Sportive – La Marmotte Pyrénées, the route in detail

While the legendary Marmotte in the Alps saw its elevation gain pushed to 5500 m in 2023, the Marmotte Pyrénées and its 5600 m has nothing to envy its big sister. Especially since, at 165 km, it is… short! One of the highest elevation gain/km ratios in Granfondo.

By David Polveroni – Photos: marmottegranfondopyrenees.com / cols-cyclisme.com

Three days before the Marmotte Pyrénées, let’s take a closer look at the route proposed by Cycling Classics.
Event link: https://marmottegranfondopyrenees.com/marmotte-granfondo-pyrenees/

A long warm-up

This year, the start will be from Argelès Gazost, at the foot of Hautacam. But this climb will not be taken, as the finish line alternates with Luz Ardiden every other year. So, you’ll have to ride up the Gave de Pau for 17 km to reach Luz Saint Sauveur, which will mark the beginning of the first ascent of the Tourmalet. 17 km of gentle uphill false flat, with 2 km between 5 and 6% at kilometer 10, a rather perfect warm-up. 17 km of warm-up where you’ll focus on what awaits you, a section where eating something solid will still be possible. If rain threatens in the distance to your left, the Tourmalet calls for rain: you need to take the time to put on appropriate clothing. A K-way or warm jacket depending on the temperature, as well as gloves and rain knee warmers.

The Tourmalet via Luz Saint Sauveur

18 km for 1300 m of elevation gain. This Luz side of the Tourmalet is a very consistent climb, constantly oscillating between 7 and 8% except for a section at the exit of the Barèges resort (after 8 km) nearing 10% and the last kilometer which will be consistently at 10%.

At 1450 m of altitude, after leaving the Laurent Fignon road on the right, a road reserved exclusively for cyclists for 2.5 km: the old road that saw riders pass in 1910 and which is a tribute to the late Laurent, the scenery changes, the mountain reclaims its rights, steep cliffs, rocky peaks and cows grazing in a green setting (sometimes they also escape into the middle of the road, so be careful a little later…) hoping that the weather allows you to appreciate this magnificent scenery reminiscent of the Alps.

At 2115 m of altitude, the Col du Tourmalet is crossed, the first of a series of five climbs, all contributing to what this Marmotte Pyrénées is.

But for that, you need to be vigilant, the descent towards Sainte Marie de Campan is fast. The gradient you’ll have to tackle in the uphill direction is steep, the speed is exhilarating, and after crossing La Mongie and passing its parapets, you gain a lot of speed. We repeat, the descent of the Tourmalet is very fast, the KOM on Strava for the 17 km descent is over 70 km/h… Wet or dry road, we will remain measured, we will remember to refuel especially on the final, less steep, more rolling part of the descent. After crossing Sainte Marie de Campan, let’s hope you don’t have to imitate Eugène Christophe, forging his fork in 1913, you just have to turn right and head towards Payolle.

The Hourquette d’Ancizan

It climbs for 1 km at 5% before returning to more false flats for 7 km from the exit of Sainte Marie. We leave Lake Payolle on our left and the gradient then reasserts itself, we have to climb for nearly 5 km up to 1450 m of altitude, a first high point of slopes that are not comparable to the Tourmalet. We advise approaching this climb more “cool” given the route. The Hourquette is the easiest climb of this Marmotte, the only climb where you can “recover” so 10/15w less than your target watts on the other climbs, especially since the gradient allows it. A short descent of nearly 2 km before tackling this second difficulty at 1564 m, the Hourquette d’Ancizan. If the climb is “easy”, the descent is tricky. Narrow, winding, with closing turns, on a road not always in good condition… We told you, you shouldn’t arrive at the top with your head in the clouds, that will also allow you to have a good descent. Arriving in Guchen after 10 km of descent, you then have to tackle the third difficulty: the Col d’Aspin. 5 km of transition on a downhill false flat, you will pass Cadeac where you can and should refuel. You then arrive in Arreau, at the foot of the mythical Col d’Aspin.

The Col d’Aspin

Famous and mythical in the Tour de France, it is often preceded by the Tourmalet and followed by the Peyressourde, it is not insurmountable in itself. It is divided into two parts. A first very rolling section over 5 km, between 3 and 6%, followed by 5 km where you are rather around 8%. Nothing insurmountable, but you are then at nearly 100 km (97) and over 3000 m of elevation gain… Every effort, every acceleration will be paid for in the next ascent, the fourth and hardest of the day: the Tourmalet via La Mongie.

As on the ascent, the descent is divided into two parts, a first part that does not require pedaling, first on the mountainside, then with a series of 5 hairpins down to Payolle. Then you have to get your legs moving again and take the Adour road back to Sainte Marie de Campan. Note that the Tourmalet challenge consists of turning around here after the first Tourmalet to then continue our itinerary.

The Tourmalet, that’s 15.3km and 1200m!

The first 6.5 kilometers are reasonable, oscillating around 7%, before the exit of Gripp and its parapets, then consistently around 9% up to La Mongie. Let’s hope you have a “smidgen” of Wout Van Aert’s watts left to maintain your pace. There are 4 km left at La Mongie, 4 km where oxygen in the air becomes scarcer and scarcer, and where your smallest gear will be essential… 2115m: penultimate aid station but last passage of the Tourmalet. You refuel, admire the view, and then head towards what you had climbed a few hours earlier… Pass through Luz Saint Sauveur and this time it’s straight ahead towards Luz Ardiden.

The apotheosis: Luz Ardiden

The small Pyrenean resort has made a name for itself with its nine Tour de France stage finishes. The last one in 2021 with a certain Tadej Pogacar in yellow. A climb of 13.5 km, initially rolling for 2 km, at 5/6%, before constantly oscillating between 8/9 with 1 km at 10% at the sixth kilometer. The final, all in switchbacks with 3 km at 6/7%, will allow you to appreciate this Marmotte a little more, finishing somewhat like Alpe d’Huez for the Alps. It is often compared this way, although less upscale. At the end of these 164 km and more than 5600 m (on paper! I think we will be closer to 5800 m…) you can congratulate yourself on having completed this Marmotte, which is one of the monuments of the cyclosportive calendar. So now that you are physically ready, don’t make mistakes, the dice are in your hands!

Don’t get carried away, calibrate your effort, in events of this kind, over-exertion pays off sooner or later… To your cleats!

GPX track link: https://www.routeyou.com/fr-fr/route/view/12573388/itineraire-velo-de-course/marmotte-granfondo-pyrenees?lng=FR&hash=gZEb-bIej4TvsBAdaeV84OlnkIE

Strava route link: https://www.strava.com/routes/3129474303791530428

Registration: https://marmottegranfondopyrenees.com/marmotte-granfondo-pyrenees/

Note that it is still possible to register last minute on site in Argelès Gazost.

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