TOR130 Tot Dret

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1420m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1207m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1935m 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 95.1km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 118km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.5km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.5km–7.9km · Climb of 1416m. 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 · 7.9km–63.4km · Descent of 1207m averaging 19%, descent of 1252m averaging 17%, descent of 519m averaging 9%. Plus 3 more climbs and 1 descent. 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 · 63.4km–118km · Descent of 1542m averaging 15%, descent of 1128m averaging 21%, descent of 905m averaging 23%. Plus 3 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. 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 · 118km–135km · Descent of 1935m 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

By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 45% downhill and 10% flat. The longest climb runs 13.5km at an average 9.1% grade (1238m of vertical). The longest descent runs 17.2km at an average 11.2% grade (1935m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 45.5% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 61.6% over 0.5km. Surface: 87% trail and 8% road.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 27.3km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 79 of 100), with 46% of the load in the first half: 6 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 95.1km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 118km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 7.9–14.1 km · 1207 m D−, -19.4% · 120.8 km ahead → control
• #2 · 25.7–33.0 km · 1252 m D−, -17.2% · 101.9 km ahead → control
• #5 · 36.5–42.6 km · 519 m D−, -8.6% · 92.3 km ahead → control
• #3 · 63.4–73.8 km · 1542 m D−, -14.8% · 61.1 km ahead → control
• #4 · 79.3–84.6 km · 1128 m D−, -21.0% · 50.3 km ahead → control
• #6 · 91.1–95.1 km · 905 m D−, -22.6% · 39.8 km ahead → control
• 117.7–134.9 km · 1935 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.