Follow in the tracks of Bradley Wiggins in Tenerife
The recent success of Tour de France hero and three times Olympic gold medal winner, Bradley Wiggins, has assisted Tenerife in communicating its exceptional credentials as a world-class destination for high-performance sports training.
One of Tenerife’s most rugged landscapes, Teide National Park, was used as the centre for Wiggins’ training programme and played a pivotal role in his Tour de France preparations, thanks to its year-round pleasant climate and high altitudes of 2,000 metres above sea level. The race proved a winning success for Wiggins after an extreme training programme was put together by his coach, Tim Kerrison, in Tenerife.
The volcanic environment of Teide National Park, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was used as a base for Wiggins to complete a two-week training camp in June 2011. He then went on to win the Critérium du Dauphiné and as a result selected Teide National Park as his training venue for this year’s Tour de France. Wiggins spent a lengthy amount of time on the island and learned to deal with high intensity workloads as the Tour drew nearer. Prior to this year’s win, he had taken part in the Tour de France six times, reaching fourth position in 2009.
Miguel Angel Santos, Director of Tenerife Tourism Corporation, said: “The physically-demanding conditions on Mount Teide, Spain’s tallest mountain, allow athletes to accustomise to extreme physical conditions, similar to those endured throughout the Tour. It has been used as an effective location for cyclists, runners and climbers on many occasions and offers a very tough training experience that has helped to develop world class athletes.”
Carlos Alonso, Tourism Minister and Vice-President of Tenerife Island Government, added: “Having successfully hosted elite sports professionals, Tenerife Tourism Corporation is already gearing up to support a number of athletes in 2013. We are developing a mutually-beneficial agreement whereby the athletes will enjoy our island and improve their performance, while helping to further promote Tenerife as an outstanding training location.”
Just four hours from the UK, Tenerife is famed for being an island fit for sporting heroes. The island boasts a diverse range of fitness and adventure facilities, as well as world-renowned training centres, such as T3 Tenerife Top Training, which provides an excellent training ground for triathlon and cycling training due to its unique setting between ocean and mountains. In addition, the island’s excellent range of accommodation options and fine cuisine further enhances Tenerife’s position as the number one choice for sports enthusiasts and holidaymakers alike.
For more information on Tenerife, visit webtenerife.com.