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Afvallen: To lose weight One kilogram weight loss makes you go faster for about 1% on a mountain with a gradient of 5%. The steeper the mountain, the more Newton’s laws and his friends (gravity!) play a role. As an indication: on a mountain with a 10% gradient, one kilogram weight loss produces a time-saving of 1 kilometer per hour.

Do make an effort to lose weight, but moderate and direct the way how! A heavier cyclist often seems to climb slower than a lighter one, but that only is partially true. The power a cyclist can deliver indeed is directly related to bodyweight, however only at an unchanged fat percentage. In general he then has thicker en larger muscles. So pay attention: the more muscle mass the more power; more fat doesn’t mean more power, it only means ballast.

Bourg d’Oisans Bourg d’Oisans is a little village in the Oisans-region in the Grenoble district, on the route from Grenoble to Briancon. It is surrounded by several well known mountains, you probably know from the Tour de France. It is located at the base of the Alpe d’Huez. To the west the N91 and the D526 lead you to the Col du Glandon/Col de la Croix de Fer. In southern direction lies the Col d'Ornon, and to the east the busy N91 leads to La Bérarde, Les Deux-Alpes and Col du Lauteret/Col du Galibier.

On the first Saturday of July it’s all starting from here: Bourg d’Oisans is the starting place of the Marmotte. Take into account that, although the temperature is comfortable in July, it can get cold on height. It also rains quite regularly, meaning chance of snow the higher you go.

Cadans: cadence It is merely utopia to think you can overcome giants like the Glandon, the Telegraphe, the Galibier and the Alpe d’Huez, with your low-lands little resistance, and this even at one day, unless your name is Lance Armstrong or Marco Pantani.

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Hence the advice to equip your bike with a compact or a triple. See deze pagina op MarmotteCyclo.NL and further on at the character ‘T’ for more information regarding this topic. It is important to get into a nice rhythm quite soon; you’ll have to find the right cadence. For many climbers this means approximately 10 revolutions per minute less than on the flat, which results in about 70-80 rpm. The power climbers among us may take on 60-70 rpm.

Duurvermogen: endurance The fundament of each training period should consist of endurance training. This provides in build-up endurance and improvement of the ability to recover as well: the following training incentive can be given sooner and with more intensity. An endurance training should be executed on about 65-75% of your maximum heart rate.

Endurance is no more than the ability to maintain your starting performance for a longer period. Endurance can be improved by exercise in many and long training sessions, meaning for 2 hours or longer. In the early phase of your preparation you will carry out many d1 training sessions (extensive, quiet endurance training), that further on in the season gradually interchange with d2 training sessions, giving a training incentive that makes the maximum performance level approachable. After this you can optimize by even more intensive incentives, that finally should lead to the ultimate shape on M-Day.

Eten en drinken: food and drink Good nutrition is very important; among triathletes nutrition is called the fourth part not without reason! Eat at the latest 1.5 till 3 hours (personal!) prior to your heavy training or race, and provide yourself with easily digestible food like white sandwiches with marmelade. Make sure that, during the heavy training or race, you take in the maximum of 60-80 gram carbohydrates per hour, by sports drink, gel or bars, to keep up your performance level. Preferably drink 1 large bidon per hour and also do not forget to drink a lot the day before the race. After finishing your training or race it is important to complement with carbohydrates as soon as possible; at this time your body will pick them up easily.

Fiets: Bike In the choice of a bike it is of utmost importance to pick the right size: this concerns frame size, width of the steering wheel, length of the steering pens, saddle adjustment and so on. Besides this it is important to decide how much money to spend. For a beginner it may be a good decision to consider a used bike. However, in the correct size and well fitted. Beneath a body weight of 80 kg often is chosen for a carbon or aliminum frame, above 80 kg steel or titanium. Also relevant are the wheels (stiffness) , with which group the final assembly takes place, and whether it will be Shimano or maybe Campagnolo.

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Last but not least one has to choose for the right gears: later on in the mountains these will determine whether you can carry on your ride or have to walk. Hundreds of pages have already been filled with the answer to the question: compact or triple?; see onze website. It remains a matter of feeling and moreover depending on degree of training, experience, does one climb on power or flexibility, and so on.

