Large squad joins in the Dolomites this month, racking up the miles before returning to competition.
Julian Alaphilippe, Ayco Bastiaens, Gil Gelders, Antoine Huby, William Junior Lecerf, Paul Magnier, Tim Merlier, Pepijn Reinderink, Pieter Serry, Martin Svrcek, Bert Van Lerberghe, Mauri Vansevenant, and Jordi Warlop – riders who between them have won more than 20 races this year – are all preparing the second part of the season in Val di Fassa, in the stunning Dolomites.
The Soudal Quick-Step training camp is being held at Passo San Pellegrino, with the entire team staying at the Hotel Cristallo. Based in the center of the Dolomites, a spectacular Unesco World Heritage Site which has hosted numerous memorable Giro d’Italia stages, the area provides ideal training grounds – a perfect blend of terrain with climbs of over 2000 meters, as well as longer flatter areas around at 1000 meters. This is as well as having accommodation with excellent facilities, which allows our staff the space to look after and cater for our riders, and take care of their Specialized bikes and equipment.
The altitude training camp offers an excellent opportunity to the riders to improve their physical condition before taking on new goals, as explained by Soudal Quick-Step trainer Roman Vanstaen.
“We have returned to Val di Fassa because it’s a beautiful region that gives us the opportunity to train towards the second half of the season. We can vary the parcours, which is an excellent thing for our Classics-orientated riders and climbers, especially as all of the guys are already looking forward to the next months of competition. The perfect weather and the altitude come with a lot of advantages.”
“We love staying at Hotel Cristallo, as it offers the perfect accommodation to both riders and staff for the four weeks we are spending here. The chef prepares great food in close contact with the team nutritionist, and at the end of the day, the riders have the wellness center to relax, so we want to thank everyone here for the way they’ve received us and the ideal conditions for this training camp during which we’ll lay down the foundations of what we hope will be a strong second part of the season”, added Roman.
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