MUZ14

Race strategy

Short race: go all out.

• Hold your race pace up to 11.0km, but stay in control.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 6.7km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 11.0km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Work · 2.3km–11.0km · Descent of 311m averaging 16%, climb of 342m, high point 1074m. Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. 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.
• Home · 11.0km–14.2km · Descent of 443m averaging 14%. 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 900m+ and descends 900m−. With 62m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 38% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 4.8km at an average 9.1% grade (432m of vertical). The longest descent runs 3.2km at an average 13.9% grade (443m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 18.9% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 28.4% over 0.4km. Surface: 52% trail, 25% road, 11% technical, and 7% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 20.0 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.9km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 12 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 6.7km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 11.0km.
• #1 · 4.8–6.7 km · 311 m D−, -16.4% · 7.6 km ahead → control
• 11.0–14.2 km · 443 m D−, -13.9% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 13°C to 24°C, with around 19°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 57%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 11% of days around this date.