Racing resumes in Southern Spain following training camp

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Team kick starts on the continent at the Women Cycling Pro Costa De Almería

Human Powered Health is in Spain laying the groundwork for the early season races at a training camp in Almería.

Having focused on the Four Pillars of Performance in training, the athletes will put their racing legs to the test at the Women Cycling Pro Costa De Almería on January 28.

A strong eight-rider squad will take on the rolling 121 km route from Campohermoso, finishing on a 1.4 km ramp up to the elevated mountain village of Mojácar.

The roster includes the fast-finishing Linda Zanetti, climber Yuliia Biriukova, road captain Romy Kasper, all-rounder Maëlle Grossetête, as well as Marit Raaijmakers, Silvia Zanardi and Daria and Wiktoria Pikulik.

Lining up the climb to Mojácar in the recon.

Zanetti showed her class on ramped finishes throughout 2023, scoring multiple victories and podium finishes on similar parcours.

The team lines up beside three other WorldTour teams with the bulk of the start list being Spanish squads. Olivia Baril, Arlenis Sierra, Claire Steels (all Movistar Team), Ane Santestaban (Laboral-Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi) as well as defending champions CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling Team’s contingent will provide opposition in the finale.

Roster
Yuliia Biriukova
Maëlle Grossetête
Romy Kasper
Daria Pikulik
Wiktoria Pikulik
Marit Raaijmakers
Silvia Zanardi
Linda Zanetti

A baron but beautiful landscape, Almería has been home to our 2024 training camp. Practically a Spanish Hollywood, the area deputized for the desert in many Westerns and was the shooting location for Conan the Barbarian, Fistful of Dollars, Cleopatra, Lawrence of Arabia, Patton, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade among others.

The peloton will be crisscrossing these vistas on Sunday and our riders have enjoyed exploring the area amidst their targeted training.

“We grew well together as a team,” says road captain Kasper. “It was still about growing through the camp and ending up with a ‘race effort’.”

: Taking in some Amino Complex from Thorne post-ride to promote muscle mass and enhance energy production

: Kasper is in new colors and ready to take on the world once again in this, year 16 of her career.

A 16-year professional, Kasper has an abundance of experience to help guide the young contingent through the season and is excited for her first race in new colors.

“Of course, we are all ready and excited for our first race and we go out and want to have fun on Sunday. Ending up with a good result or even a podium is possible, so we will go for it to start the season on a high,” she adds.

All-rounder Grossetête also lines up for her debut and will be a luxury card to play in the finale of such one-day races.

“I had a good winter and my shape is good,” she says. “My goals are later but I take this race with a lot of motivation.”

The succession of climbs throughout the race should suit Grossetête’s skillset.

“It’s a nice parcours along the coast,” she says. “Good roads, some climbs, and good weather here. The finish will be spicy with this 1.4 km climb so it’s a mental game. We have a plan and I truly believe in it.”

Here’s a closer look at the route.

Route guide

1/28 Campohermoso – Mojácar (121 km) Rolling + uphill finish
A big day in the saddle to get the European campaign up and running. Rolling roads at the start give way to three categorized roads before the final uphill kick to the line. Riders will have to have their heads in the game throughout with exposed sections in the valley being susceptible to crosswinds. At an average of 8%, the final climb will suit punching finishers who can time their effort to perfection but the early ramps can still act as a springboard to victory for a committed rider confident in their staying power.