Termières dera Libertat

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Big early climb with 2270m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• 1297m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Final 1353m 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 49.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 62.8km 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–20.6km · Climb of 2265m, high point 2451m. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace.
• Work · 20.6km–42.1km · Descent of 1297m averaging 14%, climb of 1412m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Fade · 42.1km–62.8km · Descent of 898m averaging 12%, climb of 1112m. 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. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 62.8km–72.7km · Descent of 1353m averaging 14%. 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. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

The course climbs 5100m+. With 68m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 42% of the distance is uphill, 47% downhill and 11% flat. The longest climb runs 20.6km at an average 11.0% grade (2265m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.8km at an average 13.8% grade (1353m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 44.0% over 0.3km. The steepest descent drops at 41.0% over 0.2km. Surface: 84% trail, 7% smooth, and 5% technical. Flat-equivalent effort: 114.4 FlatKM.

Summits

The highest summit on the course is Soum de l'Escalette / Tuc dera Escaleta (2466m), 20.6km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Pic de Pouylané / Tuc de Poilanèr (2221m) and Tuc de Letassi (2176m).

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 14.7km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 53 of 100), with 40% of the load in the first half: 2 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 49.8km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 62.8km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 20.6–29.8 km · 1297 m D−, -14.1% · 42.9 km ahead → control
• #2 · 42.1–49.7 km · 898 m D−, -11.8% · 22.9 km ahead → control
• 62.8–72.7 km · 1353 m D−, -13.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 12°C to 21°C, with around 13°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 34%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 4% of days around this date.