I don't know but have the stages got
easier?

It doesn't look like the stages have got easier, but for my money
I'd rather go and ride la Marmotte again.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

Arthur Clune said:

MartinM said:

Was talking to a clubmate about it last night; he thinks the whole
event has been "dumbed down" due to inexperienced riders entering it,
having never ridden it myself I don't know but have the stages got
easier?

It doesn't look like the stages have got easier, but for my money
I'd rather go and ride la Marmotte again.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

When I did it in 1994 they used to use whatver Tour stage followed the
rest day and do it on the Tour rest day. Thus I got to ride the stage
that included the Aspin, Peyresourde, Tourmalet and Luz Ardiden climbs.
The crowds were already in place for the Tour too so the atmosphere on
the summits was superb.

Arthur Clune said:

MartinM said:

Was talking to a clubmate about it last night; he thinks the whole
event has been "dumbed down" due to inexperienced riders entering it,
having never ridden it myself I don't know but have the stages got
easier?

It doesn't look like the stages have got easier, but for my money
I'd rather go and ride la Marmotte again.

definitely; You don't have the faff of getting back to the start, you
get the Daddy of them all le Galibier which presumably l'Etape never
does, and you are more or less assured entry I assume.
And EasyJet have just announced a new route from Gatwick to Grenoble
;-)

My clubmate was just saying that his impression of last year's Etape
was that a lot of riders were using it as their next challenge after
the London - Brighton and many were coming a cropper as a result.
Apparently a lot of riders had to be swept up in 2001.

MartinM said:

[re: la marmotte]
does, and you are more or less assured entry I assume.

You can still enter the day before without any problems.

Quoted message said:

My clubmate was just saying that his impression of last year's Etape
was that a lot of riders were using it as their next challenge after
the London - Brighton and many were coming a cropper as a result.
Apparently a lot of riders had to be swept up in 2001.

That's the impression I get. It's quite a difference from L2B and
people don't realise that!

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

Arthur Clune said:

MartinM said:

[re: la marmotte]
does, and you are more or less assured entry I assume.

You can still enter the day before without any problems.

Quoted message said:

My clubmate was just saying that his impression of last year's Etape
was that a lot of riders were using it as their next challenge after
the London - Brighton and many were coming a cropper as a result.
Apparently a lot of riders had to be swept up in 2001.

That's the impression I get. It's quite a difference from L2B and
people don't realise that!

As training for L'Ardechoise I did 2 100k Grimpeurs, a not at all flat
400, a very not flat 300, a few 200's and anything else I could muster.
And still got blown away by most of the field.

MartinM said:

As training for L'Ardechoise I did 2 100k Grimpeurs, a not at all flat
400, a very not flat 300, a few 200's and anything else I could muster.
And still got blown away by most of the field.

Too much distance, not enough speed.

(If you care about getting blown away that is)

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune

Arthur Clune said:

(If you care about getting blown away that is)

only by Jack Eason ;-) (actually I got lost on the Elenith and ended up
behind him for a bit)

Hi Arthur - OK some details - Age 53. Do c.2,000 miles a year. Average
speed 16mph. Have done a few mountains in France - Col d'aubisque, Col
du Glandon, Col de la croix de fer (ablbeit all of them at 5mph!) + do
a 100 mile charity bike most years.

Any advice much appreciated - paul

Quoted message said:

Hi Arthur - OK some details - Age 53. Do c.2,000 miles a year. Average
speed 16mph. Have done a few mountains in France - Col d'aubisque, Col
du Glandon, Col de la croix de fer (ablbeit all of them at 5mph!) + do
a 100 mile charity bike most years.

Any advice much appreciated - paul

2000 miles a year? not very many when you are planning to do most of
your monthly average in one ride.

The answer must surely be to start off by riding lots. Then repeat but
faster.

Or to be more succinct. Lots of base miles on anything in all weathers.
So you know that no matter what the conditions or state of fatigue, you
can keep ticking the pedals over and get home. Then when the sun
returns you will ahve a good base to target rides more specifically.
Short rides can be used for strength training, long rides for distance.
If you cna go for the distance at X% of max output then strength
training to improve your max output will increase the speed at which
you cna do that distance.

It also helps to condition the mind to ignoring the fatigue and pain..

...d

Quoted message said:

Hi Arthur - OK some details - Age 53. Do c.2,000 miles a year. Average
speed 16mph. Have done a few mountains in France - Col d'aubisque, Col
du Glandon, Col de la croix de fer (ablbeit all of them at 5mph!) + do
a 100 mile charity bike most years.

Any advice much appreciated - paul

I could prolly not complete l'Etape, and I do about 10-12 100m rides a
year. What other equivalent rides to l'Etape do you do? could you do
all those 3 cols in a day as well as a fast 100km?
Those are the sorts of questions I was asking myself before riding a
French sportive.