Peak performance

Lance Armstrong coach opens high altitude training camp

Chris Carmichael, former personal coach of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, has revealed the location of his latest High Altitude Training Camp, which will take place from June 22-26, 2010, in Vail, Colorado. The eponymous Carmichael Training Systems is a year-round centre for athletes of various disciplines and ability levels, and aims to provide training and a rehab system to elite athletes as well as holiday makers and Vail area residents.

Carmichael is perhaps best known for his instrumental contribution to the physical and competitive recovery of Lance Armstrong after his bout with stage three testicular cancer, which was found to have spread to his lungs, abdomen and brain. Carmichael has since coached scores of the world’s top athletes, as well as thousands of recreational athletes in pursuit of their sporting personal bests.

“Training camps are an important component of improving as an athlete; the ability to focus entirely on your sport often leads to dramatic advances in confidence, skill, and fitness. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to combine the ultimate training and coaching experience with the ultimate vacation experience in Vail,” says Carmichael. “The rides will be like nothing on earth, and nobody will be bored when they are off their bikes in Vail.”

Vail’s Carmichael High Altitude Training Camp will allow guests to experience classic Colorado summer rides while being coached by the world-class staff of Carmichael Training Systems.  Rides will vary from breathtaking climbs, steep descents and flat valley roads.  Participants will experience amenities typically reserved for professional cyclists, from post-ride massages, to individual power file analysis with the coaches.

In addition to a training camp, Carmichael Training Systems has been in discussion with the Shaw Regional Cancer Centre, located in the Vail Valley, to introduce a post-treatment cancer recovery facility. The camp will be the first of its kind in America and will utilise the coaching approach developed specifically for Lance Armstrong following his cancer treatment. As well as setting good fitness patterns for life after conquering cancer, Carmichael hopes the facility will instill in his clients a world-beating attitude that helped Armstrong defy the expectations of the medical world.

For more information on CTS, visit www.trainright.com