Short description
Our GranFondo & Sportive Coaching Camp is designed as the best possible preparation for mountain sportives and GrandFondos like the Etape du Tour, the Marmotte, the Haute Route or the Tour du Mont Blanc. We were the official coaching & training partner to the Haute Route for the 4-year period 2014-2017, and we are now the official coaching and training partner to the Marmotte and the Tour du Mont Blanc. We thus know these events intimately!
Why do we call this a "coaching" camp and not a training camp? The fundamental difference is that on a coaching camp you benefit from one-on-one coaching from professionally qualified coaches. With our help, you will improve the entire range of skills needed to perform well at a GranFondo: climbing, descending, pacing, bunch riding and nutrition, as well as gaining insights into effective training and recovery methods.
So does this mean constant pressure? No: the coaching focus is on skills, not on pushing you hard. We suggest adopting a steady endurance pace, but it's your call to make the camp as easy or as challenging as you want. Different groups will form so that you can ride with people at a similar pace.
The coach to rider ratio is 1:5 or better, ensuring that you will have plenty of one-on-one coaching. There is a strong focus on technique with plentiful use of video for analysis and feedback. You can have a daily debrief with your coach and also join evening Coach’s Corner sessions on topics such as the use of power, training plans and tips for riding sportives.
We base this camp partly in Garachico, in the north-west of Tenerife, and partly in Granadilla, in the south part-way up Mount Teide. This is to avoid the busy tourist areas with their heavy traffic and large, concrete hotels. From our chosen hotels we have immediate access to quiet roads in the best parts of the island for cycling.
The two hotels are small, authentic and full of local history. The hosts are wonderfully welcoming and serve outstanding meals. Post-ride massages are available on demand.
The total number of participants is limited to 12, to ensure a friendly, close-knit group where everybody can get to know everybody. Come as guests, leave as friends!
The itinerary
Day 1
Masca, from the east (72km, 2,000m)
We begin the week with a warm-up ride on the flat, during which the coaches observe your basic bike-handling, cornering and group riding skills. Next we tackle the first climb, 8.5km and 500m+, from Garachico up to San José. We observe and video your pedalling technique during this climb. At the top the group divides and the faster riders take the longer route with an extra 200m+ climbing via la Montañeta. We stop for coffee in Santiago del Teide before we make the steep descent to Masca, the first chance to see your descending skills. After a short climb you will enjoy extraordinary views from the lookout point at El Mirador del Baracan across to the nearby island of La Gomera. An exhilarating descent takes us back to the hotel for a buffet lunch.
Day 2
Descending clinic (60km, 900m)
Descending is a crucial skill to master if you are going to race in the mountains. Our goal today is to help you make a big improvement in your ability to descend fast and safely. After the usual warm-up, we will begin by climbing to El Palmar, from where we will practice descending. Each rider will descend multiple times with a coach and be videoed multiple times. This will enable us to provide immediate feedback, and the video will allow you to observe your own technique. If you wish, you can use the van as a convenient way to get quickly back up the road without unduly tiring yourself by repeated climbing.
We will finish by riding out to the lighthouse at Punta de Teno, the westernmost point of Tenerife.
Day 3
Masca, from the west (70km, 1,900m)
For a final ride in the Garachico area we will do the classic loop via Masca and Santiago del Teide from the west. This route involves 1,900m of climbing, some of it pretty tough. The climb out of Masca, in particular, is very steep, averaging 11% for 2.5km but with ramps at 18-20%. This is where we met Thibault Pinot and his team in 2020. The focus today is on climbing technique and pacing. We look at your seated pedalling technique and how it varies between the moderate and steep pitches, and we look at your standing technique to help you “dance” on the pedals like a pro. We also pay close attention to your pacing to ensure you stay in the right intensity zone for a long endurance ride in the mountains. There’s an option to extend the ride if you so wish.
Day 4
Mount Teide, from the west (93km, 2,800m)
Today we change location and make the first of three climbs to Mount Teide, the famous Tenerife volcano. For the next three days we will very likely encounter professional riders, here to do big blocks of winter training. After the now familiar climb to El Tanque and Santiago we enjoy a short descent before the long (26km) climb to the volcano. The total climb is 1,300m at a fairly steady gradient, rarely more than 7%. This is a day where it is essential to get the pacing right, especially in view of the two days still to come. There’s a great opportunity to practice descending skills on the 25km descent to our new base in Granadilla. Your luggage will be transferred to the new hotel and be ready and waiting for you when you arrive.
Day 5
The Queen Stage: Mount Teide from the south (110km, 2,800m)
This is the Queen stage: the opportunity to put it all into practice on the longest continuous climb in Europe! We climb from sea-level to the lip of the volcano. The total climb amounts to almost 2,200m, over 35km. If the complete climb is too much for your current level of fitness, you can start climbing directly from the hotel in Granadilla, saving yourself the first 650m from sea-level. If you still have the legs for it, we will cross the crater and go on to the highest point (2,350m) 15km further on, passing in front of the Parador hotel used by the pro teams to sleep at altitude. Today’s coaching focus is specifically on nutrition for long rides.
Day 6
Mount Teide from the east (115km, 2,800m)
Friday is definitely the highlight of the week, as we head to the northern part of the island for a very special home-made Canary Islands lunch at the family house of our local partner. But first, there’s the little matter of a mountain to climb… On this final day, we will visit new roads as we ride around the east coast and climb over Mount Teide from the north-east. The first part of the ride is a wild roller-coaster up and down and round a never ending series of corners as we (more or less) follow the contour line to the north. It is a wonderful road and a great opportunity to put everything together in a well-paced group. The climb is 34km long, rising 2,000m. It is a fitting way to finish, but there is always the option is to miss out the last 13km/600m. The transfer back to the hotel after lunch is by minibus.
Key information
- Highlights
- Whats included
- What's not included
- Expert coaching, on and off the bike (coach:rider ratio 1:5)
- Excellent food: all meals included (breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner)
- Small groups, matched by level
- On-the-road support vehicle with free energy drinks and snacks
- Mechanical assistance
- Coach’s Corner evening seminars on cycling performance
- Written summary of your strengths and focus areas as a cyclist
- Photographs and videos taken during the week (digital copies)
- Full financial protection (International Passenger Protection Ltd.)
- The best of Tenerife: sea, mountains and quiet roads
- Two outstanding, characterful 3* hotels with secure bike storage
- Airport transfers
- Official Tour Operator, registered and approved
- Full board accommodation in two 3* boutique hotels (Garachico and Granadilla, change on Wednesday)
- Drinks with the meals including wine or beer with the evening meal
- Airport transfers
- On-the-road support vehicle with free energy drinks and snacks
- Expert coaching, on and off the bike
- Coach’s Corner evening seminars on cycling performance
- Written summary of your strengths and focus areas as a cyclist
- Photographs and videos taken during the week (digital copies)
- Bicycle hire (available as an optional extra)
- Massage (available as an optional extra)
- Drinks at the bar or from the mini-bar
Food & drink
All meals are taken at the hotels, with the exception of lunch on the Friday (when we will eat at our local partner's family home).
Breakfast is a buffet with a wide choice of hot and cold food.
Lunch is a private buffet just for us, perfect for the return from a long ride.
Dinner is a real highlight. It is a three-course meal with authentic local cuisine.
Beer, white wine and red wine are all included as well as mineral water.