Where is the TDS decided?
On the climb out of Bourg St Maurice to Fort de la Platte, about a third of the way in.
The course comes into Bourg St Maurice off the long way down from La Thuile: a steep descent of 1,175 m to Seez, then a short, flat run into town. Less than a third of the work is done there. At the time-limit pace you leave Bourg St Maurice at half past one on Tuesday afternoon.
From the town the course goes straight up. It climbs 1,176 m to Fort de la Platte in 5 km, very steep on average, the biggest climb of the race. Past the fort it climbs on to the Passeur de Pralognan, well above it, before it drops to Cormet de Roselend. Kilometre for kilometre, that leg is the hardest of the course, nearly half as hard again as the average. At the time-limit pace you reach Cormet de Roselend at twenty to eight in the evening, more than six hours after leaving town.
What follows gives little back. From La Gittaz the course climbs again, and half the effort is done soon after. Then comes the biggest descent of the race, 1,306 m down towards Beaufort, very steep on average. At the time-limit pace Beaufort comes at half past three on Wednesday morning, in the second night.
The finish is gentler than the ground that leads to it. From Les Contamines the last big climb rises 589 m to the Chalets du Truc. Then the course drops from the Col de Tricot, and again from Bellevue to Les Houches, 787 m and steep. That leg, Les Contamines to Les Houches, holds as big a share of the effort as any on the course. The last 9 km into Chamonix climb less than 300 m. At the time-limit pace you reach Les Houches at twenty to seven on Wednesday evening, and Chamonix at ten to nine.
Organiser's distances and heights; Pendio's shares and clock.