Well done to every soul that set foot on this route and has done in the past, It's one of the hardest days on the bike for me and I'm sure multiple others! Although I wasn't entirely happy with the way this video came out because of my mental and physical state during the ride, and meant I couldn't think about making a video and turning the pedals the same time. Nevertheless I hope it brings you some entertainment :)
You say you’re not entirely happy with the video but thought this was a superb edit. I’ll admit that I’m prone to fast forwarding a few videos at times but genuinely followed this one frame by frame. I thoroughly enjoyed the landscape, your commentary and general feel of the race through your lens. Looked a tough one but well done on your achievement!! Another great race to add to the bucket list! 🎉
I love the Marmotte - did it decades ago when there were only 700 at the start rather than the 7000 these days. Last time was on the tandem with my wife, 2009 I think, got round in a minute over 10 hours including a rear wheel flat coming off the Glandon. It was the mixed tandem record at the time, but must have been improved on since. That year we also did the Vaujany the week before, the mid-week time trial and the hill climb of the Alpe d'Huez the day after the Marmotte itself. We finished last in that, in 1h17min, but got some terrific support. 4 times up the Alpe in a week, and the Vaujany went above the Alpe village and over the "sheeptrack" Col that comes back half way down the descent to Bourg d'Oisans. The Marmotte is a great day out on a bike, not really that hard, unless you're aiming for sub 9 hours. The Yorkshire Beast (Velo29) blows the socks off it for one, in terms of wanting to throw your bike in a hedge and take up Golf.
I was one of the people out there in the scorching sun for 9 hrs. Hardest thing I’ve done to date. Your excellent commentary made me feel proud for us all over again. Thanks Ed!
Here's one 65 year old who was just pleased to get to the finish. I'd forgotten my phone, my partner had obviously not heard from me for hours, my accommodation was on the lower stretches of the Alpe, and I'd already decided to drop in and grab my phone. I looked at the couch and it crossed my mind that all I needed to do was sit down and the torment would be over. I obviously looked a state because my partner suggested the same haha! Luckily I was able to banish the demons. Congrats to all who participated, that was brutal.
KUDOS James. I passed our accommodation about half way up and though briefly about popping in for some shade and even jumping under the cold shower! You showed proper mental strength to avoid that sofa!
Proud owner of the Brevet D'Or here...did this sportive 6 times...every time brutal (heat, rain, cold)...your story brought back the emotions of this route...well done!
@Tom I finished 3837th in 11:48. I don't know how I got over the Galibier in that heat let alone AdH. Stopped a lot but never walked. Even more brutal than when I last did it in 2014. Too hot to enjoy the ride, it was just about surviving. Definitely my last time. Caught Covid on the trip too which started the day after so the rest of the week there was a bust!
Perfect description of the mental toll getting up the Galibier takes out of you. The last 10 K after the bridge and first switchback where it hits 10% - I swear French KM’s are 3 times longer than uk ones !
Outstanding piece of work Ed. Your best to date. The forward facing Go Pro with your commentry worked brilliantly. A film full of information and inspiration. For a 'super elite' rider you really relate to us - the other 99.9% - without condescension. Thank you.
That had everything . Stunning landscapes, scary descents and scorched ambitions. As always Ed, you tell as it is. Great commentary, delivered with trademark honesty and humility. There’s a lot to be said for a bit of wind and rain in the valleys don’t you think ?😉👏
Done it twice, 1st in 2013 and the 2nd time in 2015. 2015 was by far the hardest in living memory as it was during a heat wave (if being hotter than normal is even possible), but the route was also different due to a landslide on the decent from the Lauteret. We did the Glandon, Lacet du Monverier, Molland, Croix de Fer and then the Alpe. About 700m more ascent than the regular and a touch more distance, but the key difference was that there was no long decent off the Lauteret to recover. The profile was like sharks teeth...just up and down constantly all day, making it extra punishing. I hope to go back in 2026 at the ripe age of 52 and try again...unfinished business as they say!
Brilliant video Ed! I was out there for 12:32 and the heat was horrendous. Having done it previously in milder temperatures I can confirm that the heat made a huge difference to the scale of the challenge. Despite the huge performance differences between us I absolutely recognised the experience you describe. It is a HUGE test of endurance and I am somewhat relieved to discover that a top athlete such as yourself also found it to be so. Chapeau to all who took part!
Chapeau Ed, to you and all the cyclists who took this challenge on! Watched this vid after enjoying TV coverage of stage 9 of the TDF. That’s what I love about this sport - anyone can take on a challenge with the right attitude and training. Love the realistic presentation of how this felt on the day. Awesome effort. More like this please!!
Funnily enough ‘broken man’ is what I wrote on my strava activity straight after finishing lol. Great video Ed. Everything you said was absolutely spot on about the Marmotte. Brutal event.
Great video and great ride. Ridden it 3 times, finished twice. Breaks peoples souls that slug up the Alpe to finish. Always reminds me of warriors seeing the lads coming into Bourg to tackle the Alpe. Warriors coming back from battle in the high Alps. Battles within theirselves
i came across your video by accident. thanks you so much for it! i enjoyed it and your talking was not too much. 😊 in 1995 i did this myself at the age of 39. now i am retired and i hope to do this marmotte in 2023 at the age of 67. your time was incredible good! i hope to do this in 10 or 11 hours next year. if i succeed i let hou know. thnaks again for this video. greeting from holland
Five minutes after crossing the finish line......"never again".......one week later........"we're going back". Monumental,crazy event. My 34x28 bottom gear was a mistake. Near the top of the Alp an English woman,sat very sensibly in the shade,offered "team work makes the dream work !", I even managed a small chuckle. Fantastic video Sir.