Goud: gold The ultimate dream of many cyclo riders is to achieve gold in the Marmotte. What does this actually mean? All the contestants of the Marmotte are categorized in groups, depending on various criteria among which gender and age are the main. These categories ensure that anyone can battle on his or her own level to achieve the highest attainable: the brevet d’or. On the basis of finishing time and the other criteria, each rider receives a golden, silver or brass diploma. For example a man aged between 18-29 may take slightly less than 8 hours to complete his race for gold. While a woman in the category above 50 years gets gold with a finishing time just under 10 hours. The ones that do not make it to the finish line, but do reach the Alpe d’Huez, are rewarded with the diploma Marmotton.

Hongerklop: hunger knock: “the knock” Acute form of hunger due to lack of carbohydrates in the body. Everyone knows those images during the Tour de France of a cyclist who suddenly cannot go any further. Or those of a marathon runner who ‘gets hit by the man with the hammer’ after 33 kilometers. This phenomenon is often caused by eating and drinking too little in relation to the effort one delivers. To prevent ‘the knock’ during the Marmotte one has to appear at the start fully loaded with carbohydrates. So fuel up with carbohydrates, meaning eating lots of pasta. During the race make sure from the beginning, you do not only burn carbohydrates but also burn fats. How? By preparing yourself with long slow training sessions in order to train your fat burning. Also keep in mind; do not start too fast and keep eating (gels, bars) and drinking (carbohydrate drink) on the go.

Indoorfietsen; indoor cycling In the cold northern winters it is no fun to conquer the elements and look up the fresh air. Although the knucklebones among us will cry out nothing beats a ride through the cold and rain. Consider training inside; either on the hometrainer, or on the Tacx. If only for not to catch a cold! De Tacx is a device that’s worth talking about. Put your bike in a kind of standard and start pedaling, that’s it. In the year 2000 computer electronics were first connected to this training device. Information such as cadence, heart rate, speed and power appear on your screen, while competing with your “friends” around the world via the computer, or riding virtual courses like The Tour of Flanders and the mountains of the Marmotte.

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In your garage or attic you can conquer the Alpe d’Huez, while watching the course and all the relevant information on your screen. A nice way to spend some time on a cold Sunday morning!

Jonge deelnemers: young participants It is an unfortunate fact that few young participants appear in a ride like the Marmotte. Although opinions vary about how (un)healthy it would be under a certain age. Not only in cycling, even in other much effort demanding endurance sports, most participants are 30 years or older. For example in running and the pre-eminent endurance sport the triathlon, one notices that specifically the veteran categories become more and more popular, while the younger age categories show little growth. On the one hand understandable, given the fact that young people exercise sports less and the Marmotte requires a lot of discipline and effort. On the other hand it is a pity, given the many possibilities long distance cycling has to offer everyone, regardless age. To challenge yourself, struggling on a rough mountain, facing the elements of nature. Probably some mental and physical hardness is required to handle it all, let’s keep it at that.

Kampioenen van de Marmotte: champions of the Marmotte After the early years with some French and Belgian winners, several Italians have followed the succes of Laurens ten Dam. In 2009 Bert Dekker again succeeded after his victories of 1997, 1999 and 2002. In 2010 and 2011 Michel Snel won the title, a dutchman who runs the sport hotel Le Gros Chêne in the Vosges, and who represents the Veltec team Granfondo.

The honor roll of ‘La Marmotte’ mentions more famous names. In 1992 Laurent Brochard won La Marmotte being a cycling tourist; five years later he had become world champion of the professionals. Also his compatriot Patrice Halgand once triumphed at the Alpe d’Huez to become a professional not much later. And finally the Dutchman Laurens Ten Dam won La Marmotte in 2003, watched by the teamleader of Bankgiro-loterij. He then signed his first contract and has been of value for the team of Rabobank for several years now.

Longinhoud: lung capacity When cyclists talk about lung capacity, they almost always mean the VO2max. VO2max stands for the maximum amount of oxygen which can be used up by the body during physical activity. The higher the rate of your VO2max, the bigger your engine. However this doesn’t mean you’re a bad cyclist when your VO2max is low, nor that a high VO2max automatically means that you already can count on flowers at the finish. Therefore also character, the right way of training, tactics, etc. play a role. As well as the tipping point: the extent to which your body is capable to ride as long as possible without creating too much lactic acid. That is to say: to hold off acidification as long as possible plays a significant role. By the way this is well trainable!

