Team Training Camp Part 1

CACastelsarrasin Bouygues Telecom Training Camp Part 1

Basically set up over 2 weekends at the end of January, the Team training camp is one of the few times we will all be together as a team. Once the season starts we will basically be split into 3 race programs coving races from France to Majorca, and from Under 23 races to International Elite. Myself and a couple of other guys weren’t able to make Saturday’s standard team training camp ride, due to other obligations such as studies or the track season. Therefore a shorter 80k ride with some hills reps were on the menu. Saturday was a drizzly and gray day, so although the main group of the team were supposed to do 2 rides, they merged them into one. They started with some big gear hill reps, and extended the ride to cover 4.5 hours and 140k.

Most of the guys stayed at the team house over night, but some of us drove back up the on Sunday morning for the 2nd day of the training camp. We headed off with pretty much the full team, the only absentees were John Parks who is still in the US and has just come back from his own little training camp in Florida, and Christophe Cousinie who is still in Hospital. The full 16 or so team headed out on the roads around Montauban. We first had an “easy” 40km warm-up ride all together. Great warm-up ride at 31kph over some hills. Then we stopped and formed groups according to fitness and race schedule. Our 3 groups of about 5 or 6 riders then did four 20 minute team time trial intervals over varying terrain including some mean climbs around the Penne area in the Aveyron Valley. After each interval we all regrouped and rode all together again for about 10k. After only the second interval some people started grumbling about the intervals. I must say it wasn’t easy and at least I didn't feel alone in my "fear of the interval". On our last interval our little group caught the group ahead of us, which had left 2 minutes before us. We were rolling pretty well on that interval, probably knowing that it was out last one.

Once the intervals were done we all regrouped once more and rode the 40k (25 miles) back home together. I must say however that these recovery, warm-up warm-down sessions were a little NOT easy… oh well. At the end of the day we had 160k (100miles) on the clock in a little under 5 hours, and with some pretty good hills… Ok fine, they were climbs!

Next weekend is more of the same. This time I should be able to make it to both days for the full program. Saturday is once more 2 rides. Big gear hill reps in the morning, and some high cadence workouts in the afternoon to cover 140k; then another 160k on Sunday, but this time “harder.” I’m not sure what “harder” means, but I don’t like the sound of it!!! :-) Once again these training camps include a DS and team car that follows us the whole way with spare wheels, food, water and anything else we might need. We actually had both DSs (Directeur Sportif) with us, so that they can 1) tell us what to do and 2) both see how we are riding and how we relate to each other as a team.

It’s been good to get to know everyone, start learning the names and riding styles. After this training camp there is another training camp down by the Spanish border for a week. Sadly I won’t be able to make it to that training camp.

Overall training is going pretty good. I have just had a load of exams, and I didn’t touch the bike at all all of last week. So hitting a pretty good weekend of riding was interesting to see how my body reacted. I thought I would feel really bad, but I felt OK. Despite my studies it looks like I will be starting racing a little earlier than planned. I will be starting in the relatively lower ranked National races that are more in this general area. That suits me fine, as I’m not going to be ready for the big races half way across the country.

I tried to take some pictures during the rides, but it wasn’t really the sort of riding where you take pictures and look around at the countryside… so I apologize for the poor pictures. Also note that team don’t have their team bikes and new clothing yet, so in the pictures everyone looks a bit mix and match, patchwork-bike-team.

This week I will be getting in some good training locally, mainly alone and with Alphonce, then a couple rest days and back to Team Training Camp for part 2. After that it’s back to school. By that time John Parks should be here, so hopefully we’ll be able to get in some training together.

Tune in soon for an account of Training Camp part 2.

Thanks for reading.
Sim