Les Sentiers des Valdotains

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 1780m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 934m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1647m 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 95.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 102km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.6km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.6km–14.7km · Climb of 1783m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 14.7km–59.3km · Descent of 281m averaging 8%, descent of 934m averaging 15%, descent of 1157m averaging 16%. Plus 4 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 59.3km–102km · Climb of 1073m, descent of 1408m averaging 12%, high point 2980m, climb of 1105m. Plus 1 more 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 · 102km–116km · Descent of 1647m averaging 12%. 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 8200m+. With 68m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 44% of the distance is uphill, 42% downhill and 14% flat. The longest climb runs 14.7km at an average 12.1% grade (1783m of vertical). The longest descent runs 14.3km at an average 11.5% grade (1647m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 48.3% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 41.3% over 0.5km. Surface: 70% trail, 13% technical, 10% road, and 6% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 195.5 FlatKM.