Team Dave Enter La Marmotte 2013!

Recovery and Base Training

With the snow falling it's time to reflect on the 2012 cycling season. The first year on the bikes involved some serious challenges, culminating in the Exmoor Beast 100 miler with over 2,500 meters of climbing over the moors. This one really lived up to it's reputation and with the lashing rain pretty much throughout the entire event, it was just a question of getting to the end rather than enjoying any scenery (which would have been glorious on a sunny day) . However, the mission was accomplished and the Exmoor Beast glass tankard now stands proudly in the drinks cabinet as a reminder of this EXTREMELY TOUGH cycling challenge!

Upwards and Upwards - La Marmotte 2013

La Marmotte is an event held in the French Alps involving cycling up mountains equivalent to 2/3rds of Mount Everest...in a single day!! 

For some strange reason someone suggested we raise the bar to a new level in 2013 - well one has to keep the waistline down doesn't one - and the initial idea of a casual, relaxed tour of the French Alps for some reason developed into entering one of the hardest Cyclosportives (basically an Amateur race) on the planet! La Marmotte is tough beyond belief - more than double the climbing meters of the Exmoor Beast with over 175km in one day; the Telegraph and Galibier involving climbing for over 2.5 hours in single phases at probably Zone 4 level heart rate (very hard, threshold level).

Over 7000 "serious" cyclists enter the event with shaved legs and most weighing no more than a grasshopper to spin up the thousands of meters of gruelling mountain climbing. The event sells out in just a few hours which reflects how many masochists there are in this world! Towering the famous climbs of the Tour de France including Col du Glandon, Telegraph, Galibier and finishing at Alpe d'Huez this will be, without one shadow of a doubt, the HARDEST CHALLENGE EVER! And good news - we have almost a full Team Dave squad with accepted entries. 

Nearly 5,500 meters of climbing  - that's 2/3rds of Mount Everest!

Let's just say some VERY serious training and dieting has started - this event is simply not something you turn up for - you have to be in your best shape, having trained according to a fairly scientific programme to ensure you have the right muscles developed to sustain hours of climbing and understand fully your nutritional requirements both before (carbohydrate loading) and during the event (carbs on the move). This event is VERY SCARY! The chimps will be out in full force....

Entry to La Marmotte confirmed!

New TD Shirts

Team Dave New Shirts

To commemorate a year of cycling challenges and to ride in team colours during 2013 a TD shirt has been designed and ordered. These will be proudly sported during La Marmotte - assuming they fit when they arrive!! 

New Trek Madone 5.9 with Di2

Quite simply - if you're going up mountains you need the lightest equipment and need to shed as much lard off your body as possible, so in addition to the dieting campaign and training, a new Trek Madone was acquired late 2012 - with the slickest shifting on the market - electronic Di2 - this is a totally fantastic system and when coupled to the carbon frame and lighter weight, really does make a difference. Money well spent!

Let's just say some other team members are considering their options now the magnitude of Alpine challenge has started to sink in....

New Trek Madone 5.9 with Di2 shift

We will keep you posted on the training as we build up to this magnificent, gruelling event!

Team Dave gets a Belting at The Belter...!

Team Dave cross the line of The Bristol Belter - It was an emotional ending to a great challenge

In a state of denial of the weather forecast Team Dave decided to head down to the Bristol Belter 100 mile Sportive. Inevitably within just a few miles of leaving the start line the heavens started to open and words cannot describe the impending miserable conditions....Mile after mile of lashing rain, winds of near gale force levels almost continuously into your face, roads awash with grit and gravel tempting the rear tyre to burst or slide on every bend mixed in with nearly 6000 feet of climbing....the list goes on. Inevitably someone from TD had to crack and on the brink of hypothermia after puncturing some 20km from the finish line they did!

The 100mile classic route included some gruelling climbs which elevated us to the top of the Mendips no less than three times; this in itself was not so bad, but with the body sodden and the freezing cold sapping every ounce of energy, it felt more like an Alpine challenge. In fact by the midpoint some riders' "summer" clothing was so saturated it frankly offered no more protection than riding naked! 

Three climbs up the Mendips in Monsoon conditions makes for a tough challenge

The first major climb up Burrington Combe is Cheddar Gorges' lesser known twin at 2.5 miles long and at this point things were going okay as the heart rate pushed just over 90% to the summit. Then came Cheddar Gorge and the rain started to kick in hard - this was another 2.5 mile climb but with a steady gradient and quite manageable. However, the third climb up the Mendips to Priddy was something else and drained by the horrendous weather this was the one that broke the camels back (Note: please refer to Pelo as the Camel in this case who stupidly was wearing his summer gear!!). 

Pelo on the brink of hypothermia
as Everest serenades "Grandad"

"Grandad We Love You..."

As Slip and Everest were riding as if they were on EPO, Pelo collapsed into the final feed stop shivering like Shakin Stevens. Things were not looking good for him to make it to the finish line. This was actually looking quite serious and probably bordering on hypothermia until suddenly a miracle happened.... a little voice was heard...."do you lads fancy a cup of tea?". Thinking this was a wind up TD laughed, but it was true - HOT TEA - a hand from god himself. Moreover, there were blankets and of course a kettle. As Pelo was then wrapped up in a cocoon, handed the kettle to cuddle and Everest calmed the Monkey by serenading "Grandad we love you", Slip explained to the locals this was our training regime for the Exmoor Beast. Things then started to improve....well just a bit...a fractional bit but just enough to try and limp on to the line. 

Taming the Chimp

For those people aware of the Chimp Paradox - in these conditions dressed in nothing more than your underpants - the Belter was definitely one event to try and tame the beast in your head.

But congrats go to Slip and Everest. Those boys looked good - maybe too good and it's time for the Doc to take a sample or two!

This was one to remember - a tough but great day!