Anyone raced IMCH?
I am looking for feedback on the bike course. How steep are the climbs and how technical are the descents?
Thanks in advance.
BQ
You can look at the course i think on the website.
But from an athlete’s view it looks like this.
Last year 2 rounds:
-about 1 hour reasonably flat around the lake, then a few climbs with the beast as the most serious one,the downhills are not technical in my point of view, the downhills where you could go really fast, you are not allowed to use the aerobars… The downhills are steep but certaonly when it’s dry safe, the uphills are mostly moderately steep(39-21,for me)
- when you cross the triathlon-stadium you still have to do heartbreak-hill which is really steep, BUT the atmosphere should make up for this.(39-27, to save the legs)
then about a 15min downhill and flat and you can start the second loop.
the roads are in good condition with only a few pot-holes, in the center of zurich you gave to watch out a bit for other competitors and the tram-rails but when you cycle a lot it should not present a problem for anyone.
Agree with the other response the course I found the course to be about 60% flat, 25% downhill and 15% climbing. There are really only 3 climbs but are all relatively short. The Beast is the big one but it is not too bad though the 2nd time it feels a bit longer:-). The downhills are not all that technical but in spots is pretty steep but I found much longer than the climbs. It poured rain last year so you needed to be a bit more cautious watching the painted lines and manhole covers which were really slick but it is a fast bike course. Heartbreak Hill is quite steep but really short and it is lined with people and bands so it was amazing. It was rainy and cold and still lined 5 deep all the way up, I can only imagine how much better it would have been on a nice day.
As far as what wheels to ride, go as deep as you can. It is definitely a disc course.
OT and i suppose I could find out elsewhere, but is the Locarno Tri still active. I did the first two and belive they were my favorite races of all time.
Sorry no idea the only race I have done in Switzerland was IM last year.
cool. thanks for your replies.
I am prob going to run a 12-25 and a disc in the rear and 53/39 Hed 3 up front. It sounds like it doesnt get much over 6% at the steepest. Is that accurate?
I was mostly wondering about the downhills, on the map it looks like there are some switchbacks and I was wondering how much speed you can carry down the hills.
While we’re at it, anyone want to talk about the run?
It’s the only place I can make up any ground on bpq!
FLAT , 4 laps
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Nice!!!
Just what I like
cool. thanks for your replies.
I am prob going to run a 12-25 and a disc in the rear and 53/39 Hed 3 up front. It sounds like it doesnt get much over 6% at the steepest. Is that accurate?
I was mostly wondering about the downhills, on the map it looks like there are some switchbacks and I was wondering how much speed you can carry down the hills.
I did the race in 2006, at the top of the steep down section they had a sign for riders not to be on the aero bars.I remember hitting about 50mph and started tapping the brakes.You do need to be aware of some switchbacks!
Ride or drive the course.
I think so, I ran a 12/25 and had no issues. That is a great set up for that course. No there aren’t any switchbacks on this course, turns yes but nothing too extreme. There are a few spots that you can’t use your aerobars or you will get a penalty or DQ. I got up to just over 70kph in the rain before I chickened out and started feathering the brakes. If it is dry you can let it go. It is a really easy bike course and beautiful too!!
The bike course has a bit of everything - flats, climbs and descents. Through lap 1 none of the climbs should cause any problems, however, I remember the long climb (can’t remember the name) seemed to take a lot longer on the 2nd lap. Gearing is dependant on your climbing ability, you may want a 39-27 to be safe. The descents can get fast, but as others have said are not too technical. Not too many aid stations if I remember, but all had lots of volunteers helping out. Despite the climbs it’s still a relatively fast bike course, so get you’re position dialed and use the most aero wheels you can get your hands on!
The run is 4 flat loops over concrete, so maybe consider a slightly more padded shoe as there is no grass/gravel to relieve your feet/knees. The aid stations are well stocked and are very frequent - water, coke, gels etc. and there was a Red Bull station last year, too. A few of the aid stations had a range of sweet and savory snacks, such as fruit, crisps, nuts and so on. Crowd support (especially on the run) is great, and it is bound to give you a lift.
Finally, don’t forget the transition. This isn’t your standard IM transition - it’s old school! No swim/bike or bike/run bags - everything is left at your own transition spot, which is ranked by race number.
Enjoy the race, it’s a well organised and supported event - hopefully you’ll have better weather than we did last year!