After the relatively easy day yesterday, as the riders settled in, it was a return to full on training for Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s riders today with a five-hour ride through the Italian countryside around CastelBrando. The team rode out to a local climb and, while some of the riders were to continue their steady effort around its base, Laura Trott, Mayuko Hagiwara, Linda Villumsen, Emily Collins, Peta Mullens, Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Elinor Barker hit the slopes for some climbing work.
The riders split up as each were looking to get something different out of the climb; Emily was doing some strength training, pushing a huge gear, Linda chose short, sharp repetitions of the steeper, lower half, while the others rode all the way up each time before turning around and descending to the bottom to start again.
Despite the threatening skies, the team thankfully managed to avoid most of the rain showers that fell in the area. On arriving back at the hotel Peta, Linda, Laura, Emily and Anna-Bianca Schnitzmeier decided that they hadn’t been out long enough, and added a few more kilometres before taking on the steep climb up to the castle.
Just like yesterday mechanic Jarrod set to work cleaning the bikes ready for tomorrow, while soigneur Pascal massaged some tired legs. Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s British riders sat down with directeur sportif Franky Van Haesebroucke to work out their programmes for the coming months.
Also like yesterday, several riders had interviews to record, but training camp isn’t just about hard work. The castle’s outdoor terrace was to be the venue for a team jump competition for casual shoe sponsor Adidas, where riders had to see how high up the wall they could put a chalk mark relative to their height.
The result was a tie between two of Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s champions, and the title will be decided in a grand jump off tomorrow!
