In 2023 ‘Trust Me, I’m a Physiotherapist’ organised the first Physio Running Camp - a ground breaking concept in Physio CPD where attendees could learn about running injuries and management while immersing themselves in a beautiful environment to run and socialise with their peers each day. It was such a success that while on the course, one of the attendees suggested that there NEEDED to be a Physio Cycling Camp!
Not long after, Nils (who runs TMP) contacted me to see if I would be interested in leading the education course on the first Physio Cycling Camp, needless to say it didn’t take me long to think about it - SIGN ME UP!
The whole concept resonated with me perfectly, to be able to deliver education content but also have time to discuss topics more broadly and in a more personal and ad hoc way, while enjoying a bike ride in stunning scenery (and hopefully some sunshine!). Of course the first job for me was to prepare an engaging and wide ranging course to allow attendees to get a deeper understanding of cycling biomechanics, cycling injuries, and then delving into the world of bike fitting and also rehabilitation strategies for cycling injuries. I wanted to have a balance of both lectures and practical so the approach could be varied and interactive.
Prepping for the course alongside running a busy physio and bike fitting clinic was actually more time consuming than I had imagined but it was great to re-engage with the research and update my own knowledge base. Research in sports medicine, physio, and cycling never stands still but unfortunately for us, the quantity of good quality research in cycling still lags behind many other sports.
Before I knew it June was getting close and soon we’d be jetting off to Girona to get rolling with the first Physio Cycling Camp. I touched down on a beautifully warm evening at the end of May and met Nils, who was shocked to see just how massive bike boxes were!! This was going to add to the fun of the logistics! We then drove out to the villa though at this point it was getting dark and we would not get to experience the beautiful countryside that we were driving into until the following morning.
We arrived at the stunning Can Jan villa just outside Banyoles to be met by Dan (our man on the ground, Sports Physio) and his brother Dragos (a professional chef who would be cooking for us during the week). I was immediately blown away by this mega villa, what a perfect setting for the camp. Lots of different chill out spaces, big dining areas, a games room, a pool, clean bright bedrooms and a nice big conference room to deliver the lectures and practicals.
The next morning the sun was shining as we started to get the villa prepped and set up for all of the participants to arrive. We had a real mixture of arrivals - Nils was doing various airport and train station pick ups while some had rented cars, driven their own or got taxis, and then of course one attendee, Martin, decided to bike pack down from Germany!! Already winning the prize for arriving in style!
As people started to gather and explore the villa and pool we also had a massive delivery of lovely Cervelos and Specialized bikes from the crew at Rocacorba Cycles for those that were renting. The rest of the afternoon was spent building bikes, checking bike set ups, tire pressures, gear indexing, brakes etc to ensure everyone was ready to roll on the first day. Thankfully there were no mechanicals, yet…
We had a lovely first evening meal getting to welcome everyone to the camp. We had a more varied group than I ever could have hoped for to really open the skill, culture and experience mix. We had 11 guys, 9 girls, with a mix of physios, osteos, sports therapists, a podiatrist, a sports doctor, and even a bike shop owner. We also seemed to nearly cover the globe in nationalities represented - Canada, USA, Australia, Namibia, Germany, Austria, Italy, Holland, Romania, Bulgaria, UK, and Ireland!! The mix continued to participants aged between 22 and 57 and a range of cycling experience.
We had a brief introduction of what the format of the week would be. The course would run each morning for the first four days before a quick lunch and then going out to ride a variety of awesome routes that Dan had spent the months prior curating.
Day 1
We kicked off the course and had a great morning getting stuck into the epidemiology and aetiology of cycling injuries and then getting into the details of the most common injury presentations. We then moved into our practical looking at screening assessments for cyclists. Then we all headed for a quick lunch before heading out for a first group ride. The main aim on the first day was to get a handle on different abilities and how we might split groups etc going forwards. So it was always going to be interesting to get 20 riders out the door and riding together. We even had our first mechanical about 50m down the road - no names will be mentioned but it was quickly solved and we were back on the road. We opted for a smaller local loop around Banyoles with the main aim of keeping everyone together and being able to have a nice cafe stop at Aquarium overlooking the lake.