Haha! Love it! I was using a 36-30 smallest gear but it becomes an issue on the last climb when you realise you'll be grinding for a LONG time in the same gear.
It took me 11:48 and it was even hotter than the last time I did it in 2014. When I got to Plan Lachet which was 8km of Galibier to go, I didn't think I was going to finish. Not because I was knackered (I was) but I was convinced I was either going to stop due to heatstroke or sunstroke. I stopped at every km marker from there but only for a short time and eventually managed to get over the Galibier. The heat blast you describe down the valley to Bourg had to be experienced to know what it was like. I stopped every second hairpin on AdH just to drink for a minute and then carried on. Way too hot to be an enjoyable ride. It was just pure survival. By my calcs of the official results there were 4800 entrants and 815 DNFed.
Awesome Ed. Put into words how I was feeling on the Etape du tdf last week. Definitely underestimated the heat and altitude effects. Thanks for putting that video together.
Yes... I was so looking forward to this one. Great how you describe your day on the bike, the highs and the lows, and what it takes to finish this. For me, after conquering the Alpe last year as my main goal after my weightloss, this is my next big target. I'm going to do it, not sure about the timeframe yet. Might be 2 or 3 years, because I really want to get stronger (and a bit lighter) first. Finishing time doesn't even matter to me, just to get to the finish is a real accomplishment, and one of the hardest thing I'll probably ever do on a bike. On a sidenote: that Alpe climb was about the speed I went last year :) Now you know how it felt for me :)
Totally Marco. The stories from the other guys in the chalet really spoke to the feeling of everybody is out there mainly trying to finish, looking after one another and egging you on. So I have no doubt if you dedicate yourself and give yourself the time to prepare then you can slay the beast and make it a great day out
hey Ed ! wonderful video. I've been watching your videos for a while and your climbing performance and it's so nice to see that you're human after all ;) I have done the Marmotte last year, but It was postponed to September because of Covid so we started on wet roads in the cold and finished in the heat [but it wasn't that hot] anyways, you always climb so fast, and seeing that it took you 70 minutes to climb the Alpe that last time, shows how brutal this event is if you don't pace it properly. I think you can do it twice on Zwift in 70 minutes. I'm waiting for the 14/7 to see the pros do a similar course in the TDF. ride on and thanks for posting!
Brilliant view of your day Ed, thanks for sharing. HC as a category is so incredibly broad brush. If a climb is cat 1 or 2 you kind of know what effort you are going to need to produce, but when you compare something like the Galibier from the South to the Galibier from the North it quickly hits home how varied HC can be. HC and F/ing HC with knobs on! Well done, keep up the good work, looking forward to your future ADVENTURES.
Thanks Ed. I have done a climb like the Galavia just grinding out of gears for a hour and a half knowing I still have another 1 up hill after it to finish the mountain and your right it’s a real challenge
Great capture of a great event! What a challenge. Nice commentary also. Captured the marmotte x2...not sure if I have it in me to do again, the galibier is a ruiner!
Awesome video, makes me want to go back to the alps - did the long distance Tri there 2018 where you have to run a half marathon on top of Alp D’Huez after 120k riding with 3500m elevation, so painful but so beautiful. Great insights and commentary as well, keep them coming
Interesting to see your experience. I crashed over a barrier on the Glandon, did the Telegraph ok. Had to stop due to altitude in the last 1km of Galibier. Got cooked between base of Galibier and Alpe. Stopped for 5mins on first bend of Alpe, and a few minutes on the next few bends before limping the rest of the climb to top. Marmotte is hard and I've done Fred Whitton since without issue.
Ed your honesty and passion on this commentary was perfect. You clearly loved this event even though it was extremely challenging. Thank you for putting this out for us all to enjoy 🙌🙌
What have you done to me Ed, a friend spotted me in your Haute Route video passing me in Col del Sarrenne, I quickly commented to you well done you’re flying as you disappeared into the distance. Since watching your video I have the passion back, I said no more Haute Routes and especially the Marmotte, that destroyed me, cramping from a position of feeling good which continued even on descents but managed to complete in Gold medal time for age group, I remember taking many, many weeks to get enjoyment and confidence back in my cycling. But just now maybe another year to take on these challenges. Keep up the great work with your videos, everyone can get encouragement and knowledge from the way you present these updates. Thank you. Neil
thanks for putting this together - i was there , i felt the heat, i stopped many times on the Alpe for a minute or two - was relatively good up to then - for me - overall time was 10:54 inc neutralised parts. it was the hardest thing i've done....and then i did the Etape the following weekend
Great honesty from you chapeau Ed, I did this event in 2015 and had similar temperatures perhaps slightly hotter, hardest day on a bike or sporting event I’ve ever done. Finishing is a win for anyone 👏👏
Most impressive part is doing the drive home on the same day. F that! I remember finishing the Ironman UK and couldn’t even walk to the car. Just fell into a coma for like 12 hrs straight so fair play! 🎉
Awesome video Ed and what a ride! You give an insight into just how tough it actually is that others fail to portray, right down to being brutally honest with no punches pulled and that is inspirational.to all. 😎👌👍
Great video. A bit funny to see because the girl who overtook you on Alpe d'Huez also overtook me on the way up Alpe d'Huez. She was very strong and my whole body was boiling at that moment, it was pure survival. I think I'll come again next year and keep my fingers crossed that it's not quite as hot.
