The dream has to end, but not yet
I am having to pinch myself regularly at the minute after the most magical start to 2022. I’m currently living in a villa with an awesome bunch, just outside of Calpe, Spain. John [Archibald] and I came out here just after Christmas and it was straight into summer kit, staying in beautiful Xabia at Blanca Bikes.
Villa life is simply glorious – we have daily meetings about who’s got what training-wise, how it all fits together and the best routes to take. It’s amazing having so many mega-strong training partners. Long rides consist of training to hold John Archibald’s wheel, and interval sessions are so fun, the highlight so far being a 20/40 session with Joss Lowden, where our friend Ciaran and I had to try and get her to fail – something alien to Joss and not really in her physiology.
This weekend was extra special, as my mum, sister and best friend made it over to Moraira. I adore the Costa Blanca and I now feel complete, having shared it with my loved ones.
I made them drive an hour inland one day so we could meet for lunch on my long ride, so they got a real feel for the roads I ride on and why I love it here so much. They even made it to the top of Col de Rates for the famous apple strudel, which I myself haven’t yet tried. The roads and the routes out here never bore me, and it always amazes me that I pick up on something different each time.
Even the rest days are great – yesterday’s rest day consisted of paella on the beach, and swimming in the sea in January just three hours from home. I am scheduling in a week of wet-weather acclimatisation before racing begins in early March, before I get too soft and used to paradise. I’m living the dream out here and I can’t honestly say I’m looking forward to returning to wet-weather training quite as much.