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Marmotte 2015 - route change
Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere but the route for the 2015 Marmotte will change. The Lauteret D1091 road is closed due to a crack in the tunnel by the Chambon Dam and despite initial indications that the road would open again in June it is now saying after the event. The new route is to be announced next week.
http://bike-oisans.com/en/events-cycling-mtb-oisans/marmotte-granfondo - English
http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2010/index.php?langue=2 French
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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19 comments
yep as I found out the week before D'Huez is totally unforgiving in that weather .... If you got there at 3.30 your time must have been very good.
I am mad, totally mad but just booked for 2016 La Marmotte with a tour company.
(someone see my head please !!)
Did La Marmotte, the course was harder than the traditional one, and the weather (first 4km of Alpe d'Huez was 44C average at 15:30) made it downright ugly. Lacets de Montvernier more than made up for it though, lovely climb!
I've just got back from bourg d' oisan and i stayed at 21 Bends, (superb location)
I just wanted to give helen & phil a bit of a plug, Great place to stay,
phil drove us up to col de galibier because of the tunnel closure,
Great local knowledge and really helpful people, not to mention the lovely breakfast.
Well just did it and the weather was brutal, anyone going on the Marmotte and the temperature could hit 40C next weekend ... the state I was on on D'Huez is something to see.
If you want to see a report on it, where i managed 4 out of 6 cols planned over 3 days it is here - https://talesofabrummiecyclist.wordpress.com/2015/06/30/4-cols-done-got-...
surely the aim is to climb more
It appears for my ride you can cross the lake in smaller groups by boat so that avoids the Croix de Fer (well maybe I should do it anyway
Apparently there's more climbing, but the course is shorter. I presume because there is an additional col and descent, but that somehow doesn't compute in my head because the Galibier is so much bigger.
New route has been announced -
http://bike-oisans.com/en/events-cycling-mtb-oisans/marmotte-granfondo - English
http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2010/index.php?langue=2 French
This year's L'Etape follows the Glandon, Chaussy, Croix der Fer route so it is possible they could go for a lot of it too.
http://www.letapedutour.com/ET1/us/the-route.html
Looking at options for next year and the Marmotte is definitely on the list or the Pyrenees or Dolomites.
It would be a mistake to try anything else if you are only down for the Marmotte this time. I think that it is a perfectly good reason to return next year, tell your wife you have unfinished business!
Thanks David, depends not he road but the only sensible option is to miss the Galibier
excuse for my wife to say I have to go back again 
If the new route does come back via the Croix de Fer then it will not be as fast as the decent down from the Galibier due to the number of bends in and around the dam after the Glandon. Plus you have an additional climb back up from the valley and down again into Allemond and then along the main road back to Bourg d'Oisans and AdH - basically the reverse of the route from the start to the Glandon.
I am looking to put in a long week in a few weeks time so that I get the opportunity to ride up the Telegraph, Galibier and Lauteret, even if it is not during the Marmotte plus hopefully a new route recce too. Then I have just over 3 weeks to recover from it, which is my taper period anyway.
Not great for my ride as I want to climb the Galiber in many ways more than D'Huez but of course we will finish there. Hopefully the temp road option is viable, going in 5 weeks.
There is a meeting this evening (Mon 18th) to discuss possibilities but this is more for easing the burden on the locals.
https://bikelodging.wordpress.com/2015/05/13/closures-to-the-tunnel-du-c...
More info here on new route
http://blog.morethan21bends.com/2015/05/13/re-route-for-la-marmotte-2015
As soon as I have any update I will add it to this forum.
The issue is the original repair work had to stop due to the nature of problem and now they are trying to resolve what appears to be a larger issue than first appeared. The Marmotte route plus the penultimate stage of the 2015 Tour de France pass through the tunnel, so a massive headache for all at the moment.
I have just checked the French sites and the only one that looks to be up to date at the moment is
http://www.dici.fr/actu/2015/04/18/coupure-d1091-reaction-des-maires-de-...
I am going in 6 weeks now and was riding from Valloire to Galiber than D'Huez, guess this is not possible now ?
It is an organised trip.
From my visit to the area last year the only way now is via the Telegraph side. If you are staying on the Le Bourg d'Oisans side then you will need to go via Allemont and either over the Glandon or the Croix der Fer and down into the valley and up but then back the same way.
I am down there in June with work colleagues and had planned to recce the route bar Alp d'Heuz but now I plan to do both, the above and if possible the new route. However the new route will have no history so could be interesting timing wise.
Have a good trip.
Hi, not sure if it had been posted but I hadn't seen it and it's great info.
I'm doing my own week of riding around the marmot route (plus plus) and was planning on doing South Galibier approach from Le Bourg-d'Oisans