Canary Islands and Winter Training

[DirtyWorks]

Catching up with the Boulder Report and they had this (translated to English) link to Fuentes' new workplace in the Canary Islands. http://translate.google.com/transla...te-Dopingarzt-ist-wieder-aktiv/story/22231757

Cervelo held a winter training camp in the Canary's. Radio Shack SaxoBank, Garmin too. Can anyone place Fuentes and these teams together? Dunno.

It might be a case of conflating facts. Or not.

 

[roundabout]

A friendly gynecologist is just a bonus on top of good weather, varied terrain and low traffic.

Or is it the other way around?

But seriously it would make blood withdrawal a lot easier by just visiting senor Fuentes on a training ride.

 

[icefire]

Just a bit of geography FYI:

Fuentes is based on Gran Canaria. Highest peak there is Pico de las Nieves, 1949 m. There are many climbs and several roads to the summit but there aren't many kms of roads above 1800 m.

People goes to train to Tenerife. Highest peak there in Mount Teide, 3718 m. There are many kms of paved roads above 2000 m for altitude training.

The doctor and the training camps are on different islands.

 

[NashbarShorts]

A friendly gynecologist is just a bonus on top of good weather, varied terrain and low traffic.

Or is it the other way around?

But seriously it would make blood withdrawal a lot easier by just visiting senor Fuentes on a training ride.

You've got to take into account "whereabouts". Even if the UCI or WADA knows your "whereabouts", they are much less likely to come visit you if you are on an ISLAND.

These organizations do not have unlimited funds (heck, the UCI subsists mainly on Lance's tablescraps). I'm sure this is a factor for choosing to train in "remote" locations...

 

[Frosty]

On the other hand, if all the teams are going to the same place then someone takes a cheap flight over, has a nice break and tests loads of cyclists at the same time. Wins all round for the drug testers

The Canary Isles are an island group quite a way south of Europe, having reliable warm weather in winter, its also likely to be dry, the days are a bit longer, the sun higher in the sky, and there is no jet-lag either, with a shorter trip than to other developed areas of the world with the same weather. Its a popular winter sun destination or europeans so why wouldnt cyclists take advantage of this whether there is a drug doctor there or not?

 

[Ferminal]

Just a bit of geography FYI:

Fuentes is based on Gran Canaria. Highest peak there is Pico de las Nieves, 1949 m. There are many climbs and several roads to the summit but there aren't many kms of roads above 1800 m.

People goes to train to Tenerife. Highest peak there in Mount Teide, 3718 m. There are many kms of paved roads above 2000 m for altitude training.

The doctor and the training camps are on different islands.

I thought Ferrari was a frequent visitor of Tenerife (along with Girona).

 

[icefire]

I thought Ferrari was a frequent visitor of Tenerife (along with Girona).

I've never been a follower of Ferrari

But it makes sense, as Tenerife is the island with best conditions for altitude training and it has an international airport. La Palma is the other island suitable for altitude training, but it doesn't have an international airport. Gran Canaria (Fuentes' homeland) has the international airport, but not enough altitude.

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

I remember in the late eighties or early nineties hearing about Theunisse going to the Canary Islands to train, I also recall thinking WTF?

Look at that, twenty years later it's still making sense for the big guns to ride there. For various reasons... Although I'm sure Fuentes has a sweet private practice jacking up fat English women to play shuttle board better. That's why he's there, right?

 

[icefire]

Fuentes is guilty of having been born there

 

[luckyboy]

I thought Ferrari was a frequent visitor of Tenerife (along with Girona).

Yeah, he went there with Vino in 07 at least. And he's been to Girona with Lance.

Those are two examples amongst others he has been with btw.

And there was St Moritz with Nibali & Pellizotti last year.

 

[Tim_sleepless]

FFS... Lanzarote, Tenerife etc etc are just great places to train in the Euro winter... lots of athletes from lots of different sports go there, amateur and professional alike..... Club La Santa is the main complex on Lanzarote for example...

You might as well deduce thatthe alps must be the home of a secret mr big of the doping world as lots of cyclists go training there too.

 

[khardung la]

Tenerife is IMO the best training place possible, not only in the European winter. Although it is already a well-known training place, try it by yourself and do not spread the voice out of this forum .

That Fuentes lives in Gran Canaria (now) is just coincidental, he is originally from the Canaries. Anyway he lives in another (more boring) island. And he is not the only druid available in proffesional cycling anyway. We would have to doubt of all the teams going to the good training places situated at less than 200 km of the main cycling druids available.....That is prety much all europe, and that would be too extremistic IMO.

 

[NashbarShorts]

La Palma is the other island suitable for altitude training, but it doesn't have an international airport.

La Palma (Mallorca), you fly into Barcelona and then its a 20min hop over. Also, I'm pretty sure you can fly direct from Europe. Either way, since most of these pros are COMING from Europe, it's easier to go to Mallorca. They are not just going to the Canaries for the sea turtle egg omeletes.

Doesn't the book "LA's war" (I didn't have to stomach to get past the opening pages) open up w/ LA's private jet approaching the Canaries? He is on his way to meet up w/ Ferrari for a training camp (ahem). In the words of the author, Lance is peering out the window and thankful that he will be far, far away from all the 'trolls'... Again, no mention of turtle egg omelettes.

Theunisse chose to train there?....'nuff said.

 

[roundabout]

I think La Palma is this one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Palma

But the story about Lance wanting to get away from the "trolls" is pretty funny.

 

[khardung la]

La Palma (Mallorca), you fly into Barcelona and then its a 20min hop over. Also, I'm pretty sure you can fly direct from Europe. Either way, since most of these pros are COMING from Europe, it's easier to go to Mallorca. They are not just going to the Canaries for the sea turtle egg omeletes.

La Palma is in the Canary Islands, it has nothing to do with Mallorca or its capital, Palma de Mallorca. They have a small airport, people have to fly first to Tenerife or Gran Canaria to go there.

There are no sea turtle egg omelettes in the Canaries, I don't know which idea you have of the Canaries.

Anyway in Mallorca the weather is not ideal to train in the winter, and high altitude training is not possible. I understand why cyclists go to the Canaries, other than potentially meeting a particular doctor. For that many other European cities are well packed, without the effort of taking a 3 hours flight.