MY25

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 325m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 25% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 9.4km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 19.4km.
• 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–14.0km · Descent of 325m averaging 10%, high point 323m. Plus 2 more climbs. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 14.0km–19.4km · 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.
• Home · 19.4km–25.6km · Descent of 295m averaging 5%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line.

Course

The course climbs 1012m+. With 39m/km of climbing, this is a rolling, mostly runnable course. By gradient, 35% of the distance is uphill, 30% downhill and 35% flat. The longest climb runs 6.1km at an average 4.5% grade (271m of vertical). The longest descent runs 6.2km at an average 4.8% grade (295m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 20.4% over 0.8km. The steepest descent drops at 30.0% over 0.2km. Surface: 36% smooth, 33% trail, and 31% road.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 2.5km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 14 of 100): a few descents worth noting, none of them decisive.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 9.4km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 19.4km.
• #1 · 6.1–9.4 km · 325 m D−, -9.7% · 16.2 km ahead → control
• 19.4–25.6 km · 295 m D−, -4.8% · 0.0 km ahead → free