Great video Ed went across the balcony road when I stayed in Auris 3 years ago unbelievable views we drove across it in the car had a sweat on when another car came the other way though.Amazing effort cant congratulate you enough.
Mega effort Ed. Well done on finishing such a monster. Know the feeling of climbing and feeling like I'm going nowhere. Had that on many rides, even flat ones.
Thanks a lot for the video. It is great to experience the ride again! And a lot of recognitions in your words. Although I was beating my expected time above all expectations.
Ed, I've loved watching this. I rode (pretty much) exactly the same route as you in 2008 but blew completely on the Telegraph...cramp in my hamstrings every 100 yards. To this day it was the hardest day of my life 😂☀
What a great video Ed. You captured the event perfectly. I’ve done the event 11 of the last 12 editions (including 2 DNFs). Every year I say never again but keep coming back. This one felt as hot as 2013 but not quite as hot as 2015. Makes it so much harder.
Ouch! That heat, speed and ascent combination was the perfect storm for endurance pain. Im gonna have a lie down in a dark room until the thought of doing this myself goes away.
Great effort Ed. I really appreciate how honest and open you were with the experience. It’s great content making me feel that I was with you watching the footage the whole time. Mega accomplishment finishing the Marmotte! 👊🏻👊🏻💪🏼💪🏼
Greet video and very recognizable performance!I started in the 2nd Wave leading the pack, doing Glandon in 300W, telegraph in 280, but on the Galibier already being squeezed and grilled resulting in barely topping 200. Eventually doing Alpe in exact same 1:10 while zwifting it occasionally easy peasy sub 50. (For me this was me 1st cycling event ever, so still very nice and well performance (149th overall), but really the feeling I could easilily knock off 20 minutes next time.
we are from the UK where the longest continous climb in England is Cragg Vale @7km. When we go out there its a shock to find yourself riding on a 20km climb from the gun in warm and getting hotter weather and trying to keep pace with others who may live out there or are used to riding in those areas. The weather and the climbs are the things that catch us out.
Enjoyed that. Great vid. Looks an amazing event. Would love to do an event like this one day and experience the famous French climbs. Quite mythical for most of us down in the Southern hemisphere as so far away. So I may never get there, but at least through vid's such as yours, get a small idea of what its like and the amazing vista's.
Great video! From the point where you descended from the Lauterat rest stop to the finish, I got to ride that portion in 2011 on the day Andy Schleck won his epic TdF breakaway attack on the Galibier. Going through those tunnels (which were unlit in 2011, iirc) with hundreds of cyclists in front and behind you and no idea if you were about to hit the biggest pothole in France was a harrowing experience. And one of those tunnels collapsed a few years later, btw! That looks like a fantastic event and I’d love to participate in that… in cooler temperatures, lol. You suffered valiantly on our behalf and many thanks; the footage was fantastic as far as I could see. If you ever get the chance, come out to California for the Death Ride (which is in 5 days as I type this); it’s an event with similar climbing (4300 meters), but starts at 1700 meters and goes up and down to about ~2600 meters for 6 climbs. It used to be longer with a little more climbing, but they’ve changed the course and almost all of it is on closed roads for the event now. Pretty nice scenery, but it’s hard to compete with the Alps!
I am actually coaching a guy that just finished the Death Ride with a 25min PB time. The climbing looks amazing out there btw! Thanks for the comment Dan, love to hear stories like this!
I have just returned from a France cycling tour where I joined a supported tour company (Bike Dreams) completing the 100 Cols Route. I rode from Pau in the Pyrenees and we were on a savage routine of 120km/day and 2400m avg elevation. We had previously ridden The Lautaret/Galibier/Telegraphe/ combination from the opposite direction from Briancon and along with all the other big bad boys of the Alps and Pyrenees - it was the hardest and most rewarding cycling I've ever done. After just over 3 weeks, I split off from the group as they headed north through the Jura and the Vosges as I would have felt sick if I came home to Canada without riding Alpe D'Huez. I made it to Bour D'Oisans and did a warm up and headed for the famous climb. The road was slightly blocked off with barriers and police directing traffic. I thought - "I knew it might've been pretty busy on a Sunday - but this is over the top busy!". There were all these cyclists and I just slotted right in and started climbing. It takes awhile, but then it dawns on me - I'm in the middle of some kind of race or something. I feel a little like Forrest Gump - not knowing what's going on around me but just "Ride Stephen Ride". About halfway up I realize its the Marmotte party I've crashed and I must be closer to the front of the race as alot of skinny fast men and women are passing me. At the end, with the barriers and the gantry, spectators are clapping and I sprint for the line. I didn't and couldn't stoop to accept the finishers medal that was offered to me. Super funny to have mistakenly gotten involved with The Gran Fondo. I saw a lot of the zombie cyclists as I descended. I really felt for them. It was a hot and hard climb for me and that was just the Alpe! Congratulations to all who participated and completed the full event!
