Former pro Serge Baguet uses hotel Oasis Tropical as a base for his Cycling Events and for a few days he is taking the sponsors that are present out to the hinterland. And the riders of Lotto Belisol, they are preparing for season 2013 with the reassuring knowledge that they have a WorldTour licence.

The teambuilding and the pranks are over, each rider had a few weeks of training done, before he arrived in Mojacar on Saturday evening. Ten days long the schedule of getting up, eating, cycling, eating, resting, massage, eating and sleeping is only being interrupted by some photo shoots, interviews for the camera and individual conversations with the sports directors about what has passed and what still has to come.

The off-season of Lotto Belisol was calm. With only the arrival of Dirk Bellemakers – Tim Wellens already became pro at the first of July – and the departure of Sohrabi and Meersman, it was rather quiet what concerns transfers. Frederique Robert was at the end of his contract and signed for one more season and all the other riders still have a contract, so the item “getting to know each other” could be skipped on this training camp.

Every day the riders are divided in three groups, which get another training route or training content depending on their start of the season or their personal profile. Day after day is being evaluated and there are adjustments if necessary. The flat course along the coast or the almost car-free, sloping roads in the hinterland are ideal for a training of three to five hours.

Sports director Herman Frison: “You see that all the riders and staff are excited to start the new season. When a season is over you are glad to be able to rest for a few weeks, but this is still the thing you love to do. And then is such a team training camp one of the only occasions that almost everyone is together, because halve January everyone is spreading over the different races and some people I only get to see again in September. It’s different than it used to be, now the riders already had a good basic condition when they arrived here. As a sports director you would immediately notice if someone didn’t prepare well. The season is now starting a lot earlier, with the races in Argentina, Australia and Gabon.”
 

“For me the official kickoff is the Tour Down Under. After the early races and the classics the Tour follows. We are already preparing for it. We don’t know all the details yet, but all trainings and explorations of the stages in Corsica, the Alps and the Pyrenees are planned. This is important for Jurgen, a good schedule gives serenity. And of course I am also looking forward to the 100th edition as well. Jurgen on the podium in Paris, that would be the icing on the cake in that 100th edition (big smile). But we are only at the beginning of a preparation that will take several months.”