November 22

UTMB 2019: NEW COURSE FOR TDS 145KM/D+9,000M (6/6 ITRA POINTS, 9/15 MOUNTAIN POINTS)

Posted by adefrutos on November 22, 2018 in TDS, TDS 2019, trail running, trail running spain, Ultra Trail, ultra trail mont-blanc, ultra trail running 2019, UTMB, UTMB 2019 | Leave a comment

Last August Trailrunningspain.com and carrerasdemontana.com was in UTMB 2018 to describing and narrating to you all happened in the seven races of UTMB 2018. Today UTMB presents a new course for TDS, 145km and 9100 metres of height gain for a new harder and more beautiful course race.

_____________________________________

UTMB 2019 TDS: NEW COURSE

The 11^thedition of the TDS will be more beautiful, more technical and more lively, this new adventure awaits runners with a longer itinerary that passes through the Beaufortain massif.

A journey marked by sharing and discovery, to get to know the inhabitants of the valley, their expertise, their trails, but also their natural and… gastronomic heritage. With this incursion into the heart of the Beaufortain, the race that follows the footprints of the Dukes of Savoie (TDS – Traces des Ducs de Savoie) has never worn so well its name and its attachment to the territory. As for the challenge, it has never been so exciting and magnificent, daring and technical, wild and unusual.

Have you ever run TDS? Is the one you have missed, now it is an opportunity for runners from all over the world to come and rediscover this race, which promises to be one of the highlights of the 2019 edition of the Sommet Mondial du Trail.

TDS Classic course (120k/D+7430m): The race starts from Courmayeur, with the French Bourg Saint Maurice as the great intermediate rest station, the alpine village of Les Contamines afterwards and finally finishing in Chamonix. It is the rock&roll race with several routes in altitude (> 2500m) and hills like the Col Tricot, in which the climatic conditions can be very difficult (night, wind, cold, rain or snow), and requires a very good training, adapted material and a real capacity for personal autonomy. It has been always a course that requires concentration as the trails can have mud, stones and other surprises hidden as the charming bridge over the Miage glacier that the popular runners must also cross in the middle of the night.

Old profile TDS

TDS New course (145k/D+9.100): The new route was designed by the UTMB race commission with the help of Thierry Bochet’s expertise – he is a brilliant local finisher of the PTL. It enters the heart of the Savoie passing through all the unmissable places of the massif such as Pas d’Outray, a true viewpoint of the Beaufortain, with its breathtaking view of the Pierra Menta and the Grand Mont, two mythical places for ski mountaineering. Not to mention the Mount Vorès, with its alpine and green atmosphere, where Tarine and Abondance cows love to graze. Or, the panoramas of the mythical lakes of the valley at the passage of Gittaz, that lead runners into the heart of the massif.

Profile TDS 2019

Another upside to this new route is its adaptability in case of difficult weather conditions with several variants that allow runners to follow closely the original route. As for the logistics, the race will start from Courmayeur as usual, and the arrival will be in Chamonix.

Also notice that the start is scheduled 2 hours earlier than usual (4am) to allow runners to cover the additional 23 kilometers and 1800 meters of height gain. Logically, the time barrier is delayed, leaving 42 hours for participants to finish the race instead of the 34 hours of 2018.

This 2019 the TDS maybe harder than UTMB as it has 410 ITRA points.

Map TDS 2019

As for supporters and spectators, following the race will be easier thanks to the fact that the Cormet de Roselend life base will be relocated in Beaufort, where supporters will be able to benefit from the village’s infrastructures and facilities. The new route will also pass through Hauteluce, with its many hamlets, its alpine chalets and its breathtaking view of the Mont-Blanc.

All supporters can count on the warmth and enthusiasm of the Beaufortains who only wish to show their typical alpine village, renowned for its authenticity and friendliness.

_____________________________________

UTMB TDS PHOTOS