Escaping the British weather to Cycling Holiday Spain

With the snow falling outside on the Wirral, thoughts go to warm weather training pro style at Cycling Holiday Spain – we chat to Noze at CHS

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Escaping the British weather to Cycling Holiday Spain

With the snow falling outside on the Wirral, thoughts go to warm weather training pro style at Cycling Holiday Spain

Noze, who runs CHS with as much passion as anyone can have for their sport, has been into cycling since 1998 after quitting football (good choice Noze!) He took up triathlon and soon realised his potential as a time trialist and was hooked on the sport.

Twenty years later and Cycling Holiday Spain provides a haven for cyclists and their families looking for warmer weather and to be looked after like pros are at their training camps. It’s located in the South East of Spain, in the historic village of Callosa Den Sarria just 15 minutes from Calpe which is a very popular area for the pros. The nearest airport is Alicante. The cycling resort is based two kilometres outside of the village with spectacular views of mountains and sea.

Now, whilst I was going to regret asking this question, I did ask CHS what the weather has been like the last week so I could compare it to Britain where it’s rained off and on, been very cold and as said, is snowing outside!

“It’s been an incredible winter, the mildest I remember” says Noze before adding “then a cold spell hit all of Europe this week. It was amazing, the Sierra Aitana had four feet of snow! They were skiing down it! But the blue skies soon showed up again and it was awesome training again; fresh and bright, chilly so wrap up but hey you guys probably thinks it’s like spring!”

CHS tell us they cater for all levels of cyclists and you don’t have to be part of a team or club. Which is great because we all can’t be on holiday at the same time! You can bring your partner or family who can enjoy all the facilities of the camp including pool, spa and gym. For those who hate travelling with a bike (me included!), Noze tells us they have a range of top end bikes of all sizes so all you need to do is just pack your helmet and pedals.

“We are a bespoke cycling retreat, fully inclusive” says Noze. “Great home cooked food and snacks. Every evening is a lovely three course meal, from Paella and Spaghetti to Beef stew and Roast chicken! You can get a lovely massage by Diana every day too!”

“Post ride shakes and lots more. We also prepare all your kit, washed and dried for the next day! The cost is £90 pounds per day or £650 ppw. We also can collect you from the airport making it easy for you, bike too and this costs just 45 pounds each way.

Rooms, as expected for a Spanish location, are bright, comfortable and large and the beds are very comfy so say a few of the people we’ve spoken to who have stayed there. CHS has three luxury bathrooms throughout the camp.

As a guide, I asked Noze how many can they cater for? “We have had teams and clubs up to 14 people based on sharing. Sometime we have even used the bespoke gym! It’s a fab place to be!”

Out of the bedroom after a restful sleep, the mini resort has amazing facilities including a bespoke wood burning stove Finish sauna, massage zone, daily massage, gymnasium and games room, tennis courts, swimming pool, beautiful gardens and much more including a free laundry service.

To stay in touch with the outside world, if you really have to, CHS has free wifi! For those going there to ride their bike and get in some serious training, all training rides are pre planned every evening for the following day and they leave the camp around 10am.

There are also a wide range of routes if you want to go off and explore, covering all aspects of riding from rolling roads to mountainous and some flat rides too. When you get peckish, there is a local supermarket for the chocolate run and back at CHS, it’s a home from home atmosphere where you can always cook your own supper or snacks when wanted!

Racing
You may also want to open up the taps and get a feel for where the form is. Noze from CHS tells us that there is an amazing racing scene there called ‘la volta marina series’ for 12 weeks starting in December through to March! “It is a superb series of races all around the Costa Blanca from Calpe to Denia. There is even a crit based in Benidorm. The standard is high. A lot of ex pros and seriously strong riders here”.

Riders, say CHS, generally stay for a week or two whilst some fly in for long weekends. And if you need distractions from life at the resort, there are so many lovely places to see in the area including amazing beaches, waterfalls castles and great restaurants.

So what if riders want to stay for longer than a few days or week? “We do get riders staying for longer than a week – some have stayed for up to three weeks getting in a good solid block of training” says Noze who as well as having CHS also represents Farsports who produce incredible wheels built with top end components such as ceramic speed bearings and Sapim spokes as well as a unique rim moulding process making them extremely light and stiff.

“As we have grown, we have seen a demand for custom cycling apparel and kit too” says Noze. “So now we offer a really good service where we work with you to get the design you are after. Great value for money and something I am really enjoying right now. A bit of creativity and nice to deliver people stuff they like.

You can see more on the CHS Facebook page – @chsprotraining | custom cycling kit “@chsJuice

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