We are two cyclists on a climb, drained from an effort with several hours of riding to go; what we are doing is simplistic yet what we are experiencing is profound in the same way as yoga is cleansing for some, and church is a sanctuary for others. Yet not all days are enriching. Waking up tired, lethargic, and with little motivation to pedal, training becomes mundane and the job a chore. Descending the mountain our legs spin freely as we wind our way down the mountainside, cutting the corners, passing cars, and accelerating on the straightaways. Our tyres flick up scattered stones and our brakes squeal under the applied force. The tarmac is still wet in the late afternoon, as the December sun won’t climb high enough in the sky to dry the road. We ride cautiously but well above an amateur cyclist’s limit. Driving a car I would move down the mountain slower as it is a vehicle in which I fear the worst; on a bicycle I am cautious but rarely frightened. On our bikes we loop around the countryside daily for two months. No ride is the same yet the objective remains the same: to progress. Training alone or in pairs through November and December builds our fitness. However to race with a team and race well, we mentally and physically adapt again at our team training camps in January. In the autumn and winter months we have strengthened our muscles by lifting weights, working our core, and riding at a steady rhythm for prolonged periods. Our physique is strong and our health has rebounded after time away from the races, yet we are still unprepared to compete. The transition is significant. Each of the dozens of professional squads will meet in late December or early January to ride together in a warm climate with quiet, undulating roads. When the cyclists arrive at the camp, they are a group of individuals on a roster. If the camp is well organised and if the riders spend four to seven hours a day for ten days together, they become a team. If the team is to win, the riders will need to make sacrifices for team and team-mates. Like firefighters going into a blaze or soldiers going into battle, we will need to develop a bond of trust and mutual respect. Each individual will find his confidence by knowing that each of his team-mates will drain himself of every watt of energy for the goal and will never relent until the job is done. Without a bond, a team can be successful but it will never find the consistency to become great. In small groups, we arrive at the camp from around the world. Like the first day of school there is nervousness as we try to settle into the environment and find our niche. Our hotel rooms, which we share with a team-mate, are heaped with bags of new clothing.The aroma of plastic, fabric and ink is overwhelming. By dinner we will look like a team, as we will all be clothed identically in logoed tracksuits and t-shirts. Despite being in my 14th season as a professional, pulling on a new team jersey brings me a youthful sense of happiness and accomplishment. At home in Girona, my day is loosely structured as my training times bend to my family’s needs and appointments. At the team camps, our lives
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