CCC

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 40% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 1560m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 685m 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 63.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 97.0km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–8.9km · Climb of 1317m, high point 2539m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 8.9km–53.2km · Descent of 675m averaging 11%, descent of 262m averaging 15%, descent of 1560m averaging 8%. Plus 2 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 53.2km–97.0km · Descent of 978m averaging 10%, climb of 1896m. Plus 1 more descent. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 97.0km–105km · Descent of 685m averaging 8%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 6200m+ and descends 6382m−. With 57m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 16% flat. The longest climb runs 18.9km at an average 10.0% grade (1896m of vertical). The longest descent runs 19.1km at an average 8.2% grade (1560m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 44.4% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 30.4% over 0.2km. Surface: 74% trail and 18% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 151.3 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Tête de la Tronche (2584m), 8.9km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Mont de la Saxe (2346m). The course also passes close to Le Béchar (1720m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 17.0km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 64 of 100), with 47% of the load in the first half: 4 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 63.3km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 97.0km.
• #2 · 8.9–15.2 km · 675 m D−, -10.6% · 89.9 km ahead → control
• #4 · 24.0–25.8 km · 262 m D−, -14.6% · 79.4 km ahead → control
• #1 · 30.1–49.2 km · 1560 m D−, -8.2% · 56.0 km ahead → control
• #3 · 53.2–63.3 km · 978 m D−, -9.7% · 41.8 km ahead → control
• 97.0–105.1 km · 685 m D−, -8.4% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 10°C to 20°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 44%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 11% of days around this date.

Results

1,516 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Cristian Minoggio (Italy) in 10:21:48. Women's winner: Yngvild Kaspersen (Norway) in 12:01:14.