Riding holidays, or training camps, can be an amazing way of building up a lot of base miles in sunny climes in a fairly short period of time.

Taking a week away from busy work and home schedules to concentrate just on riding, recovering, and riding again (and having fun!) can be a huge boost to your fitness, and new landscapes will reawaken your legs.

My own cycling club arranges a trip out to Majorca every year in March, and every year it’s an amazing experience.

Majorca is a popular destination, and you’ll experience some amazing climbs, including my favourite, Sa Calobra.

Booking your flights and finding a hotel in Majorca that caters for cyclists is easy (I’d recommend the Duva hotel, having stayed there 3 times). There are many bike shops where you can hire a ride for the week, and they’ll be able to advise on routes.

If you’re taking your own bike, buy or hire a good bike box to avoid any risk during flight (BikeBox Alan make allegedly bombproof boxes). Make sure you go with a group you’re comfortable riding with, take a gilet and arm warmers (it will be cold at the top of the climbs), chamois cream, good shorts, and plenty of gels/energy bars, and you’ll have a great time.