Sun June 28 to Sun July 5 2009

It's over 20 years since the first Marmotte Cyclosportive was held and it is still regarded as the hardest of them all. is With 5000m of climbing over 174 km (110 miles) course that takes you from Bourg d’Oisans, climbs the Col de Glandon, descends into the Maurienne Valley, climbs the Col de la Telegraph, then the Col de Galibier, drops down to the Col de Lauteret, then down to Bourg d’Oisans and, just for the hell of it, climbs up to Alpe d’Huez for the finish. If you can't face the climb to Alpe d'Huez you can finish in Bourg d'Oisans and given a time for the 'Marmotton'. But as our accommodation is located at the top of the hill there's no point in stopping there.

In the UK the Etape du Tour has had overkill coverage in the media and the Marmotte is run in a similar fashion except that the roads are not closed to traffic. The standard is fairly high at the front with many top amateurs and budding pros taking part. The rest of the field of about 5000 consists mostly of Dutch cyclists and increasing numbers of British cyclists. The winner finishes in about 6 hours whilst the last takes about 14hrs. And there are sag wagons for those who drop out. Food and water stations are positioned at strategic places along the route.

The Itinerary

The ordeal starts in the Vercors National Park where the climbs are long but nicely graded. The purpose of the first three days is to ride at a relaxed pace and get used to climbing for an hour or so and get some confidence on the winding alpine style roads. It also helps you acclimatise to the summer temperatures.

The rides on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday explore the gorges of the Vercors and include the Gorges du Nan which is a 1000m climb in 13km which more or less the equivalent to Alpe d'Huez.

On the Thursday morning we transfer to Alpe d’Huez to stay in accomodation close to the finish of the Marmotte. On the Friday we register for the Marmotte, relax, have a relaxing lunch at our favourite pizzeria and generally faff around.

How fit do you need to be?

You really need to have a good level of fitness for this one and be a competent descender. Unlike many of the other cyclosportives there's no easy circuit that you can opt for. It's all or nothing, which all adds the stress of it. Gearing-wise a 39x26 is recommended for good climbers otherwise a compact with 34/50 chainrings or a triple with a 12-25 cassette, or more depending on your climbing proess.

Not only is it a tough circuit but the weather (notably in 2001 and 2002) can be horrendous with freezing rain, snow, thunder and blustery winds to cope with. If it's clear skies, then temperatures might be below freezing first thing in the morning then climb to over 35c on the climbs later in the day. In 2007 it reached 39c at 3pm on Alpe d'Huez.

In other words, it's not an event to be taken lightly and requires commitment and dedication to a suitable training programme.

Price : £660

Includes: 7 nights dinner, bed and breakfast (based on two people sharing), transfer to Alpe d'Huez on the Thursday, route maps, local information and training advice. Marmotte entry fee and a 10 euros refundable deposit for your timing chip. NB PLease note that you will be required to supply a medical certificate for the entry to the Marmotte.

Supplements:
Private room for 7 nights: £230
Transfers: Grenoble airport £40. Lyon airport £60.

Joining the Tour

You can fly by Ryanair to Grenoble or take the train to Grenoble or Valence. There are also BA flights from London Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham to Lyon and Easyjet from Stansted to Lyon.

For more detailed info see Gastrobiking travel section .

From outside Europe it’s best to fly to Paris then take the train.