IRONMAN 70.3 Vilamoura-AlgarveVerified
IRONMAN 70.3 Vilamoura-Algarve: 90 km bike leg, 1050 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
A single 90 km lap through the Algarve interior, official elevation gain 1,169 m, one of the hillier 70.3 courses in Europe, with a high point around 300 m. Early April in southern Portugal is mild, the country roads have plenty of bends, and the plan holds a set level on the short climbs and gets the speed back on the flats.
Source: Adapted from the official course description (the course page on ironman.com)
The terrain on this course
- Flat (±1.2%) makes up 45%
- Main climb 12.2–13.8 km: 83 m of gain (avg 5.1%)
- Main climb 30.4–32.2 km: 113 m of gain (avg 6.3%)
- Main climb 42.0–43.2 km: 76 m of gain (avg 5.8%)
Speed score
On a climb-heavy course, few people lose to the hills; most lose to attacking them. Hold your range going up, relax and recover going down, and save your legs for the run.
Historical race-day weather (around 04-03): 15.0°C · Wind 4.2 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”.