X-Traversee

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 1027m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Steep 34% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• Final 827m 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 63.0km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 68.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.9km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.9km–10.7km · Climb of 1122m, high point 2703m, descent of 350m averaging 23%. 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. At altitude your pace drops, and that's fine. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 10.7km–44.1km · Descent of 1027m averaging 11%, climb of 1055m, descent of 643m averaging 8%. Plus 1 more climb. 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.
• Fade · 44.1km–68.6km · Climb of 636m, descent of 1549m averaging 14%, climb of 1206m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 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. 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 · 68.6km–75.0km · Descent of 827m averaging 13%. 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.

Course

The course climbs 5300m+. With 69m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 45% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 11% flat. The longest climb runs 12.5km at an average 8.5% grade (1055m of vertical). The longest descent runs 11.0km at an average 14.1% grade (1549m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 38.0% over 0.2km. The steepest descent drops at 46.1% over 0.2km. Surface: 74% trail, 12% road, 7% technical, and 7% smooth. Flat-equivalent effort: 124.7 FlatKM.

Poles

Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 11.8km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 54 of 100), with 35% of the load in the first half: 4 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 63.0km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 68.6km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #4 · 9.2–10.7 km · 350 m D−, -23.2% · 64.3 km ahead → control
• #1 · 14.3–23.4 km · 1027 m D−, -11.2% · 51.6 km ahead → control
• #2 · 35.9–44.1 km · 643 m D−, -7.9% · 30.9 km ahead → control
• #3 · 52.0–63.0 km · 1549 m D−, -14.1% · 12.0 km ahead → control
• 68.6–75.0 km · 827 m D−, -13.0% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end

Weather

On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 20°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 46%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 8% of days around this date.