Quebrantahuesos 2014

Quebrantahuesos  [pronouced kay-bran-tah-oo-ay’-sos] means “bone crusher” or Osprey in Spanish and it is an appropriate name for a sportive that test riders on the soaring cols of the Pyrenees.

The Quebrantahuesos marcha cicloturista (also known as la quebranta) starts and finishes in the Spanish town of Sabiñánigo at the foot of the Pyrenees. Over 205km cyclists are pushed to their limits as the combination of a long route and tough Pyrenean climbs takes its toll. The race and the area is steeped in cycling history with many stages of the Vuelta a España having finished in Sabiñánigo.

Quebrantahuesos Event Details

• Date: Saturday 21st June 2014
• Distance: 200km
• Climbing: 3500m
• Start and Finish: Sabiñánigo, Spain
• Nearest Airport: Zaragoza
• Accommodation: Recommended places to stay

Quebrantahuesos Route Recce

Quebrantahuesos Course Profile

The parcours features three main climbs:

• Col du Somport (1,640m) is the first climb to warm you up
• Col du Marie Blanque (1,035m) is a short but sharp which has featured 14 times in the Tour de France
• Col du Portalet (1,794m) also known as the El Portalet marks the border between France and Spain

Training For Quebrantahuesos

Two British Army adages come to mind when thinking about training for a sportive like this;

• K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid): It’s very easy to read too much and try and overcomplicate cycling training. This sportive is long (200km) and involves tough climbs (3500m+ of climbing); keeping these two things in mind will help keep your training focussed on base miles and climbing practice
• Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance: Cycling in the Pyrenees is not to be underestimated. Your training plan will need a good amount of base miles throughout winter training and some specific alpine cycling training too. The chances are your local cycling clubs “hilly ride” just won’t be a realistic enough preparation for the cols awaiting you in the Pyrenees

With that in mind you’ll be needing a sportive training plan.

La Quebranta Training Tips

• Training consistently using a 12 week sportive training plan will get you in shape and improve your confidence
• Cycling in the Pyrenees is hard to replicate in training, a sportive training holiday in the Alps can help you get race fit
• Check out these 5 training tips for sportives

Quebrantahuesos Entry

Quebrantahuesos online registration opens in November and entry is determined by a lottery that takes place in January.

Too late already? Don’t want to leave your summer plans to chance with a lottery? Check out the Best Sportives in Europe and find a challenge that motivates you!

Quebrantahuesos Sportive Training Camps

If you are training for Quebrantahuesos then join like minded riders on a cycling training camp in the Swiss Alps or Italian Dolomites to prepare for your best summer of cycling ever.

Quebrantahuesos Sportive Training Plan

Are you in training for Quebrantahuesos? Use our free 12 week Sportive Training Plan to get you in the best possible shape for the Quebrantahuesos. Simply fill the form below and we’ll send you your free training plan:

Useful Websites for La Quebranta – Quebrantahuesos

• Official website: Marcha Cicloturista Quebrantahuesos
• Twitter feed: Follow @QHyTR and join the conversation with the hashtag #QH2014
• Facebook: Meet fellow riders on the Facebook page

Still searching for a sportive? Then check out our sportive calendar for the best handpicked cycling events in Europe.