Former WorldTour Cyclist Turned Trail Runner Says Cycling is Easy Compared to Competing at UTMB
Some athletes retire from the WorldTour and try gravel racing, some start coaching or announcing races. But former pro cyclist Christian Meier, 38, decided to try an entirely different sport. The Canadian rider retired from cycling 7 years ago, after racing professionally from 2005 to 2016. But recently, he gave trail running a try. And it turns out, he’s really good at it.
In June Meier entered a 50-kilometer trail race on a whim because his injured friend wasn’t going to use his bib. According to Canadian Cycling Magazine, Meier won the race out of more than 600 runners. Meier is from Canada, but now lives in Spain full time. The event was the 50-kilometer version of the Trail 100 Andorra by UTMB. So Meier decided to give it a go at an even bigger race.
If you know anything about trail running, you know that the absolute pinnacle of events occur in Chamonix, France over the course of this week—the UTMB World Championships. The most prestigious of the races is UTMB Mont Blanc. The race that started it all. It covers 171-kilometers (106 miles) and 10,000 meters (32,700 feet) of elevation gain around Mont-Blanc through Italy, Switzerland, and France.
But since UTMB’s inception 20 years ago, they’ve added several other versions of the race—many that are now just as challenging and competitive as the main event. One of those is UTMB TDS—Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie (following the footprints of the Dukes of Savoie). TDS covers 90 miles with more than 30,000 feet of climbing. And the men’s winner this year, Christian Meier. “Cycling is very easy compared to running,” Meier said minutes after finishing, according to Trail Runner Magazine.
Trail Runner reported that TDS “presents the most technical and remote challenge during the UTMB Mont Blanc weeklong festival.” And this year was especially dramatic as athletes traversed the alps during an overnight snowstorm. “Meier took it out hot, hovering in the top 10 for the first half of the race before moving into first around Pas d’Outray (mile 55). He never looked back, breaking the tape in 19:36:35.”
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