Overbooking at Teide: Pidcock heads to Chile for the first altitude training camp

Although it is not common for cyclists to train at altitude this early, Tom Pidcock, who apparently aims to start the season in top form, is going to have a training camp before kicking off the campaign. However, the British cyclist has encountered some issues that have forced him to seek a completely atypical destination for training: Chile.

The occupation of usual destinations and the weather force Pidcock to seek a new location

For quite some time now, since the biological passport and out-of-competition controls have practically banished blood doping, altitude training camps have become an essential element for cyclists to improve their hematological values and thus achieve maximum performance. These camps in Europe have mainly focused on three destinations: Livigno, Sierra Nevada, and Teide, due to the need for a place to sleep at altitude and multiple roads around where they can train both at altitude and easily descend for higher intensity sessions.

These camps are used by cyclists as a precursor to their peak form before facing the priority objectives of each season. What is unusual is for a cyclist to train at altitude during the period leading up to the start of the campaign unless, obviously, they intend to start it in great shape.

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This is the case for Tom Pidcock, who, it seems, will repeat last year's scheme where he showed outstanding performance in the races held in February and who, in 2026, surely intends to take it a step further and start the season without holding back. To achieve this, the British cyclist and his team have decided that it is time for a first altitude training camp. But this is where the problem has arisen. Livigno and Sierra Nevada are impossible destinations these days, in the middle of the ski season, while Teide is also completely booked as it only has one hotel, which is practically fully reserved by Visma-Lease a Bike, who are also sending cyclists to train there to start their campaign in top form.

Additionally, the harsh winter being experienced in Europe, which has even closed the roads of Teide for several days due to heavy snowfall, completely atypical for the island, has made finding a training camp that meets all the requirements of accommodation, altitude, and training possibilities a chimera.

Therefore, at Pinarello-Q36.5, they decided to look for another solution, and Chile emerged as the ideal option. It is true that it involves a long journey, but in exchange, they have found an old ski resort practically next to Santiago de Chile that has several slopes for training and is located at a generous altitude of 2,700 m. Moreover, Chile is in the middle of the southern summer, which guarantees optimal weather to maintain the training plan.

Seven cyclists will accompany Tom Pidcock on this Chilean adventure, including what should be his main support at the start of the campaign, Quiten Hermans. Along with them will travel a chef, three assistants, two mechanics, one of the team directors, as well as one of the nutritionists and a coach. Who knows, they might be discovering a new destination that becomes a trend for teams in a few years.