Racing

Escape to the sun: where the pros train in winter and why

Where the WorldTour's elite head for training camps

Let's fly away

BMC Racing prepare to roll out in Denia, one of several popular training camp destinations (pic: BMC Racing)
Marcus Burghardt rides in the hills above Denia (pic: Philippe Gilbert, via BMC Racing)
Mallorca is a popular destination for pro teams over the winter (pic: IAM Cycling)
The Etixx-QuickStep are mere specks in the distance as they head to the Oliva hills (pic: Tim de Waele/EQS)
Mark Cavendish leads an Etixx-QuickStep training ride in Calpe (pic: Tim de Waele/EQS)
Lotto-Soudal head to Benicassim every year, where Andre Greipel has shared his training rides on Strava (pic: Lotto-Soudal)
Andalucia boasts a broad range of roads, including some stunning climbs (pic: Wheels in Wheels)
Tinkoff-Saxo started their preparations for the new season in Gran Canaria (pic: Luca Bettini/Tinkoff-Saxo)
Mount Etna provided the backdrop for Tinkoff-Saxo's second winter training camp (pic: Luca Bettini/Tinkoff-Saxo)
Giant-Alpecin train in Cambrils (pic: Giant-Alpecin)
Make sure you know what you want to achieve before you buy new wheels, or you'll find you have the wrong tools for the job (Pic: Cannondale-Garmin)

Let's fly away

The winter sees professional riders up sticks and head off with their teams for warm-weather training camps as they rack up the miles ahead of the season.

The sight of several teams filling out the hotels of Mallorca or Calpe is not uncommon as the off-season draws to a close and the new campaign swings into action.

With ideal weather conditions and the chance to concentrate on getting miles on the clock, the winter training camp is popular with amateur cyclists looking to hone form or take a break in the sun ahead of the sportive or racing season.

But with so much choice when it comes to places to ride, where do the professionals go, why and could one be your next training camp destination?

We’ve rounded up the top winter training spots and asked a handful of WorldTour teams to outline their the key reasons for choosing one destination over another. Read what they had to say over the following pages.

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Racing

Escape to the sun: where the pros train in winter and why

Where the WorldTour's elite head for training camps

Let's fly away

Let's fly away

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Let's fly away

Let's fly away

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