Tackling L ’EtapeThe Ultimate Guide to planning and tackling L'Etape du Tour

by Tim Marsh

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Tackling L’ Etape

About The AuthorI am very excited by life.

Whether through my surfing travels, love of snowboarding,

love of coffee, love of travel and taking photos, efforts to

drag myself from cubicle madness - whilst encouraging and

enabling others to do the same -, or my general sense of

wonder and amazement at the world around me.

I am always smiling and enjoying life and always finding

something to do and people to engage with.

I love life a lot.

ThanksKate – as always, you make it all so easy.

This one is for MB; who has done two Etapes du Tour with

me. Mad business brains, mad riding chops – good on you.

Legal Stuff© 2009+ tourdefrancetips.com,

shredquest.com and projectheresy.

com – all material is copyright.

Tourdefrancetips.com and

shredquest.com are operational

subsidiaries of Project Heresy.

No part of this guide is to be

republished or reproduced on the

web without permission – this

means forums, torrent sites and so

on.

Sure, I don’t want to stop you

sending it to your mates going with

you, but just don’t go posting it

everywhere, ok?

You can see I have put a lot of time

and money bringing this to you, so I

know you’ll be cool.

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Tackling L’ Etape

First, A Little StoryFor 8 months they planned. From October, when they entered and booked their flights, they dreamt. They

read websites, chatted excitedly.

With 3 months to go, they did some riding, getting more and more excited.

Then the day arrived.

And did they ever get a shock.

Never in their wildest dreams did they think that 180km in 35 degree heat would be this hard.

They even started the final climb. And after a long, arduous effort – after no less than 160km, with a mere

20km to go - admittedly, up, and at a horrifying grade- they looked up at the beast, and they capitulated.

Their shoulders slumped. Their heads hung down.

It was beyond them. All this way. And to fall so short.

Yes, this actually happened to some guys I know. Don’t let this happen to you.

With this guide, I’m going to make sure you absolutely wreck L’Etape.

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Tackling L’ Etape

About The GuideThis Guide to Tackling L’Etape is a companion guide to the Cycling through France guide and focuses

exclusively on undertaking an assault on L’Etape du Tour.

The CTF guide is a comprehensive guide to general planning and execution of a cycling trip to France for

L’Etape, Le Tour or leisure.

The CTF guide covers all aspects of a French cycling trip and is broken down into two main sections:

Planning and On the Ground.

The information covers:

• initial planning - TdF stages, airports, airlines

• airlines and how to calculate your bike in baggage allowance and costs

• visas

• travel insurance

• International Driver’s License

• travel document backup

• airport-airline route list - with major world routes

• mobile and data roaming tips and recommendations

• watching the Tour – tips and things to watch out for

• participating in L’Etape du Tour – planning, pitfalls, tips

• free wifi - tips on finding free unsecured access

• road quality and types, travel times, what to expect at toll gates

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Tackling L’ Etape• car hire versus campervan hire – the pros and cons of each

• cost of car or campervan

• camping versus hotels

• cost of camping and accommodation

• where to camp

• cost of bike hire

• shopping, food, at the supermarket

• knowing French

• weather tips

• places to base yourself for rides - e.g. the Cols

• critical and nice-to-have equipment list suggestions

• contacts

• and much more.

Some L’Etape planning, such as transit arrangements, is covered briefly in the CTF guide, but L’Etape du

Tour is a monster event that deserves a specific and comprehensive look at.

Logistics covered extensively in the CTF guide are covered briefly in this guide using links back to the

TdF Tips website, or as summaries.

This guide focuses on and discusses aspects to help you book, plan, prepare and ride L’Etape.

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Tackling L’ EtapeIt includes information on:

• what L’Etape is

• who it is for - not just elite cyclists

• how to get there - the logistics

• car hire and accommodation

• baggage

• gearing your bike for L’Etape

• packing your bike

• booking accommodation - this is important!

• preparing with training and nutrition

• what to do and what not to do before the ride

• what to expect on the ride

• what to eat and drink, and when, on the ride

• eating, stretching and activity post-ride

• self-treatment for sore muscles - myotherapy treatment, with how-to-do photos.

I’m particularly excited about the stretching, self-treatment and massage chapter, which you can include

in your daily routine to maximise your body condition.

Affiliate LinksThroughout the ebook there are affiliate links to products or services I use. I only recommend totally

awesome companies and services, so they are worth checking out. However, these affiliate links do pay

me a small commission on sales.

