(No availability) 5 Days Road Cycling Holiday in Alicante, Spain

Your first impression is one of tranquility, the English-owned villa nestles in its own fields of olive groves overlooking a placid lake with only the occasional sounds of ducks and the chirping of the multitude bird life that surround the immediate area.

The nearest houses and the town of Beniarres are just over 1500 meters away, there is the air of calmness and stillness running through the villa and its surrounds. The chill of the night is quickly replaced by warmth as we tuck in a breakfast of "Heuvos Con Tostados", or cereals if you prefer, washed down by coffee and tea.

This is not a breakfast to be lingered over as you have ahead of you miles of open roads, beautifully surfaced and to all intents and purposes devoid of traffic. It is easy to count more cyclists than vehicle by a wide margin. This is an unspoilt area of Spain, famous for its rolling terrain, mountainous passes, full-on hill climbs, sweeping descents through valleys full of cherries, olives, and on the lower slopes, the ubiquitous oranges and lemon groves of the Valencia region.

Stop for a moment and listen, it is quiet, no hum of traffic, the nights are clear of light pollution, the stars glisten, the air is clean and sharp, and as you start at 1,000 feet above sea level, there is a touch of altitude training in the mix.

The choice of rides is wide open. Perhaps you would like a short ride to loosen the legs, a ride to the sea with the added choice to return by train if your legs are feeling a little heavy that day, or a full-on ride that includes short but punchy climbs and long valley ascents that will test you and build core endurance.

If you ride south-east, you climb the over the hills to La Vall d'Ebo before a staggering drop of 500 meters towards the sea on the northern tip of the Denia peninsula. Take a northwest route, you can climb up from Beniarres towards the towns of Salem and Castello De Rugat. These are days for climbing.

If you want a flatter day, you ride through the valley floor, treated to rolling terrain that allows you to ride without too much ascent, enjoying an easier day with a full lunch at a nearby restaurant in Muro de Alcoy before ambling back to the villa for an afternoon’s siesta.

You go east across the valley floor, taking the wide, open and very safe road. This takes you to the head of valley at L'Orxa. Stop here for a coffee, or continue to enjoy the hairpins that will make you feel that you have earned your lunch.

Talking of which, this would be not a cycling holiday without the choice of route being in some part dictated by the promise of a lunch of tapas, perhaps a small cerveza and rich stews of locally hunted wild boar or venison. Away from the crowds the bars and restaurants are family run and friendly, you quickly feel part of this community.

Bring some euros or a card, the prices reflect the rural nature of this part of Spain, you will not need to dig too deep in your wallets for a full and tasty lunch! This holiday caters for a maximum of eight people at any one time, including non-riders, in this exclusive location; calmness, relaxation and intimacy are the bywords.

Skill level

• It is inclusive of all abilities (Cycle for Fitness' support vehicle is available as and when you need it, or to start you above the steepest climbs)
• If you have a good level of fitness and are comfortable on a road bike then this is for you
• Cycle for Fitness tailors the rides to those below the “competitive cyclist” level, for example the average club rider or the cyclist wishing to become fitter for their season of sportives and other cycling enthusiasts’ events

The villa that you will be staying at is located 1,500 meters from the town of Beniarres in the Alicante region of Spain. Although just a short walk to the bars restaurants bank and supermarket, the villa seems totally secluded as it is nestled between the hills that surround the lake.

+−

During this cycling holiday, you will be provided with daily breakfast. For the evenings of the holiday, you will be free to visit the local restaurants, expect to budget 25 EUR for a three course meal or significantly less if you fancy tapas and a beer.

Kindly note that due to the kitchen layout, the villa cannot cater for nut and other allergies.

• Accompanied rides for three day aimed at the novice and intermediate cyclist, with coffee/lunch stops at carefully selected Spanish restaurants and tapas bars
• If you wish to strike out on your own, you will be provided with suggested routes and offer roadside assistance and vehicle backup
• Optional 50-mile / 5,000-foot climbing challenge day (The Cherry Ride)
• Full use of the villa facilities, including large pool (weather permitting), plus the barbecue area and terrace
• 4 nights accommodation
• Daily breakfast
• Airport transfers between Alicante or Valencia airport and the villa (including cycle transfer); based on 2 people sharing on same flight
• Optional coaching hints and tips each evening; discuss with Cycle for Fitness your cycling or Ironman ambitions
• Options to purchase your Trainingpeaks training plans at discounted rates
• For the self-coached, guidance on how to create your own annual training plan
• A WattBike will be available for you to test yourself to find out your current "Functional Threshold Power" (used by pros to determine their cycling fitness and as the base for all power based training methods)
• If you are a coached rider with Cycle For Fitness, you will be given the option of having a 1-to-1 time to help you review your Performance Management Chart (PMC) and Annual Training Plans
• An optional short session on managing mechanical breakdowns and repairing punctures while out riding

• Bike hire of high quality carbon-fibre Scott Addict carbon 105 cycles is available from Cycle for Fitness' partner cycle shop (200 EUR)
• Lunches during the bike laps
• Evening Meals can be catered for at additional cost or walk into Beniarres for a rich variety of local restaurants and tapas bars.
• Insurance
• Anything not specified under What is Included
• Airfare

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.