Great event finished well in 2014 as a 55 yo but the 2015 edition was another animal. The last 3 Kms of the Galibier I knew I was in trouble the heat was relentless. Just could not cool down, the decent to the Alp as you said was just a hot wind so no relief before the final climb. I had to sit in the tent and soak myself before the final assent for about 15mins. I gave it my best shot and after 4 corners I could pedal no more onlookers were pouring water over everybody including myself, I gave in, I was toast and cooked my day was over. If I recall somebody said the early afternoon road temp was 40 degrees. I don't know what it was like later in the day. Thousands did not make it to the top in 2015 because of the brutal heat. Its a great event but be prepared for the Alps afternoon heat as it faces west. Ouch.
Great vlog Ed, keeping it real and gives great insight into what looks a killer event regardless of rider level. How does Marmotte compare to Tour Des Stations, which you completed before? Marmotte looks tougher even with less distance & elevation, or maybe down to the hot conditions?
Good question bud. The thing with the Ultra at TDS is it's much longer and hillier so you can't ride it as hard so it's all relative in a way. In terms of suffering though TDS was the only time I've had to actually stop and have a rest at an event.
I experienced it all the same way as you describe it. It only took me a few hours more to reach the finish line . :-) I have never been so exhausted within the last 40 years as for the last 3 km to the top of the Galibier probably due to height , temperature, gear chosen etc.pp. . Cramps permanently forced me to stretch my legs every 2nd or 3rd km on my way to the top. So, at the moment I am fed up with "The Marmotte" .
After finishing, I went down the Alpe d'Huez by car around 7PM, so after more then 12 hours and there were still hunderds of people going up the Alpe. Such a hard day on the bike!
Takes me back to 2016 when I rode it 6689 finished I was 6688 12 hours 46 .24 a long day but I finished it , never give up . You were lucky you had lights in the tunnels not when I rode it . (I was 60 years old at the time )
Great video and so much infos. I am thinking of doing les marmottes next year. I have started training. But I would like to know how much you need to put in in terms of climbing per week as a bench mark ??? Thank you very much. Pierre
Just be consistent. It's not always the climbing that will get you, but the endurance is the most important. Being able to ride for 8hrs+ and long intervals to simulate the climbs.
Well done to every soul that set foot on this route and has done in the past, It's one of the hardest days on the bike for me and I'm sure multiple others! Although I wasn't entirely happy with the way this video came out because of my mental and physical state during the ride, and meant I couldn't think about making a video and turning the pedals the same time. Nevertheless I hope it brings you some entertainment :)
You say you’re not entirely happy with the video but thought this was a superb edit. I’ll admit that I’m prone to fast forwarding a few videos at times but genuinely followed this one frame by frame. I thoroughly enjoyed the landscape, your commentary and general feel of the race through your lens. Looked a tough one but well done on your achievement!! Another great race to add to the bucket list! 🎉
I love the Marmotte - did it decades ago when there were only 700 at the start rather than the 7000 these days. Last time was on the tandem with my wife, 2009 I think, got round in a minute over 10 hours including a rear wheel flat coming off the Glandon. It was the mixed tandem record at the time, but must have been improved on since. That year we also did the Vaujany the week before, the mid-week time trial and the hill climb of the Alpe d'Huez the day after the Marmotte itself. We finished last in that, in 1h17min, but got some terrific support. 4 times up the Alpe in a week, and the Vaujany went above the Alpe village and over the "sheeptrack" Col that comes back half way down the descent to Bourg d'Oisans. The Marmotte is a great day out on a bike, not really that hard, unless you're aiming for sub 9 hours. The Yorkshire Beast (Velo29) blows the socks off it for one, in terms of wanting to throw your bike in a hedge and take up Golf.
Tandem that's amazing!! Can't really imagine there just being 700 riders! Thanks for sharing your experience, I'd not heard of the Yorkshire Beast!
I was one of the people out there in the scorching sun for 9 hrs. Hardest thing I’ve done to date. Your excellent commentary made me feel proud for us all over again. Thanks Ed!
Wow, thank you, congrats on making it around Daan!
Here's one 65 year old who was just pleased to get to the finish. I'd forgotten my phone, my partner had obviously not heard from me for hours, my accommodation was on the lower stretches of the Alpe, and I'd already decided to drop in and grab my phone. I looked at the couch and it crossed my mind that all I needed to do was sit down and the torment would be over. I obviously looked a state because my partner suggested the same haha! Luckily I was able to banish the demons. Congrats to all who participated, that was brutal.
KUDOS James. I passed our accommodation about half way up and though briefly about popping in for some shade and even jumping under the cold shower! You showed proper mental strength to avoid that sofa!
Proud owner of the Brevet D'Or here...did this sportive 6 times...every time brutal (heat, rain, cold)...your story brought back the emotions of this route...well done!
Oh waw, massive kudos!!
Finished as 3768th in 11 hours. The galibier was savage with the heat, so many people walking it was incredible
You should have my medal too bud, phenomenal ride!
@Tom I finished 3837th in 11:48. I don't know how I got over the Galibier in that heat let alone AdH. Stopped a lot but never walked. Even more brutal than when I last did it in 2014. Too hot to enjoy the ride, it was just about surviving. Definitely my last time. Caught Covid on the trip too which started the day after so the rest of the week there was a bust!
Perfect description of the mental toll getting up the Galibier takes out of you. The last 10 K after the bridge and first switchback where it hits 10% - I swear French KM’s are 3 times longer than uk ones !
TRUTH!
Outstanding piece of work Ed. Your best to date.
