IRONMAN Tours・Loire ValleyVerified
IRONMAN Tours・Loire Valley: 180 km bike leg, 738 m of climbing. Elevation profile, what the terrain asks of you, the weather this race day usually brings, and how to pace this course.
Course intel
Full distance in the Loire Valley: officially described as fast and completely flat, passing vineyards and châteaux including Château d'Ussé, on roads built for speed. About 649 m of elevation gain spread across 180 km is barely noticeable, early June in central France is mild, and the valley wind is the main variable. Aid stations at 17, 42, 69, 97, 100, 124 and 153 km.
Source: Adapted from the official course description (the course page on ironman.com)
The terrain on this course
- Flat (±1.2%) makes up 80%
- Main climb 35.0–36.1 km: 41 m of gain (avg 3.6%)
- Main climb 88.5–89.8 km: 48 m of gain (avg 3.6%)
- Main climb 123.8–124.8 km: 37 m of gain (avg 3.7%)
Speed score
Rolling terrain is where you overspend without noticing: 20 extra watts on every little rise adds up and empties your legs for the back half. Let power touch the top of the range on the small stuff and leave it there.
Historical race-day weather (around 06-06): 17.6°C · Wind 3.3 m/s
0 to 100, and the higher it is the easier it is to post a good time. Points come off for terrain, for corners, and for the heat and wind this race has actually had over the last five years at the same time of year. Full explanation in the article “How the course score works”.