When you think of an ideal training location for a pro cycling team, sunny Spanish coastal resorts, steep Pyrenean passes or Tuscan hills probably come to mind first. But the Visma-Lease-a-Bike team chose a very different setting this year: the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada. I got the chance to visit their training camp and spend a day cycling laps in the Sierra Nevada. If you are still in doubt about a place for a nice altitude training camp, the doubt is quickly dispelled. At least, if you ask me. Most of all, read my experience and then you can judge for yourself. Useful too.
The first impression: snow and sun
We start the day in Granada, our base for the entire trip. From our hotel, it's on the bus, up! On arrival in the Sierra Nevada, I am immediately impressed by the contrast between the sunny weather at the foot of the mountain and the snowy peaks towering above us. The road to the hotel, which is 2,100 metres above sea level, winds up like a ribbon, with hairpin turns that make the real climbing enthusiast's mouth water. The air gets thinner as you climb and the temperature drops, but the Spanish sun remains strong. That also makes it tricky. You think, 'it's sunny', but meanwhile you're riding through snow.
We get off at a car park, where we get our bikes back and get ready to climb to the top. In the distance, we see someone in a Visma-Lease-a-Bike outfit approaching. It's team leader Grischa Niermann, who is taking a look around. He hasn't cycled in the peloton for a while, but his smooth pedal pace shows his years of experience.
The climb to the summit: long suffering
The path of the climb climbs up to Pico Veleta, the highest paved road in Europe, stretching to almost 3,400 metres. The climb starts relatively gradually, but soon the legs feel heavy due to the gradient and thin air. It is quite difficult to breathe. My heart rate remains stuck at 130, whereas climbing always shows 150+ for me. Acclimatising is one thing. Around us, you also see more and more piles of snow. I look back and see a breathtaking view of the valley. If you have to do your training laps then, this is an impressive place. The further up we go, the more jets of slush run down the road (and the more sweat drops run down my back). Then suddenly it's done. The snow blocks the road. The ground is frozen over. We can go no further and will have to turn back.
At high altitude
This is also when we find out that we are at high altitude. The warmth of climbing immediately turns into freezing wind while descending. It feels like we are driving through ice water. I get ice cold hands myself. Mind you, we just came from 25-30 degrees in Granada. But up here, it is cold. Ice cold. It is a long descent to 2200 metres, below the ski village. At the bottom, we pause evne in the sun to warm up. I sample the group and see that I am not the only one shivering. On the way down, we already met several pros from different teams. Where we stopped, the Astana team sailed by. Mark Cavendish, then shared record holder, is among them, as is Dutchman Ide Schelling. It's quite an impressive sight.
Surrounded by the pros
We climb again and some of our group ride behind the men from Astana. Those are riding a lap on their rest day. Too fast for me to keep up. Behind me, I hear cheerful chatter and look Tiesj Benoot and Wilco Kelderman in the face. They are also on a 'coffee round'. I briefly manage to catch up. I don't think they want me to listen in on their conversations because as soon as they realise I'm gaining on them, I hear a familiar 'tap-tap' and they speed up. off they go. Still, I enjoyed these two servants for a minute. On this stretch of route, all sorts of pros are constantly passing by. Also Jorgenson of Visma-Lease-a-Bike and later Ide Schelling of Astana. Riders from Lidl-Trek and AG2R-Decathlon also shoot past us. Pro for a while.
A look behind the scenes: conversation with Steven Kruijswijk
After our ride, we get to sit down with Steven Kruijswijk at CAR (the Training Centre in Sierra Nevada). what we don't know then is that a few weeks later he will slip down and have a nasty injury. In any case, he sounds optimistic, but he also talks about the challenges of a training camp: "yes, there are moments when I ride somewhere and think 'branch' from here it's still 1 hour and 23 minutes if I keep riding at this wattage". But also: "a training camp is nice though, no distractions, working towards a goal, that's perfectly possible here."
On the location itself, he is very clear: "this is a very nice place though, certainly better than alone on a high mountain (e.g. Tenerife, ed.)". The presence of other teams will surely underline that. Although they claim not to be in contact with each other, they know each other inside out. The presence of the gentlemen from Astana, Lidl-Trek, EF-Education, Decathlon and also the ladies from EF says it all. In any case, he seems totally in his element in these surroundings and when you consider how the routes are, but that you also have quite a nice view, I get it.
Why you should go cycling in the Sierra Nevada
Not only if you are working towards a major 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 regardless of snowfall and cold, you can train here almost perfectly. You can descend to the valley and then take the road up. 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 an 'alpine hut' and sports shop here and there. In the period we are there, a lot is closed, as it is actually between seasons. In May, people are preparing for summer and equally done with snow in winter. No ski-no walk-no bike seems to be the motto. Bodega Casablanca at least accommodates our group and lunch may come again in a moment. In Pradollano, you can also sleep in a hotel. Convenient. But we were in Granada in Gran Hotel Luna.
Cycling route in Sierra Nevada
Below is the route we drove. So it was shortened a bit because of the snow.
