Registration is open! I am booked 
Will be an interesting challange!
I am thinking about doing following from december:
Polarized base → Polarized build → Sustained build → Gran Fondo speciality. Does that sounds good? (med volume)
This will be the far biggest ride i have ever ridden, so def. exited
Okay I just registered, never done this and maybe even never done 177km before but I think it will be cool
Entered for second consecutive year, too epic last year to pass another opportunity, other half does not know yet
Planning to arrive the Thursday this year and considering doing the Duez Time Trial. Would love a proper go at Duez but wondering how an all out effort on Friday would impact the main event on Sunday, anyone done both?
Finished 280th this year so hopeful to break top 200 next year.
I’m booked on. Flight to Lyon, hire car and Airbnb in Alpe D,Heuz booked.
Did Mallorca 312 this year, if anyone has done both would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the difference between them. Obviously the climbs are longer, ridden a few times in the Alps but not done 4 HC climbs in the same day.
I think the main difference is probably the lack of group dynamics and the sheer length of the climbs in the Marmotte. Obviously it depends on how you ride the event and which group you start with but personally once the climbing began on the Glandon it felt almost like a long time trial with very little in the way of drafting or group dynamics. Aside from the initial 10km into the Glandon and the flat section into the valley before the Telegraph there was no drafting.
The Galibier is a beast and despite all the advance warnings I probably rode too hard on the Croix de Fer and the Telegraph, not by much, probably 10 watts but the accumulation of those efforts put me into trouble on the Galibier when combined with the altitude. On the final 8km of the Galibier I wondered could I finish as I felt pretty rough.
The other 3 in my group had similar experiences but all finished.
Not sayng one is more difficult than the other but for me personally nothing comes close to the Marmotte in terms of difficulty and that includes Maratona Dolomites, Milan San Remo, 312 and others.
Galibier and Duez are just damn hard climbs. Can’t wait for next year 
Thanks @arthurdaly That’s a very similar experience to what I had on the 312 with group dynamics this year. Managed to get on a fast group to the first climb but then it was just every man/woman for themselves. The middle part from Palma back to the 220km mark, groups formed but when you turn off for the last 90km’s it was a solo TT until a big group swept most people up to the final feed station. The last 20 km’s back groups formed but not many people were willing to do a turn. Feed stations were terrible so hoping they’re better on the Marmotte.
My plan is to get with a group to the Glandon, then ride it steady at my own pace. All the advice I have seen says that’s the best thing to do. Then hopefully get with a another group to the Telegraph and do this and the Galibier again at my own pace leaving enough in the tank for the Alpe!
I just signed up for the Marmotte will be exiting to do it.
I did a Similar event this year the Alpenbrevet (200k /5000m) with arguably 4 HC climbs. Didn’t go to well for me, because i got some GI issues and couldn’t eat enough. From my experience just take it easy on the first climb and the second… I did the first 2 climbs at around 0.77-0.8 IF which felt good, but then I invested a bit much to stay with a group on the long Drag bevore the last 2 Climbs started… which I paid for, It didn’t help that both of those climbs were going above 2400m the altitude was really hard I was happy to manage 65% of FTP up there and had to take some rest on the last 2 climbs… So my advice is, just take it easy in the beginning and don’t try to stay with people where you feel that it is a bit to hard…
Hate that it is on a Sunday so I will have to take a full day off on Monday, else I could just drive down on Friday at lunch and be back on Sunday…
Now I need to think about the training I want to do.
I have an SRAM 46-33 chain ring, would you say I get the 10-36 Force cassette or for 100 euros more a 10-33 Red cassette (which is 100g lighter than Force 10-33)? (hoping to be around 4W/kg by then)
On those climbs you’ll always want to be able to shift down a gear, no matter how many you have. 36 on the cassette was a life saver for me
4w/kg FTP or 4w/kg climbing power?
I did it last year with 4,25 w/kg FTP (body weight, not including bike, water, clothes, all the food, etc). With a 52/36 and a 11-32.
Then you suffer mostly at the first 3km of the Alpe.
I think 33/33 is doable, if you make sure you train your core sufficient and get close to that FTP you want.
I think I got the message and bought the 10-36😉
So I’ve ridden the route a couple of times not as part of the official event but when I have stayed in Alp d’Huez this year and back in 2016. This year with a 34t small ring and a 30t cassette, previously with a 36 chainring and 28t cassette. Think I must have been fitter 7 years ago!
Does the event make it feel more special or any different? I am tempted to do the official event but not sure if really I just want another week’s holiday in Alp D’Huez.
Would have done the same I guess 
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Pace yourself until La Garde and you’re good.
If you havent booked overnight stay, it might be much harder now, with the tour de france coming just 2 days after the marmotte.
How lucky can one be
Ahhhh, I hadn’t checked how close the TdF comes. But it might be an excuse to extend my trip
They are going up the galibier the 2nd
After doing the Marmotte this year, I’m going to be doing the Maratona dles Dolomites in 2024. Theoretically a slightly easier and shorter profile, however a higher elevation. I’m excited!
What top tips do the ones have that have done it in 2023 or before? I saw Jcorfield one about gearing options…any other?
Besides the obvious things like train well, fuel well, gear well and don’t go to hard on the first climb. Get properly heat adapted. The chance is high that you’re going up the Alpe in 40c, with little to no ride wind to cool you. There was a heatwave in the Netherlands the weeks before the '23 edition. So I did do long rides in 27-30c, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Did you read these 2 documents ?
If It can help…