Stubai Express

Race strategy

Run easy on the first mountain, then go all out on the second.

• 581m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 527m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the way down from it until 11.2km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 15.2km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.4km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.4km–11.2km · Descent of 581m averaging 8%. 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. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Work · 11.2km–15.2km · Climb of 510m, high point 1399m. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Home · 15.2km–22.3km · Descent of 527m averaging 7%. Build to the finish: leave whatever you have left out on the course. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 1240m+. With 54m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 42% of the distance is uphill, 39% downhill and 19% flat. The longest climb runs 4.3km at an average 8.7% grade (370m of vertical). The longest descent runs 7.0km at an average 7.5% grade (527m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 39.9% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 19.8% over 0.5km. Surface: 54% trail, 30% road, 8% technical, and 8% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 33.7 FlatKM.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 3.3km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is low (index 19 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 11.2km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 15.2km.
• #1 · 4.3–11.2 km · 581 m D−, -8.3% · 11.0 km ahead → control
• 15.2–22.2 km · 527 m D−, -7.5% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end