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CALPE: Team QuickStepFloors has just wrapped up the second seasonal training camp, where a great deal of work has been completed. It has been an important step to lay down the bases on which the whole fitness preparation is going to be built in view of the 2018 season. To sum up, the second of three major training pillars was laid down: the first being the one that took place at the end of December, the second right now with 900 km in the saddle, while the third and last one will take place at the end of the month, again here in Calpe, Spain.
“I am happy with what has been done – tells us Davide Martinelli, as always with a can-do attitude – today, the last day of the training camp, we had planned a 6-hour session over a rather hilly route. Contrary to what we expected, we covered the distance of 172 km in 5 and a quarter hours. Maybe the last day is when we all know that recovery is coming next and so we all get motivated to go faster. It almost seemed like we were racing. Or perhaps we were raring to go home and that pushed us full speed ahead before the rush to the airport”.
Some personal considerations: “Compared to December – and only a few weeks have passed since – I gained about 15-20 watts: this allowed me to complete our rides and still feel fresh. A great personal satisfaction; further improvement is close to hand for me”.
The training plan was different from that carried out during the first step. “Exactly. We have increased the intensity of the uphill- and sprint-specific work. We now work over 2 groups rather than 3. Those who are going to race in Australia have already left. At present there is a group with classics specialists and sprinters – to which I belong – while climbers are in a different group. We have different workouts, depending on our own characteristics ”.
What kind of block training did you do?
“We made a couple of really long-distance rides, after that the training was based on the infamous three-day block routine. Three days of workout followed by one day of recovery. We didn’t rest during the recovery days, though. For instance, one day we went out for a spin with some journalists before team presentation and official photo shooting”.
And now what? Back to work at home?
“Now some good recovery both for the body and the mind that is very important for an athlete. You can’t really always be under pressure. There will be 3 days of recovery – which is, however, active recovery – and then a few days of well-done training, I mean, high-intensity and finally some more recovery, ready for the next Spanish training camp. It will be the last phase of our physical preparation. Needless to say, the training sessions are going to be very tough. As a matter of fact, I consider the camp almost like a stage race, due to the intensity that will be reached. Jokingly, we call it the Tour of Calpe, like it was the first race of the season. But then we will pin our race numbers on – for real: Oman awaits us ”.