Up & Downhill

Race strategy

Short race: go all out.

• Hold your race pace up to 6.8km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and go all out on the final descent from 6.8km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.1km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Work · 2.1km–6.8km · Climb of 441m, high point 1537m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 6.8km–11.0km · Descent of 391m averaging 9%. Kick for the line: give it everything you've got. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 594m+. With 66m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 33% downhill and 32% flat. The longest climb runs 6.8km at an average 6.5% grade (441m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.2km at an average 9.2% grade (391m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 20.5% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 19.5% over 0.6km. Surface: 77% trail, 13% road, and 8% smooth.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.0km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 8 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and go all out on the final descent from 6.8km.
• 6.8–11.0 km · 391 m D−, -9.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end