Many athletes have a favorite training or race destination, and professional triathletes are no different. The training hotspots which pros flock to during the year are often the same ones that attract age group triathletes. In the new Triathlon Training Hotspots series we look at some of the great places to visit as a triathlete.
Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands located off the Coast of Africa, and is known in the triathlon world for Ironman Lanzarote. It’s a popular sun-vacation island, but thanks to the volcanic terrain and smooth roads, the cycling is outstanding. Started in the early 1980s, the iconic Club La Santa sports resort is one of the oldest training centers in Europe and is a popular training spot for age groupers and pros alike. Ironman World Champion Anne Haug is a regular at Club La Santa, as is Michelle Vesterby. A veritable who’s who of the triathlon and cycling world has trained there over the years.
On the other side of the island, the Sands Beach resort routinely hosts the BMC Pro Triathlon Team p/b 2XU, who recently worked towards their 2021 season in Lanzarote at a team training camp there.
Text continues below pictureView this post on Instagram
Lanzarote is a triathletes dream with many options for accommodation and numerous triathlon camps and training groups to enhance your visit. While Ironman Lanzarote offers athletes a full distance test each season, Club La Santa offers a number of weekly races and also puts on Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote along with Spain’s oldest triathlon, The Volcano Triathlon every year and .
The triathlon training offered up on the island is centered around a number of climbs which are featured in the full distance Ironman – the Fire Mountains, Mirador de Haria and Mirador del Rio – with the famous Tabayesco climb (which is not open when it’s not race-day), which averages 5.5% for over nine kilometers, offering another popular test for triathletes and cyclists alike. The island is also renowned for its high winds, making training even tougher. While not as hot and humid as Hawaii, there’s definitely a similar feel thanks to the winds and the copious lava fields.
Because of the pandemic, Ironman Lanzarote has been rescheduled from its usual May slot to July 3 this year, while the Volcano Triathlon has been moved from April to November 6, but the tourism-dependent island no-doubt hopes athletes and sun-worshipers will be back for training camps, races and holidays later this year.
