Johnny Hoogerland is hoping to stay injury free in 2012
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 2 of 32
Bianchi bikes and Vacansoleil-DCM are a partnership
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 3 of 32
The Dutch team are raring to go ahead of their second season on the WorldTour
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 4 of 32
Neo-pro Barry Markus is a new addition for 2012
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 5 of 32
FSA provide components for the team
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 6 of 32
Joule computers atop the team bikes
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 7 of 32
Johnny Hoogerland (centre)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 8 of 32
The riders training as a group under the Spanish sun
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 9 of 32
Gustav Larson (centre)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 10 of 32
Directeur-sportif Jean-Paul Van Poppel
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 11 of 32
Still going strong as the shadows get longer
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 12 of 32
Marco Marcato (centre)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 13 of 32
Taking advantage of the quiet roads around Benidorm
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 14 of 32
Johnny Hoogerland (centre)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 15 of 32
Gustav Larson (foreground)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 16 of 32
The group tries to beat the Spanish sunset
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 17 of 32
Johnny Hoogerland checking out his results
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 18 of 32
Marco Marcato (foreground)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 19 of 32
Johnny Hoogerland (left)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 20 of 32
Bianchi's turquoise frame will really stand out in the peloton this year
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 21 of 32
Increasing the power on the roads of Benidorm
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 22 of 32
Cornering round one of the town's many fountains
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 23 of 32
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 24 of 32
Marco Marcato is entering his fourth season with the team
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 25 of 32
Benidorm's climate is perfect for winter training
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 26 of 32
Bjorn Leukemans (foreground)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 27 of 32
Hilaire Van Der Schueren
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 28 of 32
Preparing to set off
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 29 of 32
Competition within team is healthy
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 30 of 32
Climbs have been an important part of the training camp
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 31 of 32
Bjorn Leukemans recently signed a contract extension with Vacansoleil-DCM
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Image 32 of 32
Bianchi are one of the biggest names in the industry
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Spanish sunshine has been popular with lots of WorldTour teams this winter, with many of them staging their winter training camps there. The latest team fine-tuning their fitness under a Mediterranean sky are Dutch team Vacansoleil-DCM, who have based themselves in Benidorm on the Costa Blanca.
The likes of Johnny Hoogerland, Bjorn Leukemans and neo-pro Barry Markus are testing themselves on a variety of training runs under the watchful eye of the coaching staff. As you can see from our picture gallery, the team has been busy. It's a big pre-season, in particular for Hoogerland. After a bright start to 2011 in the spring, he suffered a horror crash in the Tour de France that disrupted the rest of his year, and a productive and injury free training camp will be crucial to the completion of his rehabilitation.
Cyclingnews Newsletter
Sign up to the Cyclingnews Newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information about how to do this, and how we hold your data, please see our privacy policy
