Performance Camp · Calpe, Spain · 2027

Close Gaps.Not The Season.

A 7-day performance training block for cyclists who take their numbers seriously – coached rides grouped by power, daily data debriefs, one written plan for 2028.

Location Calpe, Spain
Dates Oct 9–15, 2027
Format 7-day training block
Group 14 riders · paced by power
View Training Block

Camp runs in English · Portuguese, Spanish & Ukrainian also spoken by the team

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The Performance Gap

Most riders lose
the off-season.
You're going to use it.

Fitness doesn't disappear on a fixed schedule – it disappears when training stops being structured. This camp isn't a break from training. It's a training block: assess your limiters, build through them, test the result, and race it on Day 6.

01
Assess
Day 1 is bike check and squad briefing. Day 2 brings a full baseline test – sets your targets for the week, confirmed 1-on-1 with Carlos.
02
Build
Z4+ intervals on Coll de Rates with downhill skills, then sprint and tactics work – paced by power, debriefed every evening.
03
Recover
One full easy day, programmed not improvised – your last in-person session with Carlos before he coaches you online for the rest of the week.
04
Close
A VO2max day to finish the hard work, then a celebration dinner, awards, and an easy social ride home.
"Off-season is a training block.
Most riders just don't program it."
Why Calpe · Why This Camp

Same roads.
Different standard.

1
☀️

20–26°C in October

By October, most of Europe is losing light, warmth and motivation. Calpe stays dry, mild, and fully rideable – full volume, zero base miles lost to weather, while everyone else is on the trainer.

2
⛰️

The Terrain WorldTour Teams Choose

Coll de Rates, Puig Campana, the Guadalest valley – the same climbs UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma use for their own autumn blocks, all inside 30 minutes of the hotel.

3
📊

Grouped by Power, Not Guesswork

Every ride splits into pace groups by FTP/watts, not by who talks loudest at breakfast. You train at your number, coached at your number.

Performance Protocol

Train with data.
Recover with a plan.

📊

Daily Power-Data Debriefs

Every ride reviewed with your coach – power, zones, pacing – before dinner, while it's still useful.

🧘

Morning Mobility & Activation

Dynamic activation and mobility before every ride. Keeps the engine running through 7 straight training days.

🥗

Athlete Nutrition

Recovery-focused meals, carb timing built around your sessions – not generic camp catering.

💬

1-on-1 Coach Session + 2028 Plan

A real sit-down with your coach. Season reviewed, limiters named, a written plan for 2028.

🧠

Programmed Rest Day

One full off-bike day – pool, hotel, rest, a team communication session. Planned recovery, not accidental burnout.

October isn't the month to train harder. It's the month to train precisely – and arrive at January already ahead of the riders who just stopped.
Darina Balabai · Founder, Portcycling
3–5h
Daily volume
(structured)
Z1–Z3
Dominant zones
(aerobic focus)
22°C
October avg.
in Calpe
14
Riders max
(paced groups)
Training Block

Seven days.
Every session counted.

Morning Mobility & Activation, coached rides grouped by power, one programmed recovery day, and a race day finale.

