Last week, Noel Dejonckheere, BMC Racing Team’s training logistics manager, got in touch with the manager of the Denia Marriott La Sella to confirm that the team’s trailers with bicycles and equipment will be arriving during the first week of December. The cyclists will start to train on the roads of Marina Alta on 12 December until 26 January 2014.
Philippe Gilbert, world champion holder of the rainbow jersey in 2012, and the Australian cyclist Cadel Evans, winner of an edition of the Tour de France, will be planning the season at the Denia Marriott de La Sella Golf Resort for the fourth year running.
The area is perfect for pro cycling teams thanks to a number of special characteristics, ideal for high-level training sessions.
With a varied landscape, including miles of mountain roads with little traffic, the members of BMC Racing Team highly appreciate the area’s mild climate, far removed from the hard winters characterizing their home countries (the majority come from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, USA, etc.). They also need a hotel with sports facilities and nutritional services that the Marriott offers them: a cutting-edge gym and a spa area with treatment rooms and, just as importantly, a healthy, varied diet prepared by kitchen staff used to cooking for the sporting elite.
The directors of the Swiss BMC Racing Team stated that "this year, we have returned to the Denia Marriott because the hotel caters to all of our team’s needs. We have been using the hotel for the last few years because everything is always perfect. In addition to the special characteristics of the Marina Alta area, perfect for the team’s preparation, other reasons include the climate, locals and… serrano ham!"
Furthermore, during previous training camps, the Denia Marriott has promoted meetings between BMC’s star cyclists and the area’s young promises. Last year’s pre-season training camp featured an introductory talk given by Yvon Ledanois and a cap-signing session by members of the famous Swiss cycling team, during which the members of Javea Cycling Club made the most of the opportunity to ask these "battle-hardened" professionals – including the sprinter Adam Blythe, winner of the Binche-Tournai-Binche, the American Olympic team member Taylor Phinney, a Giro d’Italia stage winner, and Larry Warbasse, the great "American hope" – all kinds of questions.
BMC Racing Team returns to La Sella to prepare the 2014 season
