France
La Marmotte is known to be one of the hardest sportives to participate in. Taking place on 5th July 2020, our travel packages include tackling the four alpine climbs which have become legendary thanks to the Tour de France. This route is a serious challenge and a fantastic achievement.
La Marmotte is the ultimate cycling test and also the oldest sportive in the cycling calendar. At 174km, this one-day classic includes conquering famous climbs from the Tour de France including the Galibier, and the Glandon.
First held in 1982, this is still one of the most popular cycling events. There are 7,000 places available for cyclists to take part, and interest in the event usually far exceeds this.
Mountains
France
Hard
7000
A personal favourite of ours, the Galibier offers stunning valley views via a winding ascent; climbing as high as 2,635m. The descent, practically to the base of Alpe d’Huez is just as stunning.
Taking place during the same week as the La Marmotte is the Alpe d’Huez Time Trial. With 21 hairpins, a 7% gradient and an altitude of 1,763m, can you beat the pros time?
Enjoy a game of Boules with us. A French tradition dating back to the 19th century (although the game is much older than that). A popular past time, we are happy to teach anyone who has never played before.
When you book your break with us, you gain access to expert local guides who know the cycle routes of Le Bourg d’Oisans like the back of their hand and experienced bike mechanics who are available to offer assistance whenever you need it.
We also take care of booking airport transfers, accommodation and entry to the sportive. The only thing you will have to worry about is your sore muscles after tackling La Marmotte.
● Meet in Lyon to be transferred to the hotel. There are two transfers available: the first will depart at 10:30 and the second at 17:45. (If you are flying in on Thursday, a transfer is available at 10:30.)
● Arrive at the hotel at approximately 12:30 and 19:45 respectively.
● For those on the 10:30 transfer, a short guided ride has been arranged at 14:30. We will be cycling down Alpe d’Huez and over the Balcons before returning via the Sarenne.
● Race packs will be collected on your behalf.
● There will be a short guided ride leaving at 09:00. We will ride down to Bourg d’Oisans and back via Villard Reculas. We will arrive back at the hotel in time for lunch.
● The afternoon is free for you to explore the local La Bourg D’Oisans or relax at the hotel. We will be hosting a (slightly competitive) game of boules for anyone who would like to join in.
● We will hold a race brief in the evening and collect anything you would like us to store on your behalf at our sportive feed stop.
● Our race entries will be in pens 1-3.
● Feed stations will be set up at the top of the Galibier.
● Transfers from Alpe D’huez are scheduled to leave at 12:00.
This three-star family-run hotel is located just before the final hairpin on our Alpe d'Huez climb. Features include a fantastic lounge and a large bike storage room.
Flying into France? Rather than arranging to fly your bike with you, why not rent one of ours? We have a fleet of Trek bikes available to rent on request.
Our expert mechanics will have your rental bike built and ready to ride on your arrival. Once you have caked them in mountain dust, just hand them back to us, and we will get them cleaned up and broken down.
The race begins in Le Bourg d’Oisan. After 11km of smooth cycling on the flat, we will head to the Glandon - the first of four tough inclines.
The next 20km climbs over 1,000m before a long descent to the bottom of the Telegraph.
From here we will tackle the mighty Galibier, reaching the highest point of the race at 2,652m.
After a refreshing descent to the valley floor, we move on to the Alpe d’Huez tackling 23 switchbacks.
Choose the Route
Ride Distance: 174
Elevation gain: 5180
Lyon airport is the closest airport to Alpe d’Huez. Transfers depart from Lyon at 10:30 on Thursday and 10:30 and 17:15 on Friday. All flights into Lyon should be arranged to arrive a minimum of 30 minutes before transfer departure.
Transfers will arrive in Lyon at 15:00. All flights from Lyon should be arranged to depart from 17:00 onwards.
You will need a printed copy of your registration, ID and medical certificate. Your race entry can be collected by someone else as long as they possess these three documents.
Your race entry can be collected up to two days before the Sportive from the Palais des Sports. Alternatively, you can collect your entry on the day of the race.
The sportive consists of grids:
● Grid one: Based on the previous times of cyclists who have taken part before.
● Grid two: For individuals who have booked through an agent (like Sportive Breaks).
The race is organised into three waves. The first group will set off at 07:00.
When you cross the finish line in Alpe d’Huez, you will be greeted with a pasta party (provided by the race organisers). On return to the hotel, we can all enjoy a post-ride beer at the Hotel Castillan.
All of our packages for this sportive include:
All Packages Include:
| Summary | Price | Quantity | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Four Night Single Package for One Person |
£899 | £899 | Book Now | |
Four Nights Twin Package for Two People |
£1599 | £1599 | Book Now |
| Summary | Price | Quantity | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Three Night Single Package for One Person |
£749 | £749 | Book Now | |
Three Night Twin Package for Two People |
£1399 | £1399 | Book Now | |
Three Night Single Package for One Person |
£749 | £749 | Book Now | |
Three Night Single Package for Two People |
£1199 | £1199 | Book Now | |
Three Night Single Package for Three People |
£1499 | £1499 | Book Now |
