GXA

Race strategy

Run the climb at race pace, build your speed on the downhill, and go all out at the finish.

• Start easy and control your HR up to 6.4km.
• Final 417m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 6.4km 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–6.4km · 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.
• Home · 6.4km–14.3km · Descent of 417m averaging 5%, high point 1849m. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end.

Course

By gradient, 40% of the distance is uphill, 26% downhill and 34% flat. The longest climb runs 6.4km at an average 4.8% grade (308m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.8km at an average 5.3% grade (417m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 17.4% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 17.4% over 1.0km.

Poles

The course is runnable enough that trekking poles are not needed.

Quad damage

There is too little runnable descent to damage the quads: plan the race around climbing and fuelling.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, and start the final descent from 6.4km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• 6.4–14.3 km · 417 m D−, -5.3% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end