Training Camps

It might be early August, but my mind is turning towards a winter training camp.

I blame work. I had to book a flight for a business trip last week and for some reason thought I'd better check flight prices for Mallorca in February... let's just say they were attractively priced.

Lets be clear right now about what constitutes a training camp. My definition is going away with a bunch of mates who happen to ride bikes. And you all want to ride as much as possible.

This works because we all want to take advantage of completely free, clear days to ride our bikes without having to worry about anything else - chores, work, commitments, responsibility. Its the closest you can get to living the life of a Pro. Most of us will never get any closer and that's just fine.

The riding is as intense or easy as you want to make it, but recovery sessions may include more Dutch beer and Lamumbas than a marginal gain would normally allow.

Last February in Mallorca it wasn't hot but it was 10 degrees warmer than home, the roads were great, it was cheap and because the winter economy of the island depends on cyclists, the drivers were courteous to a level no British rider is normally exposed to. 

A lot of hotels also have superb facilities for cyclists. We saw some snow, but it was where it belonged - on the tops of mountains and not on the roads (well maybe a little at the side of the road). We saw plenty of sunshine.

Oh, and there's scenery - did I mention that Mallorca is a beautiful island - particularly in the mountains. You couldn't ask for much more without building a justified reputation for being greedy.

The one thing I would change from the last trip? I won't expect to be in peak form for at least a couple of weeks afterwards... as a desperate Northern European who has escaped from the worst road conditions of the year at home, you want to make the most of it. And so you should... just expect to be knackered for a while on your return.

You can get a flavour of this year's trip with Velo Schils Interbike here