Costa blanca coast and climbs

The Costa Blanca's mountains, not its beaches

There's a reason the Movistar and Ineos squads decamp to the limestone hills behind Alicante every winter. The gradients are gentle enough to ride for hours, the tarmac is quiet, and the roads twist through pine forest and almond groves rather than along busy promenades. Spend a week here in October, after the summer heat has eased, and you'll see why this corner of Spain has become the unofficial winter training ground of the European peloton.

This is a 7-day, point-to-point ride covering roughly 445 miles, with full support from Pedal Nation's Sheffield-based team. The route deliberately avoids the holiday-resort sprawl and heads inland to the craggy sierras where the Vuelta a España regularly stages its mountain stages. By the time you reach the top of the Col de Rates — the area's signature climb — the sea is a blue line on the horizon and the ride feels a long way from the airport you flew into.

The route, day by day

The opening day rolls south of Alicante along the coast, taking in the salt marshes and a flat stretch of sea-level riding to spin the legs out after travel. From day two onwards the terrain tilts upwards. You'll tackle the Col de Rates and a series of other passes that feature in the Vuelta — long, gradually graded climbs rather than the wall-like ramps of the Alps. Most stay under 5 to 6%, which is the secret of why pros come here: you can climb for forty minutes without ever blowing up.

There are three days where a shorter route is available if the legs are protesting, so you're not forced into a death march on day five. The group regroups at the top of each climb, so faster riders aren't waiting indefinitely and slower ones aren't dropped. A second coastal stretch along the northern Costa Blanca breaks up the climbing later in the week.

You finish in the city of Alicante, where three nights are spent in the same hotel — a useful base after the point-to-point earlier days.

Bookings, bikes and the practical side

Two departures are scheduled: 17–25 October 2026 and 15–24 October 2027, both at £1,890 per person sharing, with a £395 single-room supplement. The 2026 trip is led by Lucy Burnett and Jago Parfitt; Lucy leads the 2027 edition.

Accommodation is twin-share B&B in comfortable hotels and B&Bs with en-suites. Breakfast and picnic lunches on cycling days are included; evenings are usually eaten communally in local restaurants at your own cost — opt out if you'd rather find your own.

The bike transport is the unusual bit. Drop your bike at the Sheffield office up to three days before departure and Pedal Nation packs it into the support van, drives it to Spain, and returns it to Sheffield at the end. Pickup en route from Sheffield to Portsmouth may be possible depending on where you live. Post-Brexit, an ATA Carnet is required for each bike taken to Europe — that's a £60 fee added to your invoice.

It's pitched as a fun training camp as much as a holiday, and that's a fair description. If you've got a sportive or a charity ride on the calendar for the following spring, a week of Costa Blanca climbing in October is a sensible way to bank some altitude before winter shuts the door on outdoor miles.