First training camp with Team SD Worx

Finally, the time had come: in the Spanish sun we finally got to see each other in real life. I was really looking forward to this first training camp, where we would come together as a team for the first time. Normally you see each other in December, but in these special times that was cancelled. So I was really looking forward to this training camp in January, but at the same time I kept in mind that it might be cancelled…

But luckily it was not cancelled. The 3rd I flew from Amsterdam to Valencia where we would test the 4th and 5th with the new girls of the team at the Valencia cycling track. Testing for our time trial position on our time trial bike and for working on our position on our road bike. We were well put on the bike from head to toe by a team from Specialized and Retul. In these 2 days the ‘dotting the i’ was done with regard to shoes, soles, saddles and so on. The 5th we (new girls) drove from Valencia to Xabia, where the rest of the team had already arrived at the team house the day before.

The team house is great! A beautiful villa in a quiet place, somewhere afterwards, which ensures that we are really in a team bubble.

The first day we did a quiet 3-hour endurance ride with Getty Images photographers present. They took beautiful pictures of the team in the lovely Spanish sunny weather. It always feels so good; such a first team training with a completely new kit: new clothing, beautiful new shoes, our fat Specialized bicycles, new Garmin computers, beautiful glasses and you name it.

In the afternoon after the training, we went straight to a hotel for more photos. We tried to have done as much as possible that day, because the weather would be bad for the next few days. At the hotel, a lot of team photos were taken outside. This was not so easy because of the very nice group, yes, I even think that the photographer was having a hard time, ‘we were constantly doubled over’ laughing. After the team photos we went on our bikes to a climb and photos were taken again, of course with the necessary hilarity.

In the evening there was delicious cooked for us by our top chef Shara. She is a former professional cyclist and will help us with our nutrition next year. During this training camp she cooked for us every evening and made sure there was a delicious lunch after the training sessions.

On Thursday we went to the gym with a group, more pictures were taken. The weather was super bad. It rained all day, pouring down from the sky. And what we didn’t know was that it wouldn’t stop raining until Monday. Those days I trained indoors on the Tacx.

Sunday, we decided to just go whatever the weather did. In the end, this became a memorable training. It started raining earlier than we expected and it was raining very hard again. In the end we were slightly hypothermic.

Monday morning it was still raining here in Xabia, so we decided to go by car to Alicante, where the sun was shining. From there we wanted to cycle to the house in Xabia. This was a good decision and allowed us to cycle dry all day long. Good thing too, because after the rain training the day before we couldn’t see any more rain. Fortunately, with perfect weather, we were also able to do two beautiful long rides on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Today is a rest day for me. The training camp is now officially over and most of the girls and staff are on their way home. This training camp has flown by. A training camp in which I have already learned a lot. But I am especially happy that I have now got to know everyone and that gives me a very good feeling for next season.

SD Worx is a fantastic team with very nice people, and I am proud to be part of it!!

The day after the rest day we got back on the bike fresh, I noticed that my body had recovered, and I was really looking forward to a nice ride in the sun. It was a fantastic ride, only the last hour I was on the bike with some pain, but this didn’t spoil the fun. The pain is in my Achilles tendon. This is because I switched very quickly to new cycling shoes, which caused me to suffer from an inflamed Achilles tendon. I’ve had this happen before and it’s especially annoying on the bike. Next time I’ll have to wait a little longer and alternate between my old and new cycling shoes.

Today (16.01.2021) it was time for the “oh so nice” PCR test. I am flying home on Monday (18.01.2021) and to be able to enter the Netherlands, you need a negative Covid test. This morning I went to Denia by bike, and they took the test there.

 

The funny thing is that the test administration is different everywhere. In the Netherlands they put the stick in your throat and then in your nose (my last time in the Netherlands was not a pleasant experience. They had a very thick stick, and my one nostril was apparently closed, so she also reached the other side for a while. had to prick my brain) and in Switzerland they only do it on the inside of your cheek. Here in Denia (Spain) they put it in both nostrils, and it took me ages to get it. Well, luckily, we had that again after us, now we hope for a good or actually ‘negative result’.

Tomorrow I will do another long workout, 6 hours. I’m really looking forward to it and actually looking forward to going home a bit. Cycling in good company and with beautiful routes here in sunny Spain, every day is a party. In the Netherlands it will probably rain again in the coming days. On the other hand, I can give my Achilles tendon some quiet days, so that I quickly get rid of the irritation complaints.

On the 27th of January I can go back to the sun. This time to Gran Canaria with the Dutch selection and after this training camp right back to here, the team home in Xabia (Spain).

Unfortunately, there is no Switzerland on the schedule for the time being, as a Dutch person you now have to quarantine there. Hopefully I can still go to Switzerland for the Strade Bianche.

I hope you enjoyed reading my first blog on my website! From time to time, from training camp to training camp and/or game to game, I plan to share my experiences here with you. Let me know in the comments what you think and let me know what you want me to write about.

 

Stay healthy and in motion, go outside if you can and enjoy nature!

 

Demi Vollering

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