Cycling
Mobility & Activation
Testing
Social & Coffee
Race Day
Day 1
Saturday
Oct 9
Arrival & Bike Check
Assemble. Fit-check. Meet the squad.
PM
Arrival · airport transfer · bike assembly
Full safety check
16:00
Easy baseline ride · 1–1.5h
Easy spinCoffee stop
20:00
Opening dinner + week briefing
Team dinnerWeek briefing
Day 2
Sunday
Oct 10
Coastal Base
Z2 aerobic. 53.eleven coffee.
07:00
Mobility & Activation
Mobility & ActivationBike check
08:00
Breakfast
10:00
Coastal Z2 ride · 3–4h · coffee stop with 53.eleven
Z2 · 70–90 kmCoffee · 53.eleven
15:00
Stretching + power-data debrief
StretchingDebriefWash station
20:00
Dinner + briefing for Day 3
Dinner
Day 3
Monday
Oct 11
Mountain Day
Coll de Rates. Structured climbing.
07:00
Mobility & Activation
Mobility & ActivationBike check
08:00
Breakfast
10:00
Mountain ride · 4–5h · Coll de Rates + coffee stop
Z2–Z3 · 90–110 kmCoffee stop
16:00
Stretching + power-data debrief
StretchingDebriefWash station
20:00
Dinner + briefing for Day 4
Dinner
Day 4
Tuesday
Oct 12
Rest Day
Full stop. Team debrief.
08:00
Breakfast · sleep in
10:30
Full rest day · pool, hotel, free time
Full rest
16:00
Team Communication Session · group-riding signals, race-radio protocol, pace-line tactics
Team briefing
17:00
Personal 1-on-1 with coach
Season debrief
20:00
Dinner + briefing for Day 5
Dinner
Day 5
Wednesday
Oct 13
Openers
Short, sharp. Legs primed.
07:00
Mobility & Activation
Mobility & ActivationBike check
08:00
Breakfast
10:00
Openers · 2–3h · short, sharp efforts to prime the legs
Z2–Z3 · 50–70 km
14:00
Stretching + pre-race debrief
StretchingRace prepWash station
20:00
Dinner + Race Day briefing
DinnerRace Day briefing
Day 6
Thursday
Oct 14
Race Day 🏁
Test the block.
07:00
Pre-race Activation
ActivationBike check
08:00
Breakfast
10:00
Mountain race day · 4–5h · Z2–Z4 · with 53.eleven & racing skills
Z2–Z4 · 100–120 km53.elevenSpecial guest
16:30
Stretching + race analysis
StretchingRace analysisWash station
20:00
Season closing dinner · awards · stories
Celebration dinner
Day 7
Friday
Oct 15
Departure
Go home ahead of 2028.
08:00
Breakfast · last slow morning
09:30
Social ride · 1–1.5h
Easy social ride
11:30
Bike packing · final wash · check-out
Wash & pack
13:00
Transfer to Alicante airport
ALC transfer

* Schedule is indicative and may be adjusted based on weather and group needs.

What's Included

Everything you need.
Nothing that dilutes focus.

✓

6 nights · Double room in the hotel

Comfortable hotel double room in Calpe – private bathroom, full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Your base for the week.

✓

Structured coaching + daily power-data debriefs

Daily briefings, real-time feedback, personalised post-ride analysis every evening.

✓

Morning Mobility & Activation

Every day before the ride – dynamic activation, hip openers, and full-body mobility work. Routines you'll keep all winter.

✓

Full technical support · mechanic + team car

Mechanic and team car on every ride – bike repairs, spare parts, roadside support – so you can focus entirely on riding.

✓

Daily bike check + wash station

A full safety check before rollout every morning. Everything you need to clean your bike – degreaser, brushes, rinse station – waiting when you get back.

✓

Season debrief + written 2028 training plan

Personal 1-on-1 with your coach – season reviewed, limiters identified, plan built.

✓

Race Day with 53.eleven + racing skills

The season-closing test – a real race-day experience with the local pro crew.

Why Calpe

Favourite base of pro teams – UAE Team Emirates, Jumbo-Visma, and Bahrain Victorious all train here in autumn.
300+ km of premium roads within 30 minutes – coastal routes to challenging mountain passes.
Iconic climbs: Coll de Rates (10km, 5% avg), Guadalest valley, and Peñón de Ifach.
October average: 22°C, low humidity, clear autumn skies – while most of Europe is already winding down.
Alicante (ALC) airport – 90 min away, well-served from major European hubs.
The Package

One block.
Built for one goal.

14 spots available
CALPE PERFORMANCE BLOCK 2027
October 9–15 · Calpe, Spain · 14 riders max
€2357
per person · double room · all meals included
Full board + welcome pack included
  • 6 nights double room in the hotel
  • Full board – breakfast, lunch & dinner
  • Portcycling welcome pack
  • Daily Mobility & Activation
  • Daily coached rides, grouped by power
  • Full technical support – mechanic + team car
  • Power-data debriefs, every day
  • 1-on-1 season debrief + written 2028 plan
  • Race Day with 53.eleven + racing skills
Available on request
Single room upgradeon request
Bike rentalon request
Group transfer ALC / VLCfrom €70 / person
Discounts
Bring a friend−€100 / each
Returning rider−€150

Only 14 riders.
No dead miles.
Just a plan that works.