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Tackling L’ Etape

TdF Tips Affiliate ProgramA similar affiliate program is in place for all my ebooks, and you can join here. As an affiliate, you

receive a 50% commission (at time of printing) from ebook sales you refer from your website, blog,

Facebook, Twitter and so on.

Read more about the program here.

HousekeepingDollar amounts stated without a currency sign (i.e. “$100”), are Australian dollars. Convert the AUD rate

to your currency at xe.com.

Throughout the ebook there are affiliate links to products or services I use. I debated whether to include

these, but as I only recommend totally awesome companies and services, I decided to put them in.

However, these affiliate links do pay me a small commission on sales.

Updates to this guide will be sent to purchasers free of charge.

This guide is not perfect, and does not pretend to be. It does not contain every piece of information about

doing L’Etape, cycling in France or following the Tour de France. However, it does contain a lot of very

useful information that will save you valuable time and money, and make the planning process, and your

trip, as smooth and pain-free as possible.

I really hope you find this guide useful. I have done my best to ensure the facts and information are

accurate. If you have any information or tips you think should be included, or find mistakes or omissions,

please contact me on tim@tourdefrancetips.com or Tweet on @tdftips. If the information is useful,

at the very least it will appear on the website, and be included in updated versions of this guide, with

attribution of course.

I would really appreciate your feedback using the feedback form at tourdefrancetips.com/contact, as

your comments allow me to provide a more useful and relevant product.

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Tackling L’ EtapeBelow is a list of related resources you may find useful.

Tourdefrancetips.com – this has posts about planning and executing a trip to France. All the TdF Tips

ebooks are available here, plus links to my L’Etape sites, such as l’etape2011.com

Cycling Through France ebook – this is my best selling ebook on planning your dream trip to France.

Check it out if you don’t already have it.

Guide to Training for L’Etape – this one is for riders who just need a training plan for L’Etape. It was

designed exclusively for TdF Tips L’Etape participants by Mark Fenner, and gives you enough time on the

bike to Tackle L’Etape.

Note that this content also appears in this Guide to Tackling L’Etape, so if you have this guide, you won’t need Guide to

Training for L’Etape.

Recovering From L’Etape – If you want to know how the pros recover from rides like L’Etape then this

is the guide for you. It is filled with photos and instructions that show you how to self-treat and stretch

your sore muscles, how travel partners can massage out knots, and everything else you need to help

you to recover.

Note that this content also appears in this Guide to Tackling L’Etape, so if you have this guide, you won’t need the Recovering

from L’Etape ebook.

There is a very useful French verbs spreadsheet here to teach you common verbs and vocab. This is no

substitute for the 80 free podcast lessons available on Coffee Break French though!

Le Tour, L’Etape and Leisure itinerary template - The sample itinerary - is a valuable resource to help

you plan your trip. For the last two years, I’ve printed copies of these off and taken them on my trips to

France for L’Etape. Last year, everyone on our trip used these every day to determine routes and towns

to stop at for Le Tour, or to organise a ride. You will find it very, very useful.

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Tackling L’ EtapeTdF Tips L’Etape posts:

• by tags here

• by category here

• RSS feed here

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Tackling L’ Etape

Contents1. All About L’Etape .............................................................................................................................15

1.1. So, What Is L’Etape? ........................................................................................................................................ 15

1.1.1. But, Seriously ............................................................................................................................................ 15

1.1.2. My Etapes .................................................................................................................................................. 17

1.1.3. Who is L’Etape for? .................................................................................................................................. 19

1.1.4. So, Where Do You Fit In? ...................................................................................................................... 20

1.2. How To Enter .................................................................................................................................................... 21

1.2.1. Entry Options ............................................................................................................................................ 22

1.2.2. The Medical – A Condition Of Entry .................................................................................................... 22

1.2.3. Insurance ................................................................................................................................................... 24

1.2.4. Information Flow ..................................................................................................................................... 25

1.2.5. Snaking A Ride ......................................................................................................................................... 25

1.3. Etape Registration .......................................................................................................................................... 26

1.3.1. What To Take ............................................................................................................................................. 26

1.3.2. Times........................................................................................................................................................... 26

1.3.3. Bike Porn And Retail ............................................................................................................................... 27

1.3.4. Mechanics .................................................................................................................................................. 27

2. Basic Trip Planning .........................................................................................................................28

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Tackling L’ Etape2.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 28

2.2. Etape Start/Finish Logistics ........................................................................................................................ 30

