TUX070

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1.1km gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 490m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1290m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 54.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 58.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.3km–11.5km · Climb of 1082m, descent of 490m averaging 14%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine.
• Work · 11.5km–29.3km · Descent of 436m averaging 34%, descent of 518m averaging 19%, descent of 498m averaging 14%. Plus 3 more climbs. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 29.3km–58.6km · Climb of 850m, descent of 1918m averaging 12%, climb of 526m. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 58.6km–67.1km · Descent of 1290m averaging 15%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 4400m+. With 63m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 48% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 7% flat. The longest climb runs 9.1km at an average 9.4% grade (850m of vertical). The longest descent runs 16.1km at an average 11.9% grade (1918m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 36.4% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 49.3% over 0.3km. Surface: 74% trail, 11% smooth, 9% technical, and 5% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 114.0 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Kreuzjoch (2338m), 45.2km from the start. The course also passes close to Rastkogel (2762m) and Halslspitze (2574m).

Poles

Trekking poles are worth taking: about 14.9km of the course favours them.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 57 of 100), with 42% of the load in the first half: 5 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 54.5km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 58.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 7.9–11.5 km · 490 m D−, -13.6% · 55.6 km ahead → control
• #5 · 17.8–19.1 km · 436 m D−, -33.6% · 47.9 km ahead → control
• #3 · 19.9–22.7 km · 518 m D−, -19.0% · 44.4 km ahead → control
• #4 · 25.7–29.3 km · 498 m D−, -13.6% · 37.7 km ahead → control
• #2 · 38.4–54.5 km · 1918 m D−, -11.9% · 12.6 km ahead → control
• 58.6–67.1 km · 1290 m D−, -15.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 3°C to 10°C, with around 6°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.