Carnival Athmosphere for Training Camp 4

Post date: Mar 01, 2015 10:51:14 PM

(By Steven Franzoni)

It's with a heavy heart I write this report, sat drinking mogito number two, in 27 degree heat at the beach in Playa Linges, in Gran Canaria. Eight of us Lakeside Wheelers have headed for a week training camp in Gran Canaria.

Now I know how annoying this report will be, eight lads out in the sunshine riding over 100km a day with well over 1200 metres of climbing a day in minimum 20 degree heat, but I will continue anyway. For most of the guys this is year four for their winter early season training camp. I'm here for my second visit, and despite my hatred of climbing and vowing not to return here I am.

Let me put this in to context for you if you don't know the island here in the Canaries. Our accommodation is in the south of Gran Canaria, an arid palm covered area, travel 20km north over the mountain and everything changes, hard northern winds, clouds and green fields. It's some contrast. From our door you hit 2000 metres climbs or 50 kph head winds heading flat north east.

A great place to bike holiday with excellent bike hire facilities, makes this some place to visit this time of the year before the heat really kicks in. Adios for now

So tonight is party night as we are on a day off tomorrow. A few more days of heavy climbing ten to twenty percent gradient mountains for kilometre after kilometre.

That was today's choice for 15km before we climbed up into the mountains again. Two hours of climbing after one hour of headwind hell. The only momentary lapse in torture was when a pro continental team came past us and gave us shelter for a few kms. Still I here stories of snow back home, ha ha.

Before I paint a biking nirvana, I should point out last nights entertainment. This weekend is carnival weekend, more importantly gay carnival. Now we have no problems with this until the carnival parks outside our apartment , last night and plays very loud, VERY LOUD, music until three in the morning. It's all very camp and confusing for poor Colm Lynch and the rest of us.