2.3. How to Get There ............................................................................................................................................. 33

2.4. Do you need to know French? ..................................................................................................................... 35

2.5. Where To Stay ................................................................................................................................................... 36

2.6. Car Hire .............................................................................................................................................................. 37

2.7. Visas .................................................................................................................................................................... 37

2.8. What To Pack .................................................................................................................................................... 38

2.9. Insurance ........................................................................................................................................................... 38

2.10. Internet/Mobile Data .................................................................................................................................... 38

2.11. Taking Your Bike And Baggage Insights ................................................................................................. 39

2.12. Gearing ............................................................................................................................................................ 40

2.13. Bike Bags ........................................................................................................................................................ 40

2.14. Packing Your Bike ......................................................................................................................................... 41

2.15. Baggage .......................................................................................................................................................... 41

3. Training .............................................................................................................................................42

3.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 42

3.2. Training For The Etape Du Tour ................................................................................................................... 43

3.3. Where Do You Start? ....................................................................................................................................... 43

3.4. Training Sessions Heart Rate Based ......................................................................................................... 47

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Tackling L’ Etape3.5. Training Program Outline/Discussion ....................................................................................................... 51

4. Pre-Ride ............................................................................................................................................54

4.1. Eating .................................................................................................................................................................. 54

4.2. The Ins And Outs Of Carbo Loading ........................................................................................................... 54

4.3. Exercise .............................................................................................................................................................. 55

4.4. Supplements .................................................................................................................................................... 56

4.5. Hydration ........................................................................................................................................................... 56

4.6. Stretching .......................................................................................................................................................... 57

5. On The Ride ......................................................................................................................................58

5.1. What To Expect ................................................................................................................................................. 58

5.2. Elimination ........................................................................................................................................................ 59

5.3. What To Wear .................................................................................................................................................... 59

5.4. What To Do If You Cramp ............................................................................................................................... 60

5.5. What to Take ..................................................................................................................................................... 61

5.5.1. Essential ..................................................................................................................................................... 61

5.5.2. Optional ...................................................................................................................................................... 61

5.6. Feed Stations .................................................................................................................................................... 62

5.7. Pacing yourself ................................................................................................................................................ 62

5.8. Hydration ........................................................................................................................................................... 63

5.9. Nutrition ............................................................................................................................................................. 63

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Tackling L’ Etape5.9.1. What To Eat ................................................................................................................................................ 64

5.9.2. When To Eat ............................................................................................................................................... 65

5.9.3. How Much .................................................................................................................................................. 66

5.10. Getting To The Start ..................................................................................................................................... 67

5.11. Tips for the start ........................................................................................................................................... 68

5.12. Weather ........................................................................................................................................................... 69

5.13. Signalling And Language ........................................................................................................................... 70

5.14. Team Support ................................................................................................................................................. 71

5.15. The Finish ........................................................................................................................................................ 71

6. Post Ride - Stretching, Treatment, Food .....................................................................................74

6.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 74

6.2. Raise Legs ......................................................................................................................................................... 74

6.3. Food ..................................................................................................................................................................... 74

6.4. Cold Water ......................................................................................................................................................... 75

6.5. Compression.................................................................................................................................................... 76

6.6. Stretching, Self-treatment, Massage ........................................................................................................ 76

7. Stretching, Self-Treatment And Muscles ....................................................................................77

7.1. Methodology - Treat, Then Stretch ............................................................................................................. 80

7.1.1. Self Treatment .......................................................................................................................................... 80

7.1.2. Stretching .................................................................................................................................................. 80

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Tackling L’ Etape7.1.3. Massage ..................................................................................................................................................... 81

7.2. Breathing Muscles .......................................................................................................................................... 82

7.2.1. Scalenes ..................................................................................................................................................... 82

7.2.2. Pectoralis Minor ....................................................................................................................................... 85

7.3. Glute Medius And Maximus .......................................................................................................................... 88

7.4. Iliotibial Band - ITB.......................................................................................................................................... 93

7.5. Hip Flexor ......................................................................................................................................................... 98

7.6. Adductor ............................................................................................................................................................ 102

7.7. Quadratus Lumborum - QL .......................................................................................................................... 105

7.8. Forearm ............................................................................................................................................................. 109

7.9. Quadriceps ........................................................................................................................................................ 114

7.10. Hamstring ....................................................................................................................................................... 122

7.11. Calf .................................................................................................................................................................... 126

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