As we near the first races the intensity of our training rides has increased. Before heading home for a few days and returning for our second stint of the new year in Mallorca we logged a long 230 km ride with several intervals at specified intensities. We finished the ride off with an hour behind the team car. The last week of training has been solid. Today, as we rolled back through town to the hotel, my teammate Davide Appollonio said, “now, I think I’m almost ready to race.”

Sa Calobra is one of the beautiful spots on the island. The descent down to the small port is thrilling and the climb back up, through the unique grey rock formations, is tough, steep and lovely. On the climb, we split up to do individual 20 minute efforts at threshold. In the last hour of the ride, several of us jumped in behind the car and motorbike to motorpace for an hour. The motorpacing simulates racing and helps us gain some leg speed. Many of the photos were taken by our race coach Kurt Asle Arvesen.

Through January, Team Sky will be in Mallorca for training camps. The team is split into two groups: the Classics riders who will aim to be in top form for the spring races and the other riders who have targets later in the season. I am with the Classics group, which includes World Champion Mark Cavendish, Bernie Eisel, Christian Knees, Jez Hunt, Ian Stannard, Davide Appollonio, Salvatore Puccio, and Juan Antonio Flecha.The three to six hour rides include interval sessions where we ride at a higher intensity to simulate racing and often, a motorpacing session to finish off the training at a slightly higher cadence.  Not only do we build our fitness, but by training and living together, we also build the bond that turns us into a team. Here are some photos Kurt Asle-Arevsen took from the team car which was driven by our Directeur Sportif, Servais Knaven. Race Coach, Rod Ellingworth is riding the scooter.

Each autumn professional teams gather before Christmas to train for the coming season. As the racing season has grown progressively longer the importance of the camps has increased as we are now required to be in race condition by early February, and for those racing in Australia, January. In mid December Team Sky met in Alcudia, Mallorca. Each day we rode for three to six hours at a steady speed with few intervals. To refuel and socialise, we stopped mid ride for a coffee and pastry. The rides usually ended with a heated sprint. Here are some photos from the camp.

Recently, I did a day long ride in the hills from Girona to the Mediterranean and back. The route took us down to Tossa de Mar and back over Les Gavarres to Els Angels. The ride was only 120 km but 80 of it were on dirt. In total, we accumulated roughly 2500 vertical metres of climbing. It was a great day out. Other than the climbing it was similar to many rides I did as a boy on the dirt roads north of Toronto.

Recently, several riders have come down from northern Europe to train in Girona. During the last week of November my teammate, Edvald Boasson Hagen, was here to accumulate kilometres to build the foundation for the coming racing season. Irish National Champion, Matt Brammeier from HTC-High Road and Craig Lewis were also here to rebuild. Amazingly, we lose an awful lot of fitness during the short break we all take at the end of the season. Through the autumn, before we all head off to team training camps, we ride for two to six hours at a steady speed with little intensity. As the hours in the saddle pass we slowly become comfortable on our bikes again while regaining our strength and agility. The time away from the races passes quickly. In December we are already at training camps with our teams and in January we need to be ready to race. For now, we can enjoy the countryside while socialising.

Away from traffic and deep in the countryside, riding on the dirt roads is a unique experience. In the province of Girona, Spain, where I live,  there is a large network of dirt roads which go through some incredible countryside. Each autumn, as I start training again after a short break, I try to discover some new roads and countryside on my cyclo-cross bike. My good friend Jordi Cantal, who is a local fireman, joins me on most of the rides. Like me, he is always hunting for new routes. A Catalan, he teaches me about the history of the area and their culture. The bike, a Pinarello, has mudguards, tough touring tires and lower gears than my standard training bike. The position is identical to my race bike. The video was taken on one ride: from Girona to Rocacorba-Mieres-Sant Aniol de Finestres-La Barroca-Amer-Pantano de Susqueda-Osor-Angels-Sant Gregori-Girona. Music: Mr.Rager by Kid Cudi.

The group settles into formation meters after leaving the café. Like the table manners learned as children the formation is innate to us. Two abreast, tight against the curb we form two lines. Cars pass us with ease as we pedal out of town and into the countryside. The pair on the front increases the tempo as soon as we are out of traffic and onto the rural roads.  From experience they quickly find the rhythm of the group. On the rural roads, we’re in synch. Knowing how to ride properly in a group is taught and learned.

I was introduced to cycling as a boy. On my first group rides, I was taught how to ride with others appropriately.  As we pedalled along with our club mates, my father explained ride etiquette to me.  On open roads, the group stays close to the shoulder. To allow cars to pass and to benefit from the riders’ slipstream, the group stays compact. It is often easier for cars to pass a group of cyclists who are riding two abreast near the road’s shoulder than a group, which is single file and much longer. We must be aware we are sharing the road with other traffic.

Each pair pulls off the front sharing the workload with the others. To peel off the rider on the right moves right, the rider on the left moves left, reducing their speed gently to let the others pass. The pair who has been following slice through the pair to take the lead with the rest of the group in their slipstream. The two who have just finished their turn on the front, move back into the slipstream at the back of group rapidly to avoid being in the way of the traffic for long.

Within the group riders should always be paired up. Two abreast is acceptable, three is not.  In an odd numbered group, the single rider sits at the back. Each rider has his or her turn being alone at the tail-end. In a group, everything is shared.

A group is concerned with others’ well being. We point out obstacles in the road, we signal directions and we take care of each other. A rider who is struggling is sheltered from the wind and given food and drink. We wait for those who have punctured and help them repair the flat. Every cyclist has a bad day. A group will get you through the bad moments.

Like bragging at a dinner party about wealth, nobody appreciates a rider who constantly forces the pace to prove his strength.  Half-wheeling, the term used to describe a rider who is constantly pushing the pace half a wheel in front of the others, is an insult not a compliment. Group rides are not races. Good riders are in tune with each others’ abilities and the groups’ objective. At the right moment, when everybody is ready, the tempo will increase, the group will splinter, the strongest will surge ahead, and then only to regroup again at a designated spot.

A group ride should be challenging but also pleasant. Experiencing an achievement is often richer when shared.  On the bike, each pair of riders converses as if they’re across from each other at a dinner table but in the fresh air the conversation is often more animated. On the roads, societal hierarchies are muted. A CEO is just another wheel to follow. A professional cyclist is just another face glistening sweat.

Together, a group of eight eats through the hours. In nearly six hours, we’ve seamlessly devoured mountains, cut through valleys and popped through towns. Even our stop at a café failed to break our rhythm. On the terrace, everything continued to flow.