Sportive route design: what do you think of this profile?

Eintzel

Hi guys,

Let me start by saying many thanks to anyone who takes the time to provide an opinion here.

We're at the planning stages of organising a sportive overseas. We're trying out different course routes and are currently thinking of the one through the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1n9IsHjZyWjWVFpTzF3LXhNaDg/view?usp=sharing

The course is an out-and-back loop that starts with a mountain range to its left, turns around the mountain and then crosses the mountain through a winding pass (guess which bit that is!)

We'd really appreciate some comments. Is the climb manageable by your enthusiastic recreational sportive cyclist? What do you think of a course building up to that big climb at the end? Given the course can be turned around, is it better to have the massive climb at the end or maybe at the beginning?

Many thanks again

florerider

What is the gradient of the long climb?

Eintzel

The climb is about 25km long and picks up about 1,100m elevation, so I make it about 4.5%.

raisinberry777

Sure it is, there's an alpine Sportive in Australia which covers 235km with 5000m of elevation, including a 9km climb averaging 8-9% which starts just after the 200km mark, and it sells out attracting around 2000 riders each year. A steady climb like that shouldn't phase most enthusiastic recreational riders.

Eintzel

Thanks, raisinberry! Is that the ACE 250 you're referring to?

florerider

W

Eintzel wrote:

The climb is about 25km long and picks up about 1,100m elevation, so I make it about 4.5%.

That's not a deal breaker

raisinberry777

Eintzel wrote:

Thanks, raisinberry! Is that the ACE 250 you're referring to?

3 Peaks, but the ACE 250 takes more or less the same route.

ugo.santalucia

I think something is wrong in your mapping software... don't think there are anywhere near 4.9 Km of climbing there... more like 2-2.5 Km maybe

DeVlaeminck

Sportive riders expect massive climbs don't they? I'd have the set piece climb at the end rather beginning.

Eintzel

Thanks, DeVlaeminck.

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I think something is wrong in your mapping software... don't think there are anywhere near 4.9 Km of climbing there... more like 2-2.5 Km maybe

Ugo - I think you might be right. I've been trying Google Earth and I suspect the rendering is quite poor, adding hundreds of spurious micro-bumps on the elevation profile. Any suggestions on something that would work with better with a Google Maps .kmz would be gratefully received!

Also, guys, in terms of timing, assuming a participant comes out for a week with the family over summer break, would you have the race on the front Sunday of the back Sunday?