More WorldTeams opt for different training camp setups in January

The foundation for a successful season is laid by cyclists in the winter. From the first training sessions in November, through training camps in December and January, up to the first race. In recent years, however, we’ve seen a trend where teams increasingly shape their January camps differently. This continues into 2026. WielerFlits asked all WorldTeams about their plans for the first month of the year.

In principle, there are never complete teams at training camps in January anyway, because part of the squad is often already on their way to Australia for the Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. However, except for those seven riders, until a few years ago most teams chose to centralize all other riders during their January camps, which typically take place on the Spanish west coast.

This is still the case now, with the region between Alicante and Valencia being the hotspot par excellence. No fewer than nine of the eighteen WorldTeams are staying in well-known training locations such as Altea, Benidorm, Calpe, Dénia, and Javéa in the upcoming period. Exceptions to the rule are Uno-X Mobility (whose training camp takes place in Palma de Mallorca) and EF Education-EasyPost. The American formation has been based in Girona, north of Barcelona, during this period for years.

Growing trend: fewer and fewer January camps
The other seven WorldTeams, however, opt not to gather centrally in January anymore. UAE Emirates XRG has not done so for several years, they indicate. Also, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and Movistar choose this year not to hold a central January camp. In addition, INEOS Grenadiers (partly in Oliva, partly on Tenerife), Groupama-FDJ United (partly on Mallorca, partly in Pedreguer, partly on Tenerife) and NSN Cycling (partly in Dénia, partly on Mallorca, partly on Tenerife) are spread across Spain.

This also applies to Alpecin-Premier Tech, although there are several reasons behind that. As a multidisciplinary team, part of their riders still focus on cyclocross. They are organizing — albeit without Mathieu van der Poel — a training camp next week in Benicasim, their regular winter base. Towards the end of January, the classics core (without the riders heading to the cyclocross World Championships) will gather. In recent years, this has always been at the altitude hotel Syncrosfera in La Sella.

Albir
Lotto-Intermarché

Altea
Bahrain Victorious
XDS Astana

Benidorm
Decathlon CMA CGM

Calpe
Picnic PostNL
Soudal-Quick-Step

Dénia
Jayco AlUla
Lidl-Trek

Gerona
EF Education-EasyPost

La Nucia
Visma | Lease a Bike

Palma de Mallorca
Uno-X Mobility

Spread across Spain
Alpecin-Premier Tech
INEOS Grenadiers
Groupama-FDJ
NSN Cycling

No central January camp
Movistar
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
UAE Emirates XRG