THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW
SHARPEN FOR THE DATE.
Four weeks out, you stop building and start sharpening. Volume drops 15-20%. Intensity gets very specific to your event. Long rides mimic race pacing. The goal is to arrive fresh, not fitter — if you're still building now, you peaked wrong.
THIS WEEK'S ANCHOR SESSION
EVENT SIMULATION
One 3-hour ride that mimics the first 3 hours of your target event. Same pace, same fueling, same kit. If your event has a big early climb, include one. Your legs learn what race pace feels like.
EVENT INTEL
WHAT THE MARMOTTE ACTUALLY DEMANDS
La Marmotte is the original European mass-participation Alpine event — 174km from Bourg d'Oisans over the Glandon, Télégraphe, Galibier and finishing on Alpe d'Huez. 5,000m of climbing in one day, four giant cols, and a culture that treats it as the amateur Tour de France stage.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS
- ✓Four legendary cols: Glandon, Télégraphe, Galibier, Alpe d'Huez
- ✓Galibier summit at 2,642m — altitude bites the upper third
- ✓Alpe d'Huez summit finish after 150km already in the legs
- ✓July heat in the Maurienne valley regularly hits 35°C+
- ✓Gold/silver/bronze finishing standards — riders chase the time bands
COMMON MISTAKES
- ✕Racing the Glandon in the opening cool air and arriving at the Galibier hollow
- ✕Underfuelling because the climbs feel manageable in the first half
- ✕Choosing 11-28 gearing and meeting Alpe d'Huez at 50rpm
PACING
Pace La Marmotte from the Alpe backwards. Glandon at 70-75% FTP, Télégraphe-Galibier as a paired sub-threshold effort, Alpe d'Huez ridden on a wattage ceiling regardless of heat or crowd. The valley between Galibier descent and the Alpe is the day's hidden test — tailwind, heat, fatigue. Eat through it, do not hammer.
FUELLING
8-10+ hours demands 90-110g carbs/hour minimum, and the gut has to be trained for it. Force-drink on a timer once the valley heat lands — Maurienne in July is brutal. Refill bottles at every feed; the climb to Alpe d'Huez is the worst place on earth to run dry.
KIT
34x32 minimum, 34x34 if you have it. Gilet and arm warmers stashed for the Galibier descent (genuinely cold even on 35°C days). Clear lenses for the descents. Sunscreen reapplied at every feed — Alpine UV plus an 8-hour day is a sunburn waiting to happen.
WANT THIS BUILT AROUND YOUR FTP?
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OTHER PHASES FOR THE MARMOTTE