Ironman Valencia Bike Course Preview: My Analysis
The Ironman Valencia 70.3 is a hot new addition to the Spanish triathlon scene, taking place in the beautiful city of Valencia on April 21st, 2024. No surprise it’s sold out!
Since this will be the inaugural race, there’s no official course data on Strava to confirm the bike course elevation gain. So, I took the organizer’s bike course map and recreated it on RideWithGPS, trying my best to be accurate. Turns out, this was almost as tough as the course itself! I was constantly switching between Cycling, Driving, and Walking modes, and the app still tacked on a few extra kilometres.
Luckily, that didn’t mess with the elevation profile too much. Keep in mind this isn’t an exact replica of the Ironman Valencia bike course; my main focus was on getting that elevation gain profile right.
The Official Information
Not so much to say here – according to the Ironman Valencia website, it’s a 90-kilometer, single-loop course with 700 meters of elevation gain.
Comparison against similar courses in europe
Quick comparison of Ironman Valencia bike course elevation datada against similar half distance courses in Europe, reveals that it didn’t made even to Top 10 as it’s only 11th hilliest course in Europe.
My RideWithGPS Analysis
Despite the extra 4 kilometers my course picked up (thanks to the app’s limitations with following traffic rules), the elevation looks very similar – 691 meters of elevation gain, which lines up with the official number.
This elevation profile reveals a hilly course with two climbs. The first monster starts at the 14.5 km mark and stretches for 22.3 km. It has a 1.2% average grade and a max grade of a serious 7.2%. I reckon we’ll be climbing around 384 meters on this first one.
The second climb is much shorter – only 8 km with a 118-meter elevation gain. It has the same 1.2% average grade but a slightly gentler max grade of 3.6%, starting around the 55 km mark.
From the 63 km mark onward, it’s mainly downhill and flat – a great chance to make up for lost time on those climbs.
Important Note: This isn’t the official course, but it should give Ironman Valencia 70.3 athletes a way better picture of what that bike course elevation profile looks like. Get ready for those hills!
