Most riders lose La Marmotte before the Alpe
Most riders don’t lose La Marmotte on the Alpe, they lose it in the first three hours.
I know, because it happened to me in 2012. I went up the Glandon too fast, had no food on me, and queued at the feed station. Then I spent the valley chasing the next group. Three mistakes, and the real climbing hadn’t started.
And it doesn’t stop there. The Télégraphe gets treated as a warm-up, the descent gets raced, and the Alpe sends the invoice. It isn’t the route that beats people. It’s arriving without a plan for it.
Most riders prepare alone, from forums and videos, and meet the Glandon for the first time on the day.
That’s why I’m opening the La Marmotte Cohort.
Who it’s for
- Riders who are training and planning on their own.
- Riders who have done big mountain days and want a plan for this one.
- Not for you if you want a coach. I’m not one, and I won’t promise you a time.
How it helps
- It’s a small group, 8 riders at most each year.
- We work through the day climb by climb: where to hold back, where to eat, how to ride the descents, and what the Alpe will ask of you.
- You get monthly group calls starting in November and a WhatsApp group, so you’re not working it out alone.
- You get the mistakes I’ve made and the ones I’ve watched others make on these roads, which I’ve lived and worked on since 2008.
The holiday
If you can, come and ride it with me.
Cohort members get the price of the Cohort off a supported week in the Alps. You can check dates and availability here
We use the week as preparation but in a relaxed manner. You ride the climbs, see the descents for real, and arrive on the day having seen it all before.
There are 8 places, and they’re limited.
