The Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has set up his training camp in Calpe on the Costa Blanca.He is training with his new team Astana.They began to train last week and they will stay in the area for a week.They are using inland runs such as the 120 kilometre run up to Coll de Rates and back.The Astana team are riding new bicycles and they all say that they are in very good shape for the start of the new season.
Calpe was chosen as the base because of its climate and also the good roads.In February Contador is racing in Portugal ,on the Algarve.Then it is off to France and Cataluña in March followed by a tour of the Basque country in April.
Contador will take part in the Tour of Spain as long as he has recovered totally from the Tour de France.During his visit to Calpe he took the time to visit Alicante where they have closed roads on a Sunday from 9am until 1pm so that the public can use them without there being any traffic.Last week 40,000 people walked,cycled,skate boarded or ran on these roads.Contador opened the scheme.
