Zack Morris
Coach
Leads the rides, runs the program and sets race strategy for the time trial and the fondo.
Welcome to Varese. For the next five days you ride as a team, eat as a team and race as a team.
This guide covers where we stay, who is looking after you, what we ride each day and the routes to load on your head unit. Keep it open on your phone. We will update it as race start times are confirmed.
01 The team
The people looking after you this week
You bring the legs. Everything else is covered by the four of us.
Mendia
Soigneur
Sports massage and general help around the camp. Massages run 15:30 to 18:30, Thursday to Saturday, 30 to 45 minutes each. Book yours with Mendia.
Jernej
Chef
Cooks every meal at the villa, built from your macros and this week's loading protocol.
Dom
Mechanic
Builds, washes and services your bike every day, and preps it for race day.
02 The week
Five days, two recons, two races
Times are approximate. We confirm each day's plan at dinner the night before.
Wed30 Sep
Arrival + course recon, part 1
12:00Arrivals at the villa until 13:3014:00Ride 1, first half of the fondo courseEveningDinner with the whole crew
View day
Thu1 Oct
Course recon, part 2
09:00Ride 2, first climb + back half14:00Lunch at the villa18:00Dinner, 18:00 to 19:00
View day
Fri2 Oct
Openers on the TT course
TBCRide the TT course + coffee stop15:30Massage window, until 18:30
View day
Sat3 Oct
Time trial
StagedBreakfast by race start timeTBDJuergen, Craig and Kendra race
View day
Sun4 Oct
Gran Fondo
TBDRace start, everyone
View day
03 The villa
Home for the week
We stay together in one house above Varese. Rides start and finish here, and every meal is served here.
- Name
- Villa Il Nonaro
- Address
- Via Giuseppe Bolchini 12, at the corner of Via Crispi
Masnago, 21100 Varese, Italy
Open in Google Maps - Arrival
- Wednesday 30 September, 12:00 to 13:30
- Bikes
- Hand your bike to Dom on arrival. He will build it and check it before Ride 1.
- Massage
- Sports massage with Mendia, 15:30 to 18:30, Thursday to Saturday. Sessions run 30 to 45 minutes. Book your slot with Mendia.
- Contact
- Zack+1 954 907 3817Mendia+34 684 12 95 00Jernej+386 70 825 535Dom+34 672 27 46 92
04 The kitchen
Fuelled for Sunday
Jernej is cooking from your macros. This menu is built around performance more closely than we have managed at any camp before.
We have programmed a carbohydrate loading protocol for the week. Carbohydrate rises as we get closer to race day, and protein and fiber come down naturally over the same days.
The aim is simple. You start Sunday with full glycogen stores, a settled stomach and no extra weight to carry up the climbs.
Eat what is served, at the times it is served. If something on the menu does not work for you, tell Jernej early rather than skipping a meal.
Loading protocol · direction of travel
Carbs
Protein
Fiber
WedThuFriSatSun
Shapes show the direction of change, not quantities. Your own numbers come from your macros.
05 Massage
Book your massage with Mendia
Sports massage, 15:30 to 18:30, Thursday to Saturday. No massages on Wednesday. Four 45 minute slots a day. Pick an open slot and tap Request. It opens WhatsApp with the message already written. Mendia confirms your slot.
Mendia's WhatsApp: +34 684 12 95 00. To change or cancel a slot, message her directly. Booked slots are marked here once confirmed.
Loading availability…
06 Wednesday 30 Sep
Arrival + course recon, part 1
We ride the first half of the Gran Fondo course so you know every turn before Sunday.
12:00Arrivals at the villa, until 13:30. Drop bags, hand your bike to Dom, eat something light.
14:00Ride 1 rolls out. Team kit on.
~18:00Back at the villa. Shower, stretch, eat.
EveningDinner at the villa with the whole crew.
Pace: steady recon pace. We regroup at the top of the climbs and look at the key descents together.
Travel legs: keep the effort easy. The work this week is on Saturday and Sunday.
07 Thursday 1 Oct
Course recon, part 2
The first climb again, then the back half of the course, so you have seen all of it before race day.
TBCBreakfast. Time confirmed at Wednesday dinner.
09:00Ride 2 rolls out.
~14:00Lunch at the villa.
15:30Massage with Mendia, until 18:30. Book your slot.
18:00Dinner, 18:00 to 19:00.
Why the first climb twice: it sets the tone of the race. Knowing how it feels on fresh legs helps you pace it on Sunday.
08 Friday 2 Oct
Openers on the TT course
A short ride on the time trial course with a coffee stop. Legs open, nothing more.
TBCRide rolls out. Time confirmed at Thursday dinner.
MidwayCoffee stop.
15:30Massage with Mendia, until 18:30. Book your slot.
EveningDinner at the villa.
TT riders: this is your chance to see every corner of Saturday's course before you race it.
Everyone else: easy pace. Sunday is the goal.
09 Saturday 3 Oct
Time trial
Three of our riders race against the clock. Start times will be added here once the organizer publishes them.
Racing
JuergenCraigKendra
StagedBreakfast times are set by each rider's start time. Jernej will give you yours.
TBDJuergen start time
TBDCraig start time
TBDKendra start time
This route file is from a previous edition of the time trial. We will confirm it against the official 2026 course.
10 Sunday 4 Oct
Gran Fondo
Race day. Everything this week has been built for the next few hours.
TBDBreakfast
TBDLeave the villa for the start
TBDRace start
Tentative course. If the organizer changes it, we will update this file and let you know.
11 On the road
How we ride this week
01
Team kit on every ride
We ride as reset cc. Team kit is required on all rides.
02
Follow car on every ride
Nutrition is supported. Bottles and food come from the car, so you do not need to carry a full load.
03
Bikes serviced daily
Dom washes and services every bike after each ride. If you need spare parts, there are bike shops in town.
04
Safety first
The roads are open and some descents are technical. We are all experienced riders. Look out for each other and ride within your limits on the way down.
12 Routes
Load your head unit
Every route for the week in one place. Download before you arrive so you are not relying on hotel Wi-Fi.
Tap GPX to download the file, then import it into Garmin Connect, Wahoo, Hammerhead or Strava. Strava users can save the route directly from the link instead.