Colombia Cycling Camp

Meet our staff in Reception at the Hotel Movich at 9:00 am for a brief Orientation Meeting where the Thomson Trip Manager will walk you through what to expect during the week ahead. At 10:00 am our mechanics will be on hand to help with the bike build followed by lunch at the hotel pool at 12 noon.

After lunch you’ll head out on your first ride in Colombia. From the hotel you’ll head south to La Ceja, home town of Fernando Gaviria, winner of 2 Tour de France stages and 5 Giro d’Italia stages. In La Ceja you’ll start the climb to Los Enanos then head back to the hotel through Don Diego and El Tablazo.

Arvi Natural Park is the destination for your first big ride in Colombia. Relax and enjoy the first 15km (9 miles) of the ride, the only flat section of the entire route today. At the end of this flat section you’ll arrive in Guarne which signals the start of the Alto Medina climb.

At the top of the Medina you enter into the Arvi Natural Park and from there until the end of the ride you’ll follow a roller-coaster of short climbs and descents through the magnificent natural splendour of the natural park.

Today’s ride features a magnificent out-and-back route to the village of Concepción. The road through San Vicente and over the Alto de las Frias was recently paved, opening up this fantastic ride to road bikes – and in true Thomson style we just had to include this new ride in our camp.

A beautiful ride today, again through the Arvi Natural Park. A few minutes after leaving the hotel you’ll find yourself already on the main climb of the day, the 8km (5 miles) climb to Santa Elena – and a huge favorite with the local pros. From Santa Elena you’ll continue the ride northwards into the Arvi Natural Park and eventually to the Alto Medina from the opposite side that we rode on Monday. On the way, there’s a bit of a surprise: a cobbled section that many of the local pros use to prepare for Paris-Roubaix and Flanders Classics.

A challenging ride today and definitely a day where you’ll need your climbing legs. Our ride has no less than 6 categorised climbs and a total elevation gain of almost 2,900m (9,500ft). Your destination is the beautiful colonial town of Abejorral, which was recently declared a national monument in Colombia.

The ride is a roller-coaster through rural Antioquia. Enjoy the riding along traffic-free, quiet roads that wind their way through the green fields and valleys of this beautiful part of the Andes mountains.

After yesterday’s big ride and another big ride on the agenda for tomorrow, we’ve prepared a shorter ride today. From the hotel it’s all climbing for the first 10km until you reach Santa Elena. The rest of the ride is typical Antioquia rolling terrain, through Retiro and La Ceja and eventually to the ceramic capital of El Carmen de Viboral where you can admire the local artisans at work whilst enjoying a coffee in the main plaza.

The trip concludes with an epic ride that’s one of the favorites of the local pros.

From the hotel , you’ll head south to La Ceja where you’ll start the climb to Alto de la Union, one of the key climbs used by local riders, like Rigoberto Uran, to train for the Grand Tours. The ride continues through the town of La Union with a series of ups and downs, culminating in the 6km (4 miles) climb to Sonson. Enjoy a coffee in Sonson before heading back to La Union and eventually down the Alto de La Union descent to La Ceja and the final 20km (12 miles) back to the hotel. A magnificent ride that will challenge even the strongest riders – and a fitting way to end your week in Colombia!

Sadly, your Colombia Cycling Camp has come to an end.

Feel free to leave at whatever time suits you best. The Hotel Movich is just 5 minutes from Medellin Airport and provides free shuttles throughout the day.