There were quite a few splits and we made some nice contingencies to make sure everyone had an enjoyable ride. Then it was a race back to the villa to catch some of the final rays of the evening sun by the pool before Dragos wowed us with an amazing three course dinner taking inspiration from local delicacies and ingredients.
Day 2
Today we get stuck into cycling biomechanics and an introduction to the world of bike fitting which was then followed by a live bike fitting session. The course done for the day it was time to let the information sink in and turn the pedals. This time we were able to split into more groups with different route options to suit people’s preferred riding speed and distance. I took on the route around Galliners and it was one of those days where I thought - “sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail, today i’m the nail!!” It was beautiful but boy did we push on. Martin was once again hopping off the route and finding trails and bunny hopping on his gravel bike - that guy had mad bike handling skills!
Day 3
Today we managed to link up with Dave Lee (founder of G8 insoles) all the way from Australia as we talked all things foot assessment, interventions and how insoles can modify foot comfort, pressure and performance.
The ride plan for the day was simple, we all try to take on the mighty and renowned Rocacorba climb. I had done it before and my memories of it being a tough pitchy climb were all brought back in front of me. But we all battled up the climb and were treated to great views from the top. We then rode down to the stunning Rocacorba villa (which Ashley Moolman-Pasio set up) and they hosted us for our coffee stop. After a brief tour around the villa we could see the storm clouds gathering and thought it was best we saddle up and get moving. Too late, we hit the road at the same time as the thunder clapped and the heavens opened with an almighty downpour. Thankfully it was only about 20 minutes back to the villa but, safe to say, none of us needed a dip in the pool, we were all soaked to the skin!!
A warm shower and mega dinner was what we all needed to recover.
Day 4
Suddenly we arrived at the final day of course. Dan and I both presented case studies to give examples of some of the theory we had covered in practice and following along outcomes. Then we finished with some more live bike fitting work on Dan himself to revolutionise his position to work better for his posture and mobility. Today’s ride took us to two of the most iconic villages and sites in the region, Besalu and Castelfollit de la Roca - I can’t describe it - you just have to look at the photos and videos we have from this place - mega!! We won’t talk too much about the fact that Dan and I took a tumble at a junction when our sat navs told us to turn in opposite directions - my wrists were the worst off and there was a fairly high suspicion of a fracture (long term update —> no fractures and a full recovery, phew!)
Day 5
Our final full day at PCC 24 was designated a ‘free day’ with lots of different ideas about what to do - a big coastal loop? a trip of the famous Mare de Deu del Mont? the iconic Hincapie loop? a hot air balloon ride was even put up as an option. One thing was for sure, whatever we did, it was going the be in the scorching heat!!
In the end we split into various groups to allow everyone to tick off the rides they wanted at their own pace. I headed into Girona where we stopped off at Espresso Mafia for some snacks and caffeine power and then we headed out for the Hincapie Loop which features the climbs of Els Angels and Santa Pellaia. We stopped off back in Girona to tick off another famous cafe - La Comuna - set up by legendary triathlete Jan Frodeno. Once again, the food was seriously on point and fuelled us up for the last leg back to the villa. What a day on the bike!
For our final night, Dragos fired up the barbecue and served and absolute feast and we all relaxed and chatted long into the evening reliving lots of great stories from the week.
The following day was departure day with people leaving at various times, bikes being disassembled and packed, rental bikes being collected, lots of hugs and waves goodbye after a memorable week away learning, sharing knowledge, riding our bikes, and enjoying our beautiful surroundings. Nils dropped me off at the train station as I headed back to Barcelona airport, drained but exhilarated from a fantastic week.
Would I do it again? Absolutely, and that’s why we will be back with the Physio Cycling Camp in 2025 - tickets are already on sale and selling out fast so if you want to join us on this incredible trip then head to the link below to book your spot.
I hope to see you there.
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