Training camps abroad

Place: There are many places around the world where you can rest and train well in the warm. In Europe, though, a few places stand out as the most suitable for amateurs from all over the Europe: Mallorca, the Canary Islands, the Costa Blanca, Girona or the Costa del Sol.

The Costa Blanca (Calp, Denia, Xabia, etc.) is the best place for cyclists from Europe in terms of travel, training and cost. It suits best those who want a real sports camp. On a single ride here you can meet plenty of professionals preparing for the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) season as well as amateurs from many countries. You can also meet the strongest in the world cyclists, who spend the winter here. There are also many pools and running tracks along this coast, so it is a great choice for other sports and multisport athletes too. There is a dense network of good roads, and getting there and living there is relatively cheaper than in other popular places. The infrastructure is made for cyclists and the climbs are less steep.

Getting there: Fly to the Costa Blanca or enjoy a drive across Europe. You can get there through 3 airports: Alicante (100 km, 1.5 h), Valencia (115 km, 1.5 h) and Barcelona (450 km, 4 h).

Budget: A 3 week camp for two people can cost about 2000-3000 € on average (without flights).

Car: Renting a car in Spain often costs 5-20 € a day (without extra insurance). Before choosing a car, read reviews of the rental agency and its terms.

Bike: There are two ways to have a bike at the camp: rent one or bring your own. Bike rental here is very tempting (100-150 € a week). Still, for a longer stay it is more fun to ride your own bike. You can send the bike to the camp before you leave, to friends who are already there or to yourself. If you travel rarely, there is no need to buy an expensive bike bag: the cardboard boxes new bikes come in, which you can find in any bike shop, work perfectly well, and you can get one for a small treat. A bike in a box takes up only 20-30% of the space, so you can use the rest for your own things.

Length: If you want even a minimal effect, spend at least 15 days at the training camp. Why? The first and last days at the camp go on travel, and right after arriving you need at least 3-4 days to settle into riding and for a first rest. So if you stay 10 days or fewer, you will only just get into the rhythm.

Timing: The best time for a camp is the end of March. After the camp the clocks will already have changed, so you can carry on with harder training for the race season. If you come back from a camp earlier, many people find it hard to make themselves train in the dark and the cold.

Weather: Of course it will not snow when you get to Spain, but be ready with warm enough clothing too: in March the temperature on the mainland ranges from 10°C to 20°C. There is a good chance you will have to ride in the rain at least once.

Accommodation: Perhaps the easiest way to find a place to stay is homeaway.com or airbnb.com. Owners tend to give discounts to those who rent for 3 weeks or longer. A 2-3 room flat on the seafront will probably cost 200-300 € a week. It is easier and cheaper for a larger group to rent a bigger place (a house) than for two people to rent a flat.

Food: The Costa Blanca is not purely a tourist region, so plenty of shops of all kinds are open here in winter and spring too. While in Spain, enjoy the local food: fresh prawns, freshly squeezed juice, great coffee with croissants by the marina or on the main street, and cheap local wine. There are also rumours of impressive orange groves whose locations are only passed on by word of mouth.

Where to train: Right after getting off the plane, do not try to ride up the highest mountain; most roads lead into the mountains, so know your route clearly before you set off. For the first days and for evening rides, choose flatter places (around the town (opens in a new tab) or towards Oliva, Pego and Pedreguer (opens in a new tab)). Other popular routes go over Val de Ebo (opens in a new tab), Tollos (opens in a new tab), Coll de Rates (opens in a new tab), Vall de Gallinera (opens in a new tab), Val de Ebo (opens in a new tab) (Example 1 (opens in a new tab), Example 2 (opens in a new tab)). Once you have trained a bit, you can find some exotic stuff too: for example the "bonus" part of Coll de Rates (opens in a new tab) or the Miserat challenge.

Other: When you go out for a ride, always take a pump, an inner tube and at least a minimal tool kit: calling a neighbour for help will not be as easy here as at home. It is also very important to have enough water, food, some money and at least one bar hidden under the saddle for emergencies. Spain has a dense but also confusing network of roads that suit bike training, so a GPS device with a route planned in advance is very useful here.

Mallorca suits best those travelling in the second half of spring, when the weather on the island has warmed up a little. The road network is not very large, but it is good. You can ride both on the flat and in the mountains, visiting a different beautiful spot on the island each time. Still, as on the other islands, plan a somewhat bigger budget than on the mainland.

The Costa del Sol has very convenient connections when flying from Europe and a warmer climate than the Costa Blanca, but the roads are worse and there are fewer gentle climbs; it also suits those who want to ride gravel or MTB bikes.

Girona is the best place for those who want to dive into the epicentre of cycling pop culture. Girona was once made popular as a place for cyclists by American riders, but now it is more a place for coffee rides and showing off nice kit. It is only an hour from Barcelona airport, so getting there from Europe is easy too. The climate is a little colder than in southern or central Spain and rain is more likely, but the area has rolling terrain with good roads and the chance to climb a few not very hard summits.