The forward facing Go Pro with your commentry worked brilliantly.
A film full of information and inspiration.
For a 'super elite' rider you really relate to us - the other 99.9% - without condescension.
Thank you.
Thank you :)
Great video mate, I did the Ultra, absolute brutality!! 10hrs 30 of pain, that heat 🥵
Good GRIEF!!
That had everything . Stunning landscapes, scary descents and scorched ambitions. As always Ed, you tell as it is. Great commentary, delivered with trademark honesty and humility. There’s a lot to be said for a bit of wind and rain in the valleys don’t you think ?😉👏
Can't beat the valleys!
Done it twice, 1st in 2013 and the 2nd time in 2015. 2015 was by far the hardest in living memory as it was during a heat wave (if being hotter than normal is even possible), but the route was also different due to a landslide on the decent from the Lauteret. We did the Glandon, Lacet du Monverier, Molland, Croix de Fer and then the Alpe. About 700m more ascent than the regular and a touch more distance, but the key difference was that there was no long decent off the Lauteret to recover. The profile was like sharks teeth...just up and down constantly all day, making it extra punishing. I hope to go back in 2026 at the ripe age of 52 and try again...unfinished business as they say!
Don't be too hard on yourself Ed, you've been seriously ill mate, and in those conditions you did really well ✌
Brilliant video Ed!
I was out there for 12:32 and the heat was horrendous. Having done it previously in milder temperatures I can confirm that the heat made a huge difference to the scale of the challenge.
Despite the huge performance differences between us I absolutely recognised the experience you describe. It is a HUGE test of endurance and I am somewhat relieved to discover that a top athlete such as yourself also found it to be so.
Chapeau to all who took part!
Good grief…. Proper climbs that. Well Done, must of been a bucket list experience!
Chapeau Ed, to you and all the cyclists who took this challenge on! Watched this vid after enjoying TV coverage of stage 9 of the TDF. That’s what I love about this sport - anyone can take on a challenge with the right attitude and training. Love the realistic presentation of how this felt on the day. Awesome effort. More like this please!!
Thank you Lorraine! I'll try my best to get out to more events!
Funnily enough ‘broken man’ is what I wrote on my strava activity straight after finishing lol.
Great video Ed. Everything you said was absolutely spot on about the Marmotte. Brutal event.
Great video and great ride. Ridden it 3 times, finished twice. Breaks peoples souls that slug up the Alpe to finish. Always reminds me of warriors seeing the lads coming into Bourg to tackle the Alpe. Warriors coming back from battle in the high Alps. Battles within theirselves
Well said!
i came across your video by accident. thanks you so much for it! i enjoyed it and your talking was not too much. 😊 in 1995 i did this myself at the age of 39. now i am retired and i hope to do this marmotte in 2023 at the age of 67. your time was incredible good! i hope to do this in 10 or 11 hours next year. if i succeed i let hou know. thnaks again for this video. greeting from holland
Hey Jaap, thank you for the comment! I wish you the very best and hope you enjoyed the video enough to make you want to get on the bike😎
Five minutes after crossing the finish line......"never again".......one week later........"we're going back". Monumental,crazy event. My 34x28 bottom gear was a mistake. Near the top of the Alp an English woman,sat very sensibly in the shade,offered "team work makes the dream work !", I even managed a small chuckle. Fantastic video Sir.
Haha! Love it! I was using a 36-30 smallest gear but it becomes an issue on the last climb when you realise you'll be grinding for a LONG time in the same gear.
That film just got you a new subscription! Brilliant!
Ah Thank you!
It took me 11:48 and it was even hotter than the last time I did it in 2014. When I got to Plan Lachet which was 8km of Galibier to go, I didn't think I was going to finish. Not because I was knackered (I was) but I was convinced I was either going to stop due to heatstroke or sunstroke. I stopped at every km marker from there but only for a short time and eventually managed to get over the Galibier. The heat blast you describe down the valley to Bourg had to be experienced to know what it was like.
I stopped every second hairpin on AdH just to drink for a minute and then carried on. Way too hot to be an enjoyable ride. It was just pure survival. By my calcs of the official results there were 4800 entrants and 815 DNFed.
Great to hear your story mate, battling on like that especially late on in the day is tough but gives us hell of a life experience!
Thanks Ed. Great video. Totally agree, it was a very tough day
Chapeau Ed. It's a defo a toughie, especially in that heat. I'm in alpe d'huez right now having done the etape. Brutal 🥵
Mega!! Nice one Andrew!
Cheers mate 😀
If Ed Laverack is climbing for an hour in the smallest gear at 60 rpm you better bet it's damn difficult. Great effort, I am tired just watching it 👍
Awesome Ed. Put into words how I was feeling on the Etape du tdf last week. Definitely underestimated the heat and altitude effects. Thanks for putting that video together.
Thanks Jack, I hope you 'enjoyed' the mountains!
1:08 Welcome to Laverack Land home to Ed😁
25:47 Explains the friendship with Scott now 🤣😂🤣
Cracking Video mate some great footage and explanations 👍
Yes... I was so looking forward to this one. Great how you describe your day on the bike, the highs and the lows, and what it takes to finish this. For me, after conquering the Alpe last year as my main goal after my weightloss, this is my next big target. I'm going to do it, not sure about the timeframe yet. Might be 2 or 3 years, because I really want to get stronger (and a bit lighter) first. Finishing time doesn't even matter to me, just to get to the finish is a real accomplishment, and one of the hardest thing I'll probably ever do on a bike.
