The camp runs from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 December 2019, with check-in at Sparsa Resort from 10:30 am on the first day. Riders arriving on the 12th can join an optional 6-8 am climbing and descending skills session with Coach Volker at the base of the Jawadhu hills from Athimoor, limited to 10 riders. The first proper briefing is at 1:15-1:30 pm in the Sparsa parking lot, where you pick your group, meet the coaches and get the route plan.

Day one's ride leaves at 1:30 pm: Jawadhu East via Kanji. The Performance group does 130 km with 700 m of elevation in 3.5-4 hours; the Endurance group does 100-110 km with 400 m in about 2.5 hours. The route goes through reserve forest roads and villages to Pettai, then Mambattu, Athimoor and Kaliyam before the 11 km climb. The last 15 km from Kanji back to Tiruvannamalai is fast, slightly downhill and usually wind-assisted, with the group cruising at 50+ kmph. Refreshments wait at the resort, then restorative yoga at 6:15 pm and the round table cycling discussion at 6:30 pm.

Day two starts at 5:00 am. The Performance group rides 170 km with 1,527 m of climbing through Thandrampattu, Thanipadi, Naripalli and Sittling to Thumbal, then climbs Kalrayan from the west and continues to Karumandurai and Kariyalur for breakfast, with a further 10 km climb towards Serapattu before descending via Mathur, Manmalai, Arasampattu and Pootai to Sankarapuram. The Endurance group starts from Naripalli and covers 100-110 km with 700 m. Cars are available for anyone who wants to drive back. Restorative and rebalancing yoga is at 6:00 pm, followed by Coach Volker's session on getting started as a coach, and a session from Sriram L and Srivatsan S on rider assessment, stretches and strength work for injury prevention.

Day three leaves at 5:00 am for Jawadhu Hills via Paramanandal. Both groups ride through Kanji and villages including Puthupalayam and Alaputhur to the base at Paramanandal, then climb the south side for 11 km at 6% average gradient to the arch. The Performance group covers 100-120 km with 900 m; the Endurance group 50-60 km with 400 m. The alternative is the 7:00 am skills session at the resort covering handling, braking, sprinting and cornering. Check-out is at 11:00 am, medals and photos at 11:30 am, lunch at 12:00 pm.

What separates this from a generic training camp is the coaching bench. Volker Maier is a PCG Elite/Master Coach, USAT Level 1, USAC Level 1 Power Certified and LEOMO Motion analysis certified, working across triathlon, running, road, cyclocross, time trial, juniors and MTB. Srinath Rajam has worked with power data since 2010, consults for over 40 athletes on weight loss and endurance nutrition, and supports teams including Trek Firefox, Specialized and Giant. Srivatsan S is a Level 1 CrossFit certificate holder with additional certificates in gymnastics, scaling, anatomy and running, plus Training Peaks power certification. Balaji J has trained with a power meter since 2013.

The setting is Tiruvannamalai, a temple town about 198 km from Chennai, at the foot of Mount Arunachala. Sparsa Resort is built from eco-friendly materials and certified as an Ecotel. The camp is modelled on the Velocious cycling camps run by Tim Cuisick and Kathy Watts.

What's included

- Two nights' premium shared occupancy in a two-room suite with separate beds at Sparsa Resort - Breakfast and dinner buffets at the Sparsa restaurant - Lunch on the final day - Fully guided rides with a USAC-certified coach - Choice of Performance or Endurance ride group - Mechanic and tools at pre-ride briefings - Restorative yoga sessions on days one and two - Education tracks on Wko, power-based training, nutrition, gym work and bike fitting - Medal ceremonies and photo shoot - Discount on training plans with the coaching group

What's not included

- Travel to and from Tiruvannamalai - Airport pickup and drop-off (available at cost on request) - Single occupancy upgrade (additional amount for two nights) - Massages and spa treatments - Alcohol (not served at the resort) - Expenses for non-riding partners - Bicycle hire (not stated as included) - Travel insurance