Wednesday: Travel to Alicante
Please make your own arrangements to meet us in Calpe or meet us at Alicante Airport. We will run one transfer from the airport today at 11.30. Please allow an hour from your flight landing time to your transfer time, to allow you to get through passport control and collect your luggage.
Private transfers
If the transfer times don’t suit you then we also offer private transfers for you and your bike at any time from Alicante airport.
What about my bike?
You can bring your own bike as we have planned to transport bike boxes on our airport transfers. Alternatively, you can rent a bike with us for the weekend. Our mechanic will be available this afternoon at the hotel to assist you with fitting your rental bike or building your own bike after travel. Bikes can be safely stored at the hotel.
Our Hotel
We are staying at Hotel Diamante in Calpe. The hotel is booked on a Half Board basis, with breakfasts and evening meals included.
Late afternoon and early evening, our tour leaders and bike mechanics are available for you. We will have an afternoon ride to spin your legs ready for the trip. We will have an evening meal together at the hotel.
Ride option
Please try to arrive before lunch to allow you to join us for a welcome ride in the afternoon. The ride will be around 40km long. The route will head out on the coastal road towards Moraira then a gentle climb and descend into Benissa. Riding through Teulads, Benitachell then back to Moraira to take the coastal road back to Calpe.
Thursday
Enjoy breakfast followed by today’s guided ride. You will head out on the coastal road through Moraira to Xabia. Enjoy a climb and descend into Orba for a cafe stop. If the wind is in the right direction, it’s a fast run into Pego. You will then take a gentle climb over to Orba before heading to Xalo for the main café stop. After lunch we tackle the famous Col de Rates, only the short side at 6km, but it is a good climb. Pro riders do hill reps on this side of the climb. You will take a short descent followed by a short climb before descending down to Callosa. The route then heads back to Calpe through the tunnels.
Choose from 3 levels of riding every day. From a leisurely coffee ride group to hard riding, we have you covered. You can even mix and match as there is no need to stick with the same group every day.
On arrival back to the hotel, you can enjoy our after-ride coffee break. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are available at the hotel.
This afternoon you are free to enjoy the hotel’s facilities and we will have the evening meal together at the hotel.
Friday
Breakfast, followed by today’s guided rides.
All riders will take the same route out of Calpe heading to Albir via the tunnels. The shorter route will then head to tackle the long side of the Col D'Rates after lunch you will then descend back into Calpe. The longer route will use the back lane to Finestraat you will then take on the challenge of the week the Col D’ Tudons. After a climb up Port de Confrides, your legs will get to rest down the fast descent into Guadalest. Group 2 will head back via Callosa and the tunnels and Group 1 will tackle the long side of Col D'Rates and head back to Calpe via Xaro.
Saturday
After breakfast, you can choose between the longer route or a shorter route. The routes will largely be the same leaving Calpe via the tunnels to Callousa and then onto Guadalest. After a coffee stop the road takes you to Confrides and up the climb Port de Confrides (970m). Riding on to Benasau then taking a quick descent into Gorga before heading over to Pego via Vall de Ebo. The routes will take you back to Calpe via Orba and Xaro.
Sunday
Enjoy breakfast and if you have a later flight tonight then you do have the opportunity to join us for a final ride today.