When you think of an ideal training location for a professional cycling team, sunny Spanish coastal towns, steep Pyrenean passes, or Tuscan hills probably come to mind first. But this year the Visma-Lease-a-Bike team chose a very different setting: the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada. I had the opportunity to visit their training camp and cycle around in the Sierra Nevada for a day. If you’re still unsure about a place for a nice high-altitude stage, that doubt is quickly dispelled. At least, if you ask me. Please read my experience and then you can judge for yourself. Also handy.
First impression: snow and sunshine
We start the day in Granada, our base for the entire trip. From our hotel, it’s by bus up the mountain! Upon arrival in the Sierra Nevada, I’m immediately struck by the contrast between the sunny weather at the foot of the mountain and the snow-capped peaks that rise above us. The road to the hotel, which is at 2,100 meters above sea level, winds its way up, with hairpin bends that make even the true mountaineer salivate. The air gets colder as you climb higher and the temperature drops, but the Spanish sun remains strong. That also makes it difficult. You think: ‘It’s sunny’, but meanwhile you’re driving through the snow.
We get out of the car in a parking lot, where we get our bikes back and get ready to climb the mountain. In the distance we see someone coming in a Visma-Lease-a-Bike package. It’s team leader Grischa Niermann who is exploring the area for a moment. He hasn’t been in the peloton for a while, but his supple pedal stroke shows his many years of experience.
The climb to the top: a long way to go
The climb up to Pico Veleta, the highest paved road in Europe, which stretches to almost 3,400 meters, starts relatively gradually. But soon the legs feel heavy from the steepness and the thin air. It’s quite difficult to breathe. My heart rate remains at 130, while climbing always shows me 150+ in my training. Acclimatization is one thing. As you look around, you also see more and more patches of snow. I look back and see an impressive view of the valley. If you have to do your training rounds anyway, this is an impressive place. The further we go up, the more streaks of melted water run across the road (and the more sweat drops run down my back). Then suddenly it’s over. The snow blocks the road. The ground is frozen. We can’t go any further and will have to turn back.
At high altitude
This is also the moment when we realize that we are at high altitude. The warmth of climbing immediately turns to ice-cold wind during the descent. It feels as if we are driving through water. I get ice-cold hands. Please note: we just came from 25-30 degrees in Granada. But it’s cold here. Ice-cold. It’s a long descent to 2200 meters, below the ski resort. At the bottom we can stop in the sun to warm up. I survey the group and see that I’m not the only one with a cramp. On the way down, we already met several pros from different teams. When we stop, the Astana team comes sailing by. Mark Cavendish, still the shared record holder, is there too, as is Dutchman Ide Schelling. It’s quite an impressive sight.
Upward surrounded by the pros
We climb again and some of our group follows the Astana riders. They are doing a lap on their rest day. Too fast for me to keep up. Behind me I hear cheerful chatter and I look at Tiesj Benoot and Wilco Kelderman in the face. They are also doing a ‘coffee lap’. I manage to catch up for a moment. I think they don’t want me to eavesdrop on their conversations because as soon as they realize I’m listening in, I hear a familiar ’tik-tik’ and they step up a gear. Off they go. Still, I enjoyed these two riders for a minute. On this stretch of the route, all sorts of pros keep passing by. Also Jorgenson from Visma-Lease-a-Bike and later also Ide Schelling from Astana. Also riders from Lidl-Trek and AG2R-Decathlon are passing us by. For a moment, pro.
A look behind the scenes: interview with Steven Kruijswijk
After our ride, we get to sit down with Steven Kruijswijk at the CAR (the Training Center in the Sierra Nevada). What we don’t yet know is that a few weeks later he will slip down and have a nasty injury. He sounds optimistic, but he also talks about the challenges of a training camp: “yes, there are moments when I’m racing somewhere and I think ’in a few hours it’s another hour and 23 minutes if I keep going at this pace’. But also: ”a training camp is nice, no distractions, working towards a goal, that can be done perfectly here.“
As for the location itself, he is very clear: “this is a really nice place, definitely better than just on a high mountain (e.g. Tenerife, ed.).” The presence of other teams will certainly underline that. Although they claim to have no contact with each other, they know each other very well. The presence of the men from Astana, Lidl-Trek, EF-Education, Decathlon, and also the women from EF says it all. He seems to be completely at his best in this environment, and if you consider the routes, but also that you have a nice view, I understand it well.
Why you should go cycling in the Sierra Nevada
Not only if you are aiming for an important goal, but also if you just want to train in the high mountains. The Sierra Nevada is a wonderful destination. You have a variety of routes and, apart from the snow and the cold, you can train almost perfectly here. You can descend into the valley and then pick up the road up again. Especially if it’s really cold in winter, that’s an option. But in spring and summer you have ’the best of both worlds.’ The village of Pradollano is a real ski resort, with here and there a ’chalet‘ and a sports shop. During the period we were there, it was very closed, because it’s actually between the seasons. In May they are preparing for the summer and have finished with the snow in the winter. No ski-no walk-no bike seems to be the motto. Bodega Casablanca at least has room for our group and the lunch can come right away. In Pradollano you can also stay in a hotel. Handy. But we stayed in Granada Gran Hotel Luna.
Cycling route in the Sierra Nevada
Below you can find the route we followed. It was shortened a bit due to the snow.
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