The Irish UCI Continental team An Post – Chain Reaction have been taking part in a high altitude training camp in recent days to help prepare for the second half of the season.
The team are based in Livigno in Northern Italy at an altitude of 1,816 metres and adapting to the high altitude is something that Directeur Sportif Kurt Bogaerts is conscious of.
“We tried to be very careful,” he said after their first training ride. “We’d like the guys to adapt to the altitude. The air is thinner so you need to get used to it. The heart rate can be a little bit higher.
After settling in at Livigno, one of their training rides took in the climb of the Passo dello Stelvio. The climb regularly features in the Giro d’Italia.
The Stelvio, at an elevation of 2,757 m is the second highest paved mountain pass in the Alps, just 45 m below France’s Col de la Bonette (2,802 m)
Amongst the races which An Post – Chain Reaction will be lining up in over the coming months are the Ride London Classic (UCI 1.HC) later this month and a series of UCI 1.1 races in Belgium including the Arnhem – Veenendaal Classic and the Grote Prijs Jef Scherens – Rondom Leuven.
The team will return to Britain in September to take part in the Tour of Britain where they have enjoyed some success over the years.
