X-Alpine

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 2044m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Big early climb with 2150m gain. Control your HR at altitude.
• Final 829m 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 84.0km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 130km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.4km–27.4km · Climb of 1027m, descent of 2044m averaging 10%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 27.4km–69.7km · Climb of 2145m, high point 2817m, descent of 1536m averaging 21%, climb of 1588m. 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 · 69.7km–130km · Descent of 1409m averaging 10%, climb of 1106m, climb of 1207m. Plus 1 more climb and 2 descents. 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 · 130km–136km · Descent of 829m averaging 13%. 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.

Course

The course climbs 10400m+. With 74m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 45% of the distance is uphill, 44% downhill and 12% flat. The longest climb runs 17.8km at an average 12.1% grade (2145m of vertical). The longest descent runs 19.7km at an average 10.4% grade (2044m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 47.0% over 0.4km. The steepest descent drops at 46.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 69% trail, 12% technical, 11% road, and 7% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 241.6 FlatKM.