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We train in Spain, mainly in the rain
by Paul Rowlands | 16/02/10
Day one of the second Rapha Condor Sharp training camp and words cannot convey just how wet it is. There’s a band of pretty filthy weather sitting across most of this part of southern Europe and we hear from Chris Newton that it’s affecting the GB team in Mallorca as much as it is us, so at least we’re not alone!
Wet weather doesn’t mean a day off although we did end up curtailing the ride a little. The riders burn enough calories just staying warm in conditions like these so a three hour ride avoided the need to climb to heights where the temperatures were too low – not such a problem on the way up, but the wind chill on the way down, well…
We’re one rider down on the road at the moment as Graham Briggs is suffering with a sore throat and he’ll be off the bike for a couple of days. This of course raises an interesting issue for training camp, how do you stop illnesses and viruses from spreading through the whole team, particularly amongst riders who are rooming together? Good hygiene and the usual precautions are a given as the riders are meticulous in ensuring things like water bottles are sterilised and work surfaces in their apartments stay clean, and whilst I haven’t seen anyone pressing the lift button with their elbow yet they do pretty much everything they can to stay well.
Thanks to our sponsors, Sharp, we have one little weapon in our armoury that will hopefully give us an added advantage when it comes to the wellness of our riders: The Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Generator. A number of the riders are using them in their rooms to help purify the air and deactivate allergens, viruses and mould. To find out more about the products head to www.sharp.co.uk.
As I type this, it has just stopped raining for the first time in 48 hours. Fingers crossed we might yet get out on the road.