On a sidenote: that Alpe climb was about the speed I went last year :) Now you know how it felt for me :)
Totally Marco. The stories from the other guys in the chalet really spoke to the feeling of everybody is out there mainly trying to finish, looking after one another and egging you on. So I have no doubt if you dedicate yourself and give yourself the time to prepare then you can slay the beast and make it a great day out
hey Ed ! wonderful video. I've been watching your videos for a while and your climbing performance and it's so nice to see that you're human after all ;)
I have done the Marmotte last year, but It was postponed to September because of Covid so we started on wet roads in the cold and finished in the heat [but it wasn't that hot]
anyways, you always climb so fast, and seeing that it took you 70 minutes to climb the Alpe that last time, shows how brutal this event is if you don't pace it properly. I think you can do it twice on Zwift in 70 minutes. I'm waiting for the 14/7 to see the pros do a similar course in the TDF. ride on and thanks for posting!
I am human lol. The Tour stage will be awesome up there thats for sure!
Well done !! Today I was on l'étape du tour de France. Similar track but a bit less climb up. Took me 9h18...
Thats a day out, fair play! Rumour has it the Etape route was harder!!
Brilliant view of your day Ed, thanks for sharing. HC as a category is so incredibly broad brush. If a climb is cat 1 or 2 you kind of know what effort you are going to need to produce, but when you compare something like the Galibier from the South to the Galibier from the North it quickly hits home how varied HC can be. HC and F/ing HC with knobs on!
Well done, keep up the good work, looking forward to your future ADVENTURES.
Thanks Ed. I have done a climb like the Galavia just grinding out of gears for a hour and a half knowing I still have another 1 up hill after it to finish the mountain and your right it’s a real challenge
Great capture of a great event! What a challenge. Nice commentary also. Captured the marmotte x2...not sure if I have it in me to do again, the galibier is a ruiner!
The Galibier is indeed, a ruiner!
Awesome video, makes me want to go back to the alps - did the long distance Tri there 2018 where you have to run a half marathon on top of Alp D’Huez after 120k riding with 3500m elevation, so painful but so beautiful. Great insights and commentary as well, keep them coming
Thank you!
Well done Ed, I really enjoy your videos
Interesting to see your experience. I crashed over a barrier on the Glandon, did the Telegraph ok. Had to stop due to altitude in the last 1km of Galibier. Got cooked between base of Galibier and Alpe. Stopped for 5mins on first bend of Alpe, and a few minutes on the next few bends before limping the rest of the climb to top. Marmotte is hard and I've done Fred Whitton since without issue.
Amazing well done enjoyed every minute 🍾🥂👍
Nice video and well done,and hot it was. My Garmin registered 48 degrees Celcius at the Alp.
Oh wow!
Ed your honesty and passion on this commentary was perfect. You clearly loved this event even though it was extremely challenging. Thank you for putting this out for us all to enjoy 🙌🙌
Glad you enjoyed my video Gregg! Thank you!
Great video - Did it with Ade and the AlpCycles crew in 2014 - would love to come back for more!
Entered the ultra, saw all the melted broken people at the finish and decided 5000m and 170km was enough 😄
Oh boy!
What have you done to me Ed, a friend spotted me in your Haute Route video passing me in Col del Sarrenne, I quickly commented to you well done you’re flying as you disappeared into the distance. Since watching your video I have the passion back, I said no more Haute Routes and especially the Marmotte, that destroyed me, cramping from a position of feeling good which continued even on descents but managed to complete in Gold medal time for age group, I remember taking many, many weeks to get enjoyment and confidence back in my cycling. But just now maybe another year to take on these challenges. Keep up the great work with your videos, everyone can get encouragement and knowledge from the way you present these updates. Thank you. Neil
Thank you Neil, love your story here, appreciate your comment wholeheartedly!
thanks for putting this together - i was there , i felt the heat, i stopped many times on the Alpe for a minute or two - was relatively good up to then - for me - overall time was 10:54 inc neutralised parts. it was the hardest thing i've done....and then i did the Etape the following weekend
Damn and the Etape!! Big week!! Mega kudos!
Very nice to mention Phil. ❤Thanks for another great video.
Great honesty from you chapeau Ed, I did this event in 2015 and had similar temperatures perhaps slightly hotter, hardest day on a bike or sporting event I’ve ever done. Finishing is a win for anyone 👏👏
Thanks for sharing and I don't argue with you one bit!
Thanks Ed. Some great advice. Nice video. Best regards Martin
Most impressive part is doing the drive home on the same day. F that! I remember finishing the Ironman UK and couldn’t even walk to the car. Just fell into a coma for like 12 hrs straight so fair play! 🎉
The only person to comment on that :) It was only 5hrs to the hotel but you are right, I would rather have collapsed in bed!
Brought back some mega memories. Well done on finishing
Thank you Neil!
Awesome video Ed and what a ride! You give an insight into just how tough it actually is that others fail to portray, right down to being brutally honest with no punches pulled and that is inspirational.to all. 😎👌👍
The ride might have been brutal but the video was a belter, absolutely one of your best 👌🙂🙌
Appreciate that Mark!
Fabulous vlog Ed. Hats off to all the finishers 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. A bit funny to see because the girl who overtook you on Alpe d'Huez also overtook me on the way up Alpe d'Huez. She was very strong and my whole body was boiling at that moment, it was pure survival. I think I'll come again next year and keep my fingers crossed that it's not quite as hot.
