L'Intégrale des Causses

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 494m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 516m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Steep 27% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 28.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 52.6km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.8km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.8km–21.7km · Climb of 557m, high point 906m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 21.7km–34.6km · Descent of 494m averaging 10%. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Fade · 34.6km–52.6km · 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. 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 · 52.6km–59.2km · Descent of 516m averaging 8%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 2628m+. With 44m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 29% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 26% flat. The longest climb runs 7.2km at an average 7.7% grade (557m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.5km at an average 7.9% grade (516m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 26.3% over 1.5km. The steepest descent drops at 26.8% over 0.6km. Surface: 55% trail, 25% smooth, 8% road, and 6% technical.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Pouncho d'Agast (841m), 56.5km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Mont Redon (836m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 5.8km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 34 of 100), with 40% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Control your HR on the first climb, save your quads on the descents until 28.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 52.6km.
• #1 · 23.5–28.6 km · 494 m D−, -9.7% · 30.6 km ahead → control
• 34.6–39.5 km · 345 m D−, -7.0% · 19.7 km ahead → your pace
• 45.6–50.3 km · 427 m D−, -9.1% · 8.9 km ahead → your pace
• 52.6–59.2 km · 516 m D−, -7.9% · 0.0 km ahead → free