For the last two months the Coll de Rates has probably been the most popular climb in the cycling world. The 6.4km climb has been glowing white hot on heat maps, with hundreds of rides and different segment times logged on Strava.
The Coll de Rates is a popular winter playground and a symbolic crossroads for riders of different abilities. Most WorldTour teams hold training camps on the nearby Costa Blanca in December and January and ride inland to climb the Coll de Rates during long rides. Amateur riders from across Europe also travel to Spain for warm weather riding and like to go ‘pro-spotting’ and compare their rides on the Coll de Rates with the professionals.
“Every cyclist who goes to the Costa Blanca wants to ride the climb that everyone talks about. If you go there in December between 10:30am and 1:00pm, you’re likely to see many of your cycling heroes and half of the peloton riding up it.”
“For both your own and others’ wellbeing, please allow riders to train and give them as much space and peace as possible,” the team said.
“When I’m around pros, I keep my composure, I act like nothing’s happening. One morning, I found myself at a red light next to Pogačar. It didn’t even occur to me to bother him. It’s…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…