Cycling Holidays in the Mountains

Imagine riding mountains where the pros train and race, fully supported and planned and then returning to base greeted by recovery shakes, massage sauna and spa and to top it off a hearty home cooked three course meal to get you ready for the next day. All this and much more at CHS!

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Cycling Holidays in the Mountains

Imagine riding mountains where the pros train and race, fully supported and planned and then returning to base greeted by recovery shakes, massage sauna and spa and to top it off a hearty home cooked three course meal to get you ready for the next day. All this and much more at CHS!

When: Camps all through October and November and then from Feb to June!

CHS is a bespoke cycing retreat in the Calpe region of the Costa Blanca. Based where all the pros train CHS have been providing a base for cyclists to experience some of the best riding to be had. A luxury bespoke training retreat where you are well looked after with fantastic facilities.

– Just bring your bike or rent one and all the rest is taken care of.
– Fully inclusive, all meals including drinks and snacks. All cooked on site and designed to meet the requirements of cyclists and athletes. Breakfast, lunch,three course evening meal
– Post ride recovery shakes
– On bike nutrition
– Fully guided with full car support
– Daily post ride massage
– Landry service, kit washed and dried daily
– Free Wifi
– Use of all facilities, gym spa, sauna games room tennis courts and more
– Cinema room
– Beautiful gardens
– Set away from the busy roads in the heart of all the best climbs
– Airport transfers

If your looking to be looked after and supported the the CHS cycling retreat should be your next stop. Fantastic testimonials and featured in magazines as a premium go to training retreat run by cyclists passionate about cycling! Here’s a Q&A with CHS…

VeloUK: How many different training camps would you have there in a season approximately?
CHS: Generally speaking we run about twenty plus training camps during the season starting from October through to mid November. We shut over Christmas and open again at the beginning of February. In the past, we have also run Christmas camps which have gone down very well and always attract a great crowd!

VeloUK. Are you getting more and more British riders coming to Spain to ride with you?
CHS: As we have built up a solid reputation, we are seeing more riders from the UK which is fantastic and we have so many friends from there now! Also, this year we have had teams and clubs from other parts of Europe such as Norway and other European countries.

We get trade teams, clubs and friends too. We get a good balance between repeat clients and fresh new faces which is great for us. I think word of mouth plays a major role here for us in getting new faces through the door. One they have a week here with us at CHS they usually come back again! Must be my brothers cooking!

VeloUK: What have been the funniest moments you remember from camps in 2019?
CHS: It’s hard to pick out one funny moment in particular as it’s good fun here daily. I remember some lads from a team in the UK that were hyped up about the next days ride. They were going to hit the Tudons & Aitana hard.

So I went along with them, and the first hour getting to the bottom of the climb everyone was riding so slow, I was taking the mick saying things like “what’s going on” as everyone was so quiet. You could feel the tension.

“It’s only a Cat 1 climb I’d say smiling. We got to the start and I had no idea what to expect so I put it in the big ring and kept my power meter humming. I heard one guy say “he will blow, don’t worry”. I didn’t blow LoL!

Later they gave me a good ear bashing but it was good fun. I always say there is no hiding in these mountains. It certainly reveals a lot about people’s approach to riding and racing and as long as we can laugh about it at the end of the day, as that’s the most important thing, for them to enjoy it.

VeloUK: What is the most popular after ride meal?
CHS: Over time we, have developed with rider feedback post ride lunches. My brother’s home made Spanish omlette “Tortilla Espanola” is awesome and we make sure we make enough! Lunches are carb and protein rich and include fish, eggs, pasta, rice salads and beans. There is always plenty to go round. We also provide an immediate post ride protein recovery shakes.

VeloUK: What is the longest ride…
CHS: Generally speaking, most rides are around four hours where you knock up 6,000 feet of climbing easily. One of the longest rides we did was nearly 180 km which is a hell of a lot here. I named that ride the ‘leg breaking tour of the Costa Blanca’! It was an epic day with over 10,000 feet of climbing and seven hours plus riding in the saddle! It took in many climbs used in La Vuelta such as the Cumbre del Sol and Tudons and the Aitana.

VeloUK: What is the most popular breakfast?
CHS: Breakfast is a big deal here at CHS and we like to fuel up our clients. We do everything from cereals including porridge to poached eggs or omelettes. It’s true to say porridge is a winner here and we use jumbo oats and get through bucket loads of it and lots of peanut butter too! We also do shakes and smoothies too!

VeloUK: What is your favourite training route with the riders who come to stay with you?
CHS: There are sooooo many good routes here for riders we are spoilt for choice. Personally, I love riding up to Guadalest. It’s right on the doorstep and never ever loses its appeal. From here, you can take on the Aitana, Gorga and the Col de Rates. We all love the Col de Rates. You will see the pros testing up there and of course the Col de rates Cafe does the worlds best apple strudel!

Recently I discovered a great route with the help of a lovely guy and client Paul Cackett. From Callosa down to Rellue and Aigues then though to Busot. I have never seen such amazing roads and scenery. It is a long day in the saddle with 10,000 plus feet of climbing and not a single car!

VeloUK: What’s the longest people stay for there…
CHS: The longest people stay for is two weeks and one guy managed to ride very day – But generally speaking because there is so much climbing here, you need to factor in rest days! Not many can ride day in, day out here for two weeks!

VeloUK: What happens generally post ride?
CHS: Most clients on return to camp will fuel up on the lunches here, jump in the sauna and then get their complimentary massages. By then it’s dinner time so a film in the training camp cinema or tinkering with bikes, gym etc.

VeloUK: How is the weather there in January?
CHS: The weather in January is generally clear blue skies as the low pressures are over the UK and we have high pressures over us! Temperatures can be 18 degrees but cold in the mornings and evenings! The weather here is stable unlike Majorca which being an Island is much more unstable.

VeloUK: When do the 2019/2020 training camps start?
CHS: This year we are running a camp in August to coincide with La Vuelta Espana stage 2 – 193 km Its on our door step! Training camps are October and November and then from Feb to June.

VeloUK: What improvements have you made to the resort in 2019?
CHS: We have made great improvements to the camp this year including Smart TV and coffee machines in all rooms. But the best thing is a huge jacuzzi which is on all the time and 40 degrees. It’s like a hot bath perfect for post ride relaxation! We also have a new dedicated reading area full of magazines and books which overlooks the pool and the Sierra Bernia mountain!

VeloUK: What do clients like most about the camps?
CHS: We get a lot of repeat clients and friends. They all love the food at the camp. It is all home cooked from fresh ingredients. My bro is a great cook , just ask anyone who has been here and his deserts are sweet as!

One of the most liked services we offer is massage in the evenings. It really does help the legs recover and is also very relaxing for the mind and spirit too! The sauna is wood burning and authentic, so different to an electric stove heater, it gets super hot. So that’s rammed as is the Jacuzzi and swimming pool. It’s a real retreat and spa feel post ride here!

VeloUK: Do many riders leave their bike at home and hire one from you to make the journey easier?
CHS: We do have hire bikes Merida Sculturas but most of our clients like to bring their own rig to experience riding it on perfect roads!

VeloUK: Finally, how much notice does some one need to give you when making a booking – ie, if it starts snowing, can they get on the phone and organise a stay!
CHS: We are flexible and always accommodate people if we have space even if they contact us the night before!

Stay in touch with CHS with these links:

Website: http://www.cyclingholidayspain.net
Email: nozad@cyclingholidayspain.net
Instagram: cycling_holiday_spain
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chsprotraining
Twitter cycling_holiday

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