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Marmotte / Marmotton The organization determines the color of your diploma based on finishing time and the category in which you started (gender, age). One distinguishes the brevet d’or (gold), the brevet d’argent (silver) and the brevet de bronze (brass).

However, reaching the finish line is not for everyone to play. Therefore another diploma was created to fall back on, so in general no one has to go home empty handed. The ones who report and unsubscribe themselves at the last refuelling post, on the base of the Alpe d’Huez, receive the diploma Marmotton as proof of passing 161 km in the mountains.

Nederlandse deelnemers: Dutch participants Each year quite a few Dutch find themselves at the start of the Marmotte. They subscribed individually or via the large organizations like Cyclotours and Alpe d’Huezreizen. In the year 2011 up to 7000 participants were ready to start. After formatting the results it was shown that more than 1300 Dutch completed the Marmotte. And not only to have a cool ride in the Group; for the last 3 years the winner has been a Dutchman.

Overtraindheid: overtraining Because most athletes train so many times with great intensity, they often balance on the edge of their capability. In training, the aim is to bring the body out of balance for a while, to disturb. Meant to activate several recovery processes, intended to get stronger in time. However, when taking too little rest (during sports, but also night rest en working stress play a role) and going on and on, despite the signals your body, you can get overtrained. This is often expressed by decreased performance, a general feeling of discomfort, less desire to train, and sleeping problems. The best remedy against overtraining is rest, or in any case a period of less or less intens training. And that’s just the advice an athlete does not want to hear…

PSI PSI stands for pound-force per square inch, or: what about tire pressure? Although the maximum tire pressure often is stated on the tire, it is nevertheless dependent on which type of rider you are, on which kind of tires you use and of course, on your personal preference. For instance a narrow tire can be inflated harder than a wider tire. The ones who often go on beautiful roads at maximum speed, will often see a pressure of eight bar on the pressure gauge. A recreational biker on the other hand, who likes a bit more comfort, will often settle for 7 or 7,5 bar so he doesn’t find himself bouncing on his bike. As often: there’s no such thing as one truth. Let practice show what works for you.

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Quality time Participating and especially preparing for an event like the Marmotte requires not only a lot of yourself, but also of your surroundings. Your bike has become part of the family and with a minimum of three, and for many even four till six times a week, you and your bike our are going out for a long trip together. And that’s not all; the equipment has to be taken care of, clothes have to be washed, pasta needs to be cooked and served, and then, after a few hours of being the hero on the road you fall asleep on the couch for the rest of the afternoon. Sounds familiar…?

So don’t forget your family and friends are also making an effort to have you reach your goals. Make sure you return a favour every now and then, spend time with them and do make that phone call. Devote some special time to your partner to keep up the good relationship! This prevents you for becoming narrow-minded and ensures for a fresh look. You’ll be surprised you need it. Enjoy riding in the right perspective!

Ravitaillering: refueling During a long cycling race like the Marmotte, eating and drinking is inevitable. Even though almost all participants have their bidons filled up at the start and pockets stuffed with gels and bars, after a few hours cycling it is necessary to refuel. The organization has appointed a number of locations where bidons can be refilled and some food is distributed. These refuelling posts are at 38 kilometer (Col du Glandon), at 96 kilometer near Valloire, at the summit of the Galibier and finally in Bourg d’Oisans at 160 kilometer. It is however questionable how much you can get hold of in the crowd. Therefore it can be useful to make use of the information above and locate your own helpers somewhere in between. For the exact locations of the refuelling posts see: routekaart van de Marmotte.

Supporters: supporters Important factor, as well during as in the months prior to the big day. Arrange to have your supporters located on strategic spots along the route. In this way you do not only get handed food and drinks, you can also get a nudge in the back, literally or by encouragements. Agree on time where and when you can await your supporters (spot, on the left of right side). And help them planning in advance how to get from one point to another, as it will be next to impossible to enter the route by car. Look for available alternatives to cut off some parts of the trail.

