The volcano's constant roar and numerous earthquakes have also kept locals on edge, and earlier in the month fears were again raised over possible toxic gas being released into the air as the second stream of lava reached the Atlantic ocean. Sanchez said at the time his administration would transfer a further 18.8 million euros for the agriculture and fishing industries and 5 million euros to tackle the 'social aspect' of the crisis. In October, the government pledged 225 million euros in aid, and by the start of November, some 21 million euros of that has been disbursed.
#VOLCANO BOX TRAINING FULL#
Feeling the burn, the Frenchman says, “One more, full gas.” Webber: “You sure?” Rolland: “Oui, one more.They also saw their trips as a way of supporting the local economy by spending money on the island, which has suffered greatly from the eruption.Įarlier this month, residents were questioning where financial aid promised by the Spanish government was. “Perfect! Excellent!” Rolland rolls up a few moments later. “We won’t see climbs like this in Flanders,” he said with a smile, and turns around for another lap.ġ2:40: Webber tests Urán’s lactate levels again after he finishes his final threshold lap. The cobble-bashers are on a different workload, 40/20 drills all the way up. Urán leans in, and Webber clucks like a happy school teacher as he jots down the numbers, “Good, very good!”ġ2:05 p.m.: The Giro-bound climbers are already heading down when some of the bulkier classics riders roll in, including newcomer Matti Breschel. It doesn’t take long before the first wave of riders comes through, with Davide Formolo, Pierre Rolland, and Rigoberto Urán leading the way.ġ1:56: Webber pricks each rider’s ear to take blood samples to gauge the lactate levels, a valuable measuring stick to calculate a rider’s fitness.
Webber drives up the climb about 6km and waits. Others from Sky, BMC Racing, and Tinkoff haunt the heights of Teide regularly throughout the winter.ġ1:55: Trainer Sebastian Webber outlines the drill: six climbing intervals, including three at threshold power. When VeloNews visited Teide this week to link up with Cannondale, riders from Astana, Katusha, and Movistar were also training there. Top teams and riders file through the hotel throughout the winter.
#VOLCANO BOX TRAINING PROFESSIONAL#
Perched high on the Teide crater at 2,164 meters (7,100 feet) is Las Cañadas del Teide, the government-run hotel that is the temporary home of altitude-seeking professional cyclists. Other favorite altitude training areas, such as Sierra Nevada, Andorra, northern Italy, and Switzerland, are typically buried in snow this time of year. It’s the only place in Europe that mixes mild weather and good roads at high altitude in the grip of winter. Most will be back for more elevation camps as their major season goals come closer.Īltitude training has become an essential part of modern cycling, with Tenerife emerging as the preferred destination of top pros seeking the benefits of altitude.
The training is great, however, and we all hope it will pay off.”Ī group of 10 Cannondale racers, with a mix of riders heading to the spring classics and the Giro d’Italia, arrived February 13 at Teide and leave this weekend. “We rode down to the beach the other day, just to change things up a little bit. “It’s pretty quiet up here, that’s for sure,” said Cannondale teammate Rigoberto Urán. Not much else to distract their attention. After a long, seven-hour day in the saddle, riders shower, have a massage, eat dinner, and scan the Internet. Things are pretty laid-back at the top of the world. Routine, repetition, intense workouts, and altitude are the friends of professional cyclists in January and February, ahead of the demands of the racing season. “You ride your bike all day, you rest, and you sleep. “It’s just like any training camp, except we sleep on top of a volcano,” Breschel said with a laugh. TEIDE, Tenerife (VN) - Ever wonder what happens at a high-altitude training camp? Just ask Matti Breschel, who’s been parked on the crater of the Teide volcano high in Spain’s Tenerife mountains with some of his Cannondale teammates for nearly two weeks.