Same here. Think it was very freak weather! Kudos for finishing!!
Same here. Think it was very freak weather! Kudos for finishing!!
Great video Ed went across the balcony road when I stayed in Auris 3 years ago unbelievable views we drove across it in the car had a sweat on when another car came the other way though.Amazing effort cant congratulate you enough.
I can't see me driving on that road lol
Mega effort Ed. Well done on finishing such a monster. Know the feeling of climbing and feeling like I'm going nowhere. Had that on many rides, even flat ones.
Love the video dude. Absolutely stunning
Thanks a ton Karl!
Great video, super hard. The marmite Pyrenees is even harder if you can imagine, great fun 😢
Amazing video, now i what to do The marmotte :)) Thanks for sharing.
100% recommend!
Thanks a lot for the video. It is great to experience the ride again!
And a lot of recognitions in your words. Although I was beating my expected time above all expectations.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome. Well done. I've almost finished it once. Can't imagine what it would be like in torrential rain
Well done, great vid, for sure i'm going to do this too in the near future, while i'm still strong and fit (60 jr now)!!!
And thanks for the tips, must not forget my manners!!!
Ed, I've loved watching this. I rode (pretty much) exactly the same route as you in 2008 but blew completely on the Telegraph...cramp in my hamstrings every 100 yards. To this day it was the hardest day of my life 😂☀
You and me the same, I think many of us can label that as the hardest day on the bike!
Thanks for bringing us along. Hopefully you can return to the event on top form.
I hope so too!
What a great video Ed. You captured the event perfectly. I’ve done the event 11 of the last 12 editions (including 2 DNFs). Every year I say never again but keep coming back. This one felt as hot as 2013 but not quite as hot as 2015. Makes it so much harder.
I was told stories of that edition. Gives me shivers! Fair play that man, 12 editions!!!
Ouch! That heat, speed and ascent combination was the perfect storm for endurance pain. Im gonna have a lie down in a dark room until the thought of doing this myself goes away.
amazing video of an amazing ride! well done!
Glad you enjoyed it
Great effort Ed. I really appreciate how honest and open you were with the experience. It’s great content making me feel that I was with you watching the footage the whole time. Mega accomplishment finishing the Marmotte! 👊🏻👊🏻💪🏼💪🏼
That's very kind!
Well done, Ed!
Great effort ed a nice come back physically but also mentally great for the soul riding out there its phenomenal 👏
Cool video Ed, sounds very motivating!!
Very well done Ed 👍
Greet video and very recognizable performance!I started in the 2nd Wave leading the pack, doing Glandon in 300W, telegraph in 280, but on the Galibier already being squeezed and grilled resulting in barely topping 200. Eventually doing Alpe in exact same 1:10 while zwifting it occasionally easy peasy sub 50. (For me this was me 1st cycling event ever, so still very nice and well performance (149th overall), but really the feeling I could easilily knock off 20 minutes next time.
Same here! Incredible what the weather did that day. Losing 100w can easily happen on a day like that
Thanks for sharing your experience and all the tips, Ed 🙌
My pleasure!
I have signed up for the 2023 edition and have been training since Oct 😄
My goal is just finishing it, ideally without stopping at any climb
Great effort, Ed. 😁👍🚴🏻♂️
we are from the UK where the longest continous climb in England is Cragg Vale @7km. When we go out there its a shock to find yourself riding on a 20km climb from the gun in warm and getting hotter weather and trying to keep pace with others who may live out there or are used to riding in those areas. The weather and the climbs are the things that catch us out.
Incredible effort Ed, especially in that heat 👏
Thank you G!
Great insight! I'll be there all next week riding those climbs! Get healthy.
ENJOY!
What an awesome event ! Great video
Galibier was a true pain this year. The heat was unbearable.
Was good with the long descend, to get my shit together for the Alpe :D
Agreed lol!
Enjoyed that. Great vid. Looks an amazing event. Would love to do an event like this one day and experience the famous French climbs. Quite mythical for most of us down in the Southern hemisphere as so far away. So I may never get there, but at least through vid's such as yours, get a small idea of what its like and the amazing vista's.
You should! I met someone from Singapore and Sri Lanka that had come for 3 days just for this event!
Great stuff Ed, we’ll done
Cheers Daryl!
Great video! From the point where you descended from the Lauterat rest stop to the finish, I got to ride that portion in 2011 on the day Andy Schleck won his epic TdF breakaway attack on the Galibier. Going through those tunnels (which were unlit in 2011, iirc) with hundreds of cyclists in front and behind you and no idea if you were about to hit the biggest pothole in France was a harrowing experience. And one of those tunnels collapsed a few years later, btw! That looks like a fantastic event and I’d love to participate in that… in cooler temperatures, lol. You suffered valiantly on our behalf and many thanks; the footage was fantastic as far as I could see.
If you ever get the chance, come out to California for the Death Ride (which is in 5 days as I type this); it’s an event with similar climbing (4300 meters), but starts at 1700 meters and goes up and down to about ~2600 meters for 6 climbs. It used to be longer with a little more climbing, but they’ve changed the course and almost all of it is on closed roads for the event now. Pretty nice scenery, but it’s hard to compete with the Alps!
