Valenciana, Comunidad·Spain
Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Calpe is where professional teams gather each January, drawn by warm, quiet roads and a wall of climbs behind the coast. The Coll de Rates is the local benchmark, the Cumbre del Sol its steep coastal test, and inland loops past Guadalest give endless quiet kilometres under winter sun.
In season: Nov–Apr · Peak: Jan–Mar
Warm, dry winter riding from gentle coast roads to hard mountain days, on well-surfaced, cyclist-friendly roads; the Coll de Rates suits every level. Busy with training camps in the new year.
The climb every pro team rides in January
Reservoir, castle village and quiet roads
Steep coastal ramps between Calpe and Jávea
The big day, round the whole ridge
Base in Calpe or Altea. Bring your bike or hire locally; ride the Coll de Rates first to find your legs, then build to the Bernia circuit.
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Winter-sun endurance climbing above a Valencian gorge.
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A 300-metre limestone rock climbed straight out of the Mediterranean at Calpe.
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