TGS Sprint

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 732m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 45% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 846m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 12.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 16.4km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.4km–12.6km · Climb of 811m, descent of 732m averaging 13%, high point 1049m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Work · 12.6km–16.4km · Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Home · 16.4km–21.9km · Descent of 846m averaging 15%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 1800m+. With 82m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 16% flat. The longest climb runs 6.8km at an average 11.9% grade (811m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.8km at an average 12.7% grade (732m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 49.4% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 47.9% over 0.2km. Surface: 63% trail, 21% road, and 11% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 39.2 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Zucco della Rocca (855m), 17.6km from the start. The course also passes close to Zucco Vignosca (406m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 5.2km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 24 of 100), with 27% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 12.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 16.4km.
• #1 · 6.8–12.6 km · 732 m D−, -12.7% · 9.3 km ahead → control
• 16.4–21.8 km · 846 m D−, -15.5% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 16°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 35%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 14% of days around this date.