Winter training camps are becoming more and more popular, and the pro teams will certainly be globe-trotting to get the miles in – with Team Sky no different.

Ellingworth explains: “We’ll be using Mallorca as our base again this year, in December and January. We are changing our hotel locations, so we are doing the south of Mallorca and then going north in January.

“That is in the same format as we have used for the last couple of years. Alongside that, we will have a small group out in Australia building towards the Tour Down Under.

“In terms of what we’re doing, we are toning down the intensity in December. It is more about volume – quantity, rather than quality.

“I think it can be really beneficial to amateur riders if they have the chance to go away for training. The key for anyone who does is not to go from doing say eight hours a week to doing 25 hours a week while you’re out there.

“You will absolutely nail yourself afterwards and in actual fact you’ll either be sick or be that nailed that you can’t do any work after it.

“When we take a group out to Mallorca, at the start of the week we’ll look to get good volume in but you never want to be on your knees at any one time. You don’t want to be getting in off a ride and thinking, ‘wow, I’m absolutely knackered, I can’t do any more’.

“The key to it is a short recovery but then being able to continue doing your work when you get home. You should look to do a good week and build on that week, rather than do a massive big week and then miss loads because you have over-cooked it – and that’s what loads of people do.

“You see it time and time again, people do far too much. For example, if you do a club run for three hours on a Sunday, it doesn’t make sense wanting to do five-six hours in Mallorca. Do four hours maximum, or three-and-a-half to four hours maximum and get the work in like that.”