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Triple of compact: triple or compact There used to be no choice at all between double, triple or compact. Being a rider from a little flat country you simply made the best out of it once you were in the Alpes. With the rise of the mountainbike a new phenomenon was introduced: the triple. Meaning that three gear wheels have been installed to the crank instead of two, which used to be the case. One often chooses for 30/42/52. Since the beginning of the nineties there has also been a variant with two additional gear wheels, in which the advantages of the triple and the double are tried to be combined: the compact. In this variant the smallest gear is much smaller than used to be in the double. A combination of 34/50 is usual chosen. Drawbacks of the triple are the wider crank (knees further apart), the need for new gear shifters and the greater chance of a positioning error of the chain. Benefit is being able to drive with a smaller gear. The final choice will depend on gradient, power and cadence.

Uitrusten: to rest For many riders it is nearly a dirty word; rest. However, during training rest is essential. Increase of performance to a large extent depends on the balance between exertion and relaxation, in other words between training and rest. I will only explain the physical side and drop the psychosocial and social factors (desire to train, worries about money/work, relationship). Recovery after strain is crucial for being able to perform to your max the following training. During a long or intense training various forms of muscle damage occur; these are only to be recovered by (active) rest. The body needs such a recovery period in order to perform better; the so called super compensation occurs. This contains the ability of the body to recover after an incentive, back to the level prior to the incentive, and preferably slightly above. So make sure you interchange long intensive training sessions with slightly shorter ones, and have intense periods be followed by quieter ones, to ease your body and to allow the recovery processes to do their job. Less is more…!

Vuilnis: garbage Garbage is a major problem in all races and games, but especially in a mass event like the Marmotte. In 2010 a truckload of garbage was delivered at the headquarters of the Marmotte, on the Monday after the event. The garbage had been left behind by the riders during the descent of the Glandon. Without any intention to be a moralist: clean up your mess! Not only for the environment, but also for keeping the roads passable for those who follow. And if there aren’t any dustbins nearby, keep your trash in your shirt for a while!

Waaierrijden: echelon A echelon is a group of cyclists who ride in an angle, one after the other, in order to reduce wind resistance as much as possible. The front riders function as a windscreen for the ones behind.

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The more the wind comes from upfront, the more they ride behind each other; the more the wind comes from the side, the more the riders choose position next to each other. From tactical point of view, it is sensible to choose position in such an echelon in the flat parts of the route. Parts like after the descent of the Glandon and between the Galibier and the base of the Alpe d’Huez. Like Hennie Kuiper said beautifully: “Cycling means first eating the meal of your opponent, before eating yours”. So save your strengths.

X-socks The relevance of good clothing is well known. Ventilating shirts and cycling shorts, light weight wind jackets, water resistant and windproof, are of general use in the platoon. Often neglected are the socks. They do not only have to be flashy, but also comfortable. X-socks has launched some models particularly light weight and also low-cut. The light weight finishing results into a optimum contact of the foot, through the shoe, with the pedal. It provides for good control and a maximum power transmission to the pedals. In addition, the pressure points are reduced as much as possible in the areas where shocks and friction are most frequent and intense. The warmth- and cold regulating materials, and the so called air ventilation system, provide for dryness and comfort in your shoes.

Yoghurt en herstelmiddelen: Yoghurt and other recovery products After a heavy training, it is of the upmost importance to take care of recovery, by means of a recovery-drink that contains proteins. Yoghurt or quark are consumed often directly after training. These products will get you ready for your next training faster and better equiped. Also after having passed the finish line you have to take care of your moisture and energy. Even if you have other things on your mind… Recovery drink, containing a lot of proteïns, is the designated product to drink during the euphoria of the finish, to have you function as flexible as possible the day after. Also yoghurt, quark and/or pasta are the designated nutrition, after the finish.

Zadelpijn: saddle pain For many who sit on the bike regularly, saddle pain is a problem. The phenomenon appears in various forms. For instance, by pressure on the perineum (area between scrotum and anus) the nerves and blood vessels in this area are being closed. This causes complaints like insensibility and even erectile dysfunction. This can be prevented by changing position regularly, and by buying a good saddle. One that is shaped in order to have the seat bones absorb the pressure. In case of long cycling tours, lots of sweating, or in bad weather, when the shorts get wet, little skin wounds can arise. These can lead to sebaceous gland blockages, sweat gland blockages, urinary tract infections or other diseases. To prevent saddle pain as much as possible you can do the following: pick a good saddle, good cycling shorts with good shammy and wash it carefully after each ride.

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