Eagles' Ridge

Race strategy

Short race: go all out.

• Hold your race pace up to 8.9km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and go all out on the final descent from 8.9km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Work · 2.4km–8.9km · Climb of 759m, high point 951m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 8.9km–13.5km · Descent of 699m averaging 15%. 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 800m+. With 57m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 56% of the distance is uphill, 38% downhill and 6% flat. The longest climb runs 8.9km at an average 8.5% grade (759m of vertical). The longest descent runs 4.6km at an average 15.2% grade (699m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 20.4% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 33.8% over 0.4km. Flat-equivalent effort: 21.3 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 1.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 11 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 8.9km.
• 8.9–13.5 km · 699 m D−, -15.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 22°C to 30°C, with around 24°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 16%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 2% of days around this date.