Vuelta Playa Blanca
Rob Wickham, Jimmy
Goddard, Peter Caruthers and me (Marc Poolman) decided to escape the harsh late winter weather and
head for Playa Blanca in Lanzarote where there was an organised training camp for
handcyclists. This is known as the Vuelta Playa Blanca. Approximately 30 handcyclists
attended in 2010 but in 2011 the number had grown to over 60. The weather
in February is ideal for cycling at 20 degrees plus and the road conditions
are near perfect with not a pothole in sight. Both something unheard of in the UK!
After a 4hr flight and a short taxi ride Rob, Pete and I arrived at the Lanzazur club bungalows, tired but elated at the thought of riding in the sun for the next ten days, but more importantly our bikes had arrived unscathed! As we had arrived in the evening we went for a bite to eat before setting about rebuilding our bikes in readiness for the next days ride.
After a 4hr flight and a short taxi ride Rob, Pete and I arrived at the Lanzazur club bungalows, tired but elated at the thought of riding in the sun for the next ten days, but more importantly our bikes had arrived unscathed! As we had arrived in the evening we went for a bite to eat before setting about rebuilding our bikes in readiness for the next days ride.
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The morning weather was overcast but
a nice 20 degrees, so short sleeve weather for us UK guys!
Jimmy was arriving later that day so the three of us carried on with
that day’s ride. Most days Pete would set off alone for a leisurely
ride and we would follow later with the intention of chasing him down. When we caught up with him, we would then stop for a coffee at one of the many cafes on route
and finish the ride together.
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While there, we had a choice of riding with
other groups or the four of us staying together. So there was always the option or hard or easy
rides. Most days we were on our bikes for over thee hours with some tough climbing and fast
rolling roads through the volcanic landscape. This topped off with sunshine made
for some great cycling.
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Towards the end of the trip there was
a short time trial and road race around the town that resulted in Rob Wickham taking third
place in the H2 division and another British rider, Karen Darke, taking first
place in the WH2 division. A good start to the race season for both! After the
racing we had one day of riding left so we decided to venture up to a mountain
top cafe where we regrouped after a 2 mile climb for coffee and cake before
continuing with the ride. At this point we were showing signs of fatigue after seven
days cycling which included two races and were in need of some recovery time. The
following day we returned to the UK and back to freezing cold weather and a short
but needed rest from the bike.
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To summarise, the training camp had
it all, sunshine, scenery, quiet smooth roads and two races at the end of the
week. The hotel is perfectly suited for wheelchair users and handcyclists with separate
bungalows sleeping two or more people and they are fully accessible with room
to leave bikes outside.
I recommend this trip for any handcyclists irrespective of ability. There are a number of routes of varying difficulty so there's something for everyone and riding in warm weather is always a bonus. In 2012 the Vuelta Playa Blanca races will be held on 11th and 12 February but most handcyclists travel out the week before for some winter training in the sun. A number of us have already booked for 2012 so training through the winter doesn’t seem so bad when you have a training camp to keep fit for!
For further information on the Vuelta Playa Blanca trip visit their website.
I recommend this trip for any handcyclists irrespective of ability. There are a number of routes of varying difficulty so there's something for everyone and riding in warm weather is always a bonus. In 2012 the Vuelta Playa Blanca races will be held on 11th and 12 February but most handcyclists travel out the week before for some winter training in the sun. A number of us have already booked for 2012 so training through the winter doesn’t seem so bad when you have a training camp to keep fit for!
For further information on the Vuelta Playa Blanca trip visit their website.
