La Rock'Voizine

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 257m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 580m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 4.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 44.4km.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–27.3km · Descent of 257m averaging 6%, high point 875m. Plus 1 more climb. 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can.
• Work · 27.3km–33.1km · Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Fade · 33.1km–44.4km · Plus 2 more climbs and 1 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. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 44.4km–49.9km · Descent of 580m averaging 11%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 1834m+. With 36m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 33% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 26% flat. The longest climb runs 3.0km at an average 12.3% grade (375m of vertical). The longest descent runs 5.5km at an average 10.6% grade (580m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 21.4% over 1.0km. The steepest descent drops at 27.8% over 0.2km. Surface: 74% trail, 20% smooth, and 5% road.

Summits

The course also passes close to Puech Nègre (863m).

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 4.2km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 32 of 100), with 30% of the load in the first half: 1 descent deserves a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Go easy on the first downhill, save your quads on the descents until 4.1km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 44.4km.
• #1 · 0.0–4.1 km · 257 m D−, -6.3% · 45.8 km ahead → control
• 29.0–33.1 km · 366 m D−, -8.9% · 16.8 km ahead → your pace
• 36.2–38.0 km · 327 m D−, -18.2% · 11.9 km ahead → your pace
• 44.4–49.9 km · 580 m D−, -10.6% · 0.0 km ahead → free