TOR100 Cervino-Monte Bianco

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1542m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 38% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 1936m 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 65.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 87.9km 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–13.4km · Climb of 585m, descent of 469m averaging 9%. 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.
• Work · 13.4km–49.5km · Descent of 739m averaging 20%, descent of 1542m averaging 15%, climb of 1153m. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 49.5km–87.9km · Descent of 1127m averaging 21%, descent of 905m averaging 23%, climb of 1415m, high point 2888m. Plus 1 more climb 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. 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. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 87.9km–105km · Descent of 1936m averaging 11%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 8000m+. With 80m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 48% downhill and 9% flat. The longest climb runs 11.1km at an average 12.8% grade (1415m of vertical). The longest descent runs 17.3km at an average 11.2% grade (1936m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 45.6% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 40.6% over 0.6km. Surface: 84% trail, 8% road, and 7% technical.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 20.2km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 71 of 100), with 52% 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 65.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 87.9km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #4 · 7.9–13.4 km · 469 m D−, -8.5% · 91.8 km ahead → control
• #3 · 21.4–25.2 km · 739 m D−, -19.7% · 80.0 km ahead → control
• #1 · 33.7–44.1 km · 1542 m D−, -14.8% · 61.1 km ahead → control
• #2 · 49.5–54.9 km · 1127 m D−, -21.0% · 50.3 km ahead → control
• #5 · 61.3–65.3 km · 905 m D−, -22.6% · 39.9 km ahead → control
• 87.9–105.2 km · 1936 m D−, -11.2% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
• Plus 1 more notable descent not listed: your pace.