The organisers of La Marmotte Granfondo have announced a new Granfondo Pyrenees will take place this summer. The new event joins the original Marmotte and the Italian Alps sportive first run last year to form the Marmotte Granfondo Series.
The new Marmotte Granfondo Pyrenees will be held on 28 August, and features a 163km route with 5600 metres of climbing, including two ascents of the Col du Tourmalet. On 24 July, the Marmotte Granfondo Sestrière will pit riders against the Colle delle Finestre, with its 8km stretch of gravel at 9% gradient that almost put paid to Contador's chances at the 2015 Giro.
Taking place one month after La Marmotte, this will be the second edition of the Marmotte Granfondo Sestrière. Together with the classic Marmotte and the new Granfondo Pyrenees, the three events form a newly badged Marmotte Granfondo Series. Each on its own is a fearsome trial with legendary roads and beautiful cols, but cyclists now have the tantalising prospect of tackling all three to complete an epic "triple crown" of challenges.
Marmotte Granfondo Pyrénées
Taking place on Sunday 28 August, the new sportive is based in the commune of Argelès-Gazost in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France.
The cyclosportive begins with a relatively easy warm-up of approximately 20 kilometers, but the first challenge is not long in coming: the Col du Tourmalet (2115m) is 19km long and a steady climb with an average percentage of approximately 7.4%. Once you have greeted the statue of former Tour de France director Jacques Goddet at the top, the descent commences.
Following this is the ascent of the Hourquette d'Ancizan (1564m) and from Arreau you will shortly be starting the climb of the Col d'Aspin (1.489m). Soon after you will arrive in Sainte Marie de Campan and here you will find the bottom of Col du Tourmalet that you will now climb from the other side. At the start the percentages are relatively low but when you cycle past the first view the percentages hit 10% and above.
After a long descent Luz-Ardiden (1666m) will be the last climb of this tour. This ski area was the arrival for a stage of the Tour eight times previously, with Spain's Samuel Sanchez last to take the win.
Marmotte Granfondo Sestrière
On Sunday 24 July the Colle delle Finestre (2178m) plays the lead role in the second edition of the Granfondo La Marmotta Sestriere - Colle delle Finestre. This infamous mountain pass, world famous after it was included in the Giro in 2005, is 18.5km long and has an incremental percentage of 9.2%. At the halfway point the concrete road gives way to an 8km stretch of gravel.
Thanks to the impressive images of the visibly fatigued and tense cyclists on these dusty roads, the climb quickly made a name for itself on the international stage of cycling. It was here that Contador almost saw his win at the Giro 2015 disappear.
Participants of this Granfondo can choose between 110km and 85km routes, both starting in Cesana Torinese and finishing up in Sestriere (2035m). The relatively short distances make this Granfondo the most accessible of the three Marmotte sportives, but no less challenging.
For more information and to register for the new events in the Marmotte Granfondo Series, visit www.marmottegranfondoseries.com.
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