Kicking off the year in Spain

Written by Sabrina Hayes:

January kicked off with two weeks of team camp in Calpe, Spain, where we took full advantage of the smooth roads, (mostly) sunny weather, and of course the coffee shops. With some of us coming straight from cyclocross world cups in Belgium and others arriving from home, the camp was the perfect way to reset, build fitness, and get in solid base miles before the road season picks up. Same as last year, this team camp was marked by coastal roads, beautiful climbs and long descents – specifically the classic Coll de Rates. Whether we were doing power tests, intervals or just getting in a good endurance day, the Coll de Rates is the perfect climb – you know you’re in the right spot when you see world tour teams doing their testing all the way up and down the mountain! Starting in the town of Parcent, the “front side” of Coll de Rates is 6.8 kilometers long at about a 5 percent grade. From Parcent, it’s a relatively short and steady ascent, but it’s easy to build it into a longer ride with the countless route options in every direction. The climb itself offers stunning views, especially looking west toward the Costa Blanca and the rugged peaks of the Sierra de Bernia range. With smooth pavement and a steady grade, it’s understandable why Coll de Rates has become an integral part of our training in Calpe for a second year.

Each rider came into camp with slightly different goals with some preparing for cyclocross world championships and others focused on building base miles, which meant that not every ride looked the same and we couldn’t always roll out together. But no matter the route, effort, or distance, there was always one thing that brought us back together: coffee stops! Whether it was a long day in the saddle or a short recovery spin, nearly every ride featured a mid-ride espresso and pastry break. We frequented some of our favorites from last year—Musette Café, perfectly placed on the way back from Coll de Rates 53.11, where a few of us even spotted Tadej Pogačar on a recovery ride; and Café Seamos, a cyclist go-to in downtown Calpe. Even if we couldn’t roll out together, we always made sure to plan a coffee meet up at the end of our rides so that we could always hang out and talk about our rides. As student-athletes, many of us found ourselves at Café Seamos more than once, making good use of the free WiFi and outlets to stay on top of schoolwork between training sessions and make sure we didn’t fall behind in classes. As team camp came to a close, some of us went to Benidorm for the cyclocross world cup, and others went home to continue schoolwork. The time spent training, recovering, cooking, and hanging out together strengthened our team dynamic that is already so strong and such an integral part of this program. With race season fast approaching, we’re excited to see our hard work pay off. See you on the road!