This isn't a cycling holiday. It's a training block with a hotel attached – coaches, data, a pace group at your level, and one clear target: leave faster than you arrived.

Book online – €707 deposit (30%) by card right after the form. The remaining €1650 is due 60 days before the camp.
Not ready to pay yet? Your place is held free for 24 hours.
Cancel 90+ days before – 100% refund. Full policy →
Questions? Message us on WhatsApp →

The Camp Team

Pro knowledge.
Personal touch.

Camp runs in English – with Portuguese, Spanish, and Ukrainian spoken across the team.

Darina Balabai
Logistics & Management
Darina Balabai
Founder of Portcycling – built the community and the systems behind 45+ Coffee and Social Rides across Portugal. Went from zero to semi-pro in four years through smart coaching and discipline – proof that starting cycling at 36 can still get you to a World Championship start line two years later.
Carlos Cobos Márquez
High Performance Coach
Carlos Cobos Márquez
Part of the professional Movistar Gravel Squad. Coaches professional and semi-pro racers – among them Calum Johnston, Pablo Lospitao, and Mauricio Moreira, winner of the 2022 Volta a Portugal. Prefers to know the person before the athlete – the same principle behind every training block he builds.
Artem Shcherbyna
Cycling Guide
Artem Shcherbyna
Lives on the Costa Blanca and rides it daily. Knows every climb, gradient, and wind direction – local knowledge that turns a good route into the right one for your group's pace.
Questions

Everything you
need to know.

What FTP or fitness level do I need?
Comfortable holding structured Z2–Z3 efforts for 3–5 hours. This is a performance block, not a race – but it rewards riders who already train with intent. You don't need to be racing fit; you need to be ready to work every day for a week.
How are pace groups organized?
By power/FTP where you have it, otherwise by recent ride data you share in your application – Strava history, recent events, or perceived effort. Small groups, matched pace, real coaching – not one peloton hoping for the best.
Do I need a power meter?
It helps but isn't required. Tell us what data you have in the application and we'll place you in the right group and adjust the coaching accordingly.
Is single room accommodation available?
Yes, a single room upgrade is available on request. Please mention this in your application and we'll confirm availability and the additional cost.
Can I rent a bike through the camp?
Yes. We can arrange high-quality bike rentals in Calpe. Please indicate this in your application form and we'll confirm options and pricing.
What language is the camp run in?
The camp runs in English. Portuguese, Spanish, and Ukrainian are also spoken across the team, so most riders find someone to switch to if English isn't their first language.
Is this camp suitable for women?
Absolutely – and actively encouraged. Our community is mixed and inclusive. Darina and Carlos both coach and ride, and pace groups are set by power, not gender – everyone trains at their own number.
Can you accommodate dietary needs?
The hotel restaurant offers a selection of dishes at each meal – there are always options for different preferences, including vegetarian and lighter choices. If you have specific dietary requirements or allergies, please mention them in your application and we'll inform the hotel in advance.
What if I need to cancel?
Cancel 90 or more days before the camp and you get 100% back. From 89 days the 30% deposit is non-refundable; cancel 30–59 days before and we refund 50% of the balance; under 30 days, no refund – but you can hand your place for free to another rider of a similar level. If our coach decides the camp isn't the right fit for you, or if we cancel the camp, you always get 100% back. Full details in our Cancellation Policy. We recommend travel insurance.
October 9–15, 2027 · Calpe, Spain

Your 2028 season
starts with this block.

Only 14 spots

Don't let the off-season happen to you. Structure it – and start 2028 already ahead.

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Organized by Portcycling – Associação (Portugal) · Non-profit cycling organization · NIPC 518757366