I am actually coaching a guy that just finished the Death Ride with a 25min PB time. The climbing looks amazing out there btw! Thanks for the comment Dan, love to hear stories like this!
You've convinced me to dip my hand in at next years Marmotte via Alpcycles - training starts now :)
Woohoo!! Good stuff! They tell me you are a frequent user of the AlpCycles service!
@@edlaverack did one of their big cols weeks back in 2018! Was on the fence about doing the marmotte but saw your vid and thought it must be a sign 😂
I have just returned from a France cycling tour where I joined a supported tour company (Bike Dreams) completing the 100 Cols Route. I rode from Pau in the Pyrenees and we were on a savage routine of 120km/day and 2400m avg elevation. We had previously ridden The Lautaret/Galibier/Telegraphe/ combination from the opposite direction from Briancon and along with all the other big bad boys of the Alps and Pyrenees - it was the hardest and most rewarding cycling I've ever done. After just over 3 weeks, I split off from the group as they headed north through the Jura and the Vosges as I would have felt sick if I came home to Canada without riding Alpe D'Huez. I made it to Bour D'Oisans and did a warm up and headed for the famous climb. The road was slightly blocked off with barriers and police directing traffic. I thought - "I knew it might've been pretty busy on a Sunday - but this is over the top busy!". There were all these cyclists and I just slotted right in and started climbing. It takes awhile, but then it dawns on me - I'm in the middle of some kind of race or something. I feel a little like Forrest Gump - not knowing what's going on around me but just "Ride Stephen Ride". About halfway up I realize its the Marmotte party I've crashed and I must be closer to the front of the race as alot of skinny fast men and women are passing me. At the end, with the barriers and the gantry, spectators are clapping and I sprint for the line. I didn't and couldn't stoop to accept the finishers medal that was offered to me. Super funny to have mistakenly gotten involved with The Gran Fondo. I saw a lot of the zombie cyclists as I descended. I really felt for them. It was a hot and hard climb for me and that was just the Alpe! Congratulations to all who participated and completed the full event!
"Ride Stephen Ride"
Great video, and great effort 👏👏👏
Thank you! 😃
Great event finished well in 2014 as a 55 yo but the 2015 edition was another animal. The last 3 Kms of the Galibier I knew I was in trouble the heat was relentless. Just could not cool down, the decent to the Alp as you said was just a hot wind so no relief before the final climb. I had to sit in the tent and soak myself before the final assent for about 15mins. I gave it my best shot and after 4 corners I could pedal no more onlookers were pouring water over everybody including myself, I gave in, I was toast and cooked my day was over. If I recall somebody said the early afternoon road temp was 40 degrees. I don't know what it was like later in the day. Thousands did not make it to the top in 2015 because of the brutal heat. Its a great event but be prepared for the Alps afternoon heat as it faces west. Ouch.
The descent of the galibier---lauteret i think its called is ridiculous 😊.
Nice vid to prepare ourselves! Planning it for 2023! Question about the light: do you have the model? Not sure to identify which one it is. Thanks!
The light is actually a free one they give out at the event.
Fantastic video enough said
Much appreciated
Great video!
Great vlog Ed, keeping it real and gives great insight into what looks a killer event regardless of rider level. How does Marmotte compare to Tour Des Stations, which you completed before? Marmotte looks tougher even with less distance & elevation, or maybe down to the hot conditions?
Good question bud. The thing with the Ultra at TDS is it's much longer and hillier so you can't ride it as hard so it's all relative in a way. In terms of suffering though TDS was the only time I've had to actually stop and have a rest at an event.
Nice video mate
Glad you enjoyed it
Do Jotunheimen Rundt in Norrway!
I experienced it all the same way as you describe it. It only took me a few hours more to reach the finish line . :-) I have never been so exhausted within the last 40 years as for the last 3 km to the top of the Galibier probably due to height , temperature, gear chosen etc.pp. . Cramps permanently forced me to stretch my legs every 2nd or 3rd km on my way to the top.
So, at the moment I am fed up with "The Marmotte" .
Thats some effort that, fair play! MEGA KUDOS!
I love the galibier what a climb
36x32 is not a bad gear. However 34x32 is very nice for those climbs. MANY peeps go out to hard to early! Gotta set a wattage and hold to it.
Great video, excellent commentary. More of the same please, maybe the Maratona dles Dolomites next year?
Possibly! THank you for commenting and I'll try and get an entry in for that next year!
After finishing, I went down the Alpe d'Huez by car around 7PM, so after more then 12 hours and there were still hunderds of people going up the Alpe. Such a hard day on the bike!
Crazy scenes!
Well done Ed, it was brutal I manage to crawl round in 10.52. How come your results comes up as DNF, my mate was the same and he like you finished it?
Not a clue to be honest Paul, you can clearly see I crossed the finish line lol
Takes me back to 2016 when I rode it 6689 finished I was 6688 12 hours 46 .24 a long day but I finished it , never give up . You were lucky you had lights in the tunnels not when I rode it . (I was 60 years old at the time )
Never give up is right, thank you for sharing, amazing effort and story
Great video and so much infos. I am thinking of doing les marmottes next year. I have started training. But I would like to know how much you need to put in in terms of climbing per week as a bench mark ??? Thank you very much. Pierre
Just be consistent. It's not always the climbing that will get you, but the endurance is the most important. Being able to ride for 8hrs+ and long intervals to simulate the climbs.
So the roads are not closed?? You should do L'Etape.