Some bikes were also fitted with video cameras(Image credit: Tinkoff-Saxo)
Peter Sagan from behind(Image credit: Tinkoff-Saxo)
Team formation(Image credit: Tinkoff-Saxo)
Peter Sagan's rainbow jersey stands out in the group ride(Image credit: Tinkoff-Saxo)
The riders tuck tightly in a double line (Image credit: Tinkoff-Saxo)
Juraj Sagan leads the rider(Image credit: Tinkoff-Saxo)
Alberto Contador celebrated his 33rd birthday on Sunday with his Tinkoff-Saxo teammates in Gran Canaria, doing a three-and-a-half hour training ride on the team’s first day together.
The first ride of the camp was a steady roll through the hills of Gran Canaria, with former rider turned technical coordinator Ivan Basso also in the saddle. World champion Peter Sagan was out on the ride, with his rainbow stripes standing out amongst the bright yellow and blue of the 2015 Tinkoff-Saxo colours. The team is due to unveil a new training kit design later during the camp.
The Tinkoff-Saxo team will stay at the Anfi Tauro resort on the island of Gran Canaria, near the African coast, until December 18. The team has already held a planning camp in late October in Croatia.
Training is expected to follow the traditional routine of three days of intensive riding followed by a rest day. December training camps are considered the foundations for the new season and often the only time the whole team is together due to the non-stop racing programme.
Thanks to sunny conditions and temperatures close to 20C, the Tinkoff-Saxo riders were able to ride in shorts and do intensive training for the new season. The days at the camp begin with a core strengthening session on one of the outdoor tennis courts of the Anfi Tauro resort.
Contador has already confirmed that he plans to retire at the end of 2016 if his season goes to plan and he wins the Tour de France.
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