How to prepare a race without signaling?
There are times and races where pre-planning and a good orientation tool are the basis for success. Without going any further, last year, Melcior Mauri himself explained to us how thanks to the route planning software, Land. He had managed to win one of the stages of the Titan Desert, one of the toughest orienteering races in the world.
What is bicycle orienteering?
It is said that a race is an orienteering race when you don’t have a marked route, but some marked points (checkpoints) where you must pass. From there, each runner chooses his or her own route to complete the course in the shortest possible time. It is therefore important to have the most accurate maps possible and a good GPS device that allows you to visualise all the possible paths and shortcuts.
How do you plan an orienteering MTB race like the Titan Desert?
In addition to pre-race training, planning is essential for these events.
Before the start of the race, the organisation sends the tracks, but does not provide the coordinates of the checkpoints until you get there. You can work with the official tracks or create alternatives using a detailed map of the whole area that allows you to discover shortcuts that others don’t see. Many times it will be necessary to work with different maps at the same time and you will need to master tools that allow you to join them together and create your own map. This is the personalised map with which Melcior Mauri will face this year’s Titan Desert.
The day before the start of each stage, the organisers announce the coordinates of the next stage and it is then that you have to work with the computer, with the tracks and create the waypoints with the obligatory waypoints, trying to create the fastest and most efficient route, in order to transfer all the data to the GPS.
How does the orienteering race run?
The races are unmarked routes, in which the GPS is the undisputed protagonist of each stage as it is essential to locate the checkpoints and to be able to keep the correct course. The fastest rider to pass through all the checkpoints and reach the finish line will be the winner of the stage.
In conclusion, it is important to have 100% reliable route planning software and maps, that will make the difference. In addition, the use of GPS is vital to know where you are at any given moment.
What is the best route planning software?
Land is a software that allows you to prepare routes in unknown terrain with maximum reliability, it is enough to know the starting and finishing point, as well as the coordinates to create the waypoints. You yourself will create the itinerary that suits you point by point. Once plotted, pass your route to the GPS and get ready to win.