Table of contents
Overview
La Marmotte 2010 Tour Highlights
- Challenge yourself on the toughest cyclosportive in France
- Ride the Glandon, Col du Telegraphe, Galibier and L’Alpe d’Huez in 1 day!
- Acclimate and train in the French Alps
- Entry into La Marmotte race (event is already sold-out)
- Private aid station on day of event
- Private shuttle to Event Expo
- Stay in beautiful mountain chalet for entire week
Save your spot now with our simple online registration.
Ride Strong Bike Tours is an Official Tour Operator of La Marmotte Event.
Billed as ‘the toughest one day amateur cycling event in the world’, La Marmotte is a 174 km (108 miles) loop covering nearly 16,500 feet of climbing over the most monsterous (and scenic) peaks in the French Alps.
The course departs every July from Bourg d’Oisans looping clockwise over the Col du Glandon, traversing a chunk of flat road in the Maurienne Valley before the long and fabled ascent of the Telegraphe and hors categorie, Col du Galibier. From the summit of the Galibier you can catch your breath and take in some fuel on a nearly 45 km section of downhill back to the base of L’Alpe d’Huez. From here, it’s a mere 13.8 km to the finish!
Our Marmotte week is designed to prepare you physically and strategically for the event. We’ll spend the first 3 days of our week together on vehicle supported rides training on La Marmotte course. Our resident French Alps expert will conduct short informal talks about race strategy, mental preparation and nutrition. We’ll get you situated at race registration and discuss more details of the course over lunch. Event day we’ll have a short 15 minute shuttle to the start and be on the course to support you with a special Ride Strong Bike Tours refueling stop.
Check out the best video we’ve found of La Marmotte taken by local resident, awesome rider and owner of grenoblecycling.com.
Marmotte 2009 from Russell Standring on Vimeo.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival Day in Grenoble.
Most riders will arrive to the Grenoble train station via the Lyon airport, Geneva airport or Paris. Your guides will meet you in Grenoble for a short transfer to our beautiful chalet on the northern slopes of L’Alpe d’Huez where you can unpack for the entire trip. There’s a short orientation before dinner with an overview of the week. Our resident La Marmotte expert will give a brief overview of the race. Note: Shuttles from the Lyon or Geneva airport direct to the chalet are available for an additional 80 euro/person (minimum 2 people).
Days 2, 3 & 4 – Training Rides in French Alps.
We’ll spend the next three days on SAG supported rides of various portions of La Marmotte route. Having familiarity with the course, climbs and, more importantly, perhaps, descents has proven to be a tremendous benefit to our riders in years past.
Days 5 & 6 - Rides and Race Registration.
For Thursday and Friday, you can opt to rest, massage and/or we have two shorter, easier rides planned along the valley floor. Registration activities start early on top of l’Alpe d’Huez Friday. It’s always an event with a fun expo, farmers market and thousands of anxious cyclists buzzing around. You’ll have plenty of time to buy all the jerseys and other cycling souvenirs.
Day 7 – La Marmotte Challenge!
It’s time to roll! 174 km; 16,400 feet elevation gain in one day! By now you’ll know the stats and all the cols: Col du Glandon; Col du Telegraphe; Col du Galibier and the legendary L’Alpe d’Huez. We’ll wake early for a special breakfast and shuttle you to the start line with plenty of time before the 7:00 a.m. start. Bon courage!
Day 8 – Homeward Bound.
After breakfast we’ll shuttle back to Grenoble train station for your connections home. There are direct trains to Lyon airport from here. If you’d like to spend a few extra days relaxing or doing more riding (hard to imagine), we’ll be happy to recommend hotels in the area or extend your trip to Mt. Ventoux!
Details
Our La Marmotte 2010 Trip Includes
- Services of two or more of our smiling domestiques (i.e. guides) equipped with cell phone;
- 7 nights accommodation in our mountain chalet;
- Breakfast daily (except arrival day) and 6 dinners;
- Energy snacks and hydration for daily training rides;
- Marmotte Entry fee;
- Private Ride Strong aid station on the course;
- Q&A sessions with a local coach about La Marmotte
- Luggage transfer and ride support;
- Cycling route maps, distances and col profiles; and
- Ride Strong Travel Planner
Travel and Bikes
- You are responsible for travel expenses to and from the arrival point and departure city;
- You should bring your own bike and helmet. If you really need to rent, let us know and we’ll arrange for a rental at an additional fee;
- Passports are needed for all international tours.
Travel Insurance & Cancellations
Ride Strong Bike Tours strongly recommends purchasing peace of mind travel insurance for unexpected trip cancellations or any necessary medical insurance covering you during international travel. We’ll provide you with information about insurance plans upon receipt of your completed registration form and deposit. Please also see our Terms and Cancellation Policy. Ride Strong Bike Tours reserves the right to make modifications to hotels, dates, routes or tour pending confirmation of our hotels and registrations. We will notify you of any material modifications at our earliest possible convenience. Ride Strong Bike Tours also reserves the right to cancel a tour in the unlikely event of insufficient registrations, inclement weather, wars or other matters outside of our control.
Book this Tour
Book this Tour Now!
Registering for a Ride Strong bike tour is simple and secure. To make a booking for one of our cycling tours, please complete our online registration form. Your booking will be confirmed by email. Alternatively, you can go to our printer-friendly online registration form, print off the page and fax it to us. For any questions with your registration, please contact us at info@ridestrongbiketours.com. A single registration form may be used for up to four riders paying together with one credit card and with the same mailing address.
