Of course the 2009 Etap course was announced last week. The Guilford Pootle-on riders were waiting with baited breath – was it going to be the Alps or the Pyrenees again, was it as had been rumoured going to be Mont Ventoux?
The day arrived. There was a mad scramble by each person to get an entry only package off of Graham Baxters Sports Tours. A newsletter went out to 7000 people announcing that they had 100 entry only packages, however, they were sold out within 3 hours.
A number of the Guilford Pootle-on riders applied in time and got hold of one of the packages. Others like me who could not get to a computer all day did not. My application was too late. Looks like I will have to buy a package.
At this stage I must admit that The Wife banned me from the 2008 Etap as I was in a bit of a physical wreck of a state after the 2007 Etap and I expect that she would not entertain me entering the 2009 Etap (so at this stage I have not mentioned it). However, if I just happened to have an entry and could get the training done surreptitiously (like, how do you surreptitiously train for the Etap, any ideas?) then she could hardly refuse me permission to go to France for the weekend of July 20th 2009 “training”. If the Etap was on that weekend and I just happened to have an entry, well, I would just have to go along with all the other lads.
I do fancy the idea of ticking off a few of those famous climbs. Despite not having an Etap entry in 2008 I did go with the Guilford Pootle-on on the reckie trip in June and did the Tourmalet (from both sides) and the Hautacam.
I will not be doing both La Marmotte and the Etap in 2009 as a number of the Guilford Pootle-on are planning. They got the idea from the London Dynamos who in 2008 did La Marmotte and the Etap in one weekend!
La Marmotte looks like a step too far for a young man like me.
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