With Vuelta hurtling towards Valencia and the Northern Costa Blanca we outline why we love riding our bikes in the region, including our favoured hotel - which has 6 teams from the Vuelta staying there after stage 7.
On Friday the Vuelta finishes with rare flat stage in the town of Oliva - Oliva is relatively untouched by mass tourism, though does have a remarkable array of sports facilities for a relatively small town. About 25km down the coast is the town of Denia - whilst tourism does play in major role in the towns economy, it has managed to maintain a local feel and resisted the development of high rise buildings that a feature of resort towns like Calpe just down the coast.
The Cycling
Oliva, Denia and Javea are the perfect base for cyclists. From the coast you could choose to ride North towards Valencia on a plat flat ride where the wind is bound to play a part and you have are constantly on the pedals.
On stage 8 of the Vuelta (Saturday 2nd) the riders head across the marsh towards Pego and up Val d'Ebo before going on to Tollos and beyond. This first climb is a beauty and it is a real shame it will be missed by the television cameras on race day.
If you chose to go up out of Pego and south towards Orba and Parcent, you are in the winter playgorund of the professional cyclists. The climb of Coll de Rates is an achievable test for all riders and further down the valley you have the Bernia climb out of Xalo which is sinuous test with a pedalling descent allowing you to take in the stunning views of the coastline.
It is the variety of the routes on offer that draw us to the region - we are able to provide fun and challenging routes for all types of rider, with great cafe stops and super smooth tarmac - it is easy to see why the worlds best train here.
Staying in Oliva
Approximately 4km south of the stage 7 finish line lies the Oliva Nova resort. The resort is an exten sive bit of real estate and includes an enormous equestrian centre, 18 hole - Ballesteros designed - golf course, driving range, brand new Padel courts and 4 grass pitches (Football or Rugby) which are used by the continents top professional teams from the Premier League and La Liga amongst others.
The resort sits just back from an unspoilt beach which is perfect for evening walks and chilling out when resting your legs.
The hotel is fantastic for cyclists of all types. The bike garage provides a secure place to keep your pride and joy and make any adjustments you would like. It is also a great space to store any kit that might leave your room smelling less than fresh. The rooms at the hotel are very generous in size and well specced - this means non cycling travellers can relax in comfort whilst those who pack more than is needed have plenty of room to spread out!
The indoor and outdoor pools mean there is ample opportunity to stretch and unwind in the water, or you may opt for the steam room, sauna or jacuzzi to really make the most of your downtime.
The food at the hotel does far more than simply refuel - it is fantastic! So much so that our staff regularly return from the hotel a little heavier than they arrived despite all the cycling! However, for those who are more disciplined or for teams with specific requirments - the chef's are both thoughtful and friendly which makes for an all round excellent dining experience. Oh and the bar is good too and shows all the best sport from across the world ;)
To conclude - we bloody love riding in the region and staying at the Oliva Nova resort!
Other elements of your Cycling trip to the Oliva region:
Flights into ALC and VLC are available throughout the year and both are about an hour from the hotel
Visits to Valencia can be arranged - we even went to a Valencia match last year
Brilliant bikes available to hire at Cafe Ciclista
Triathletes can use the pool and track in Oliva to have a full and varied camp.
Comments