Two weeks ago we declared the off-season over. And now the preseason is in full swing. Training camps are underway, and the majority of the propeloton, including Sourdal Quickstep and Ineos Grenadier, will descend on Spain to lay the groundwork for 2023.

The end of November is customary for the riders to put an end to relaxing, eating, and drinking, and to reach for the bikes that have been gathering dust for over a month.

But it's a kind of limbo, and the early outings are mostly to blow off steam. In a way, that's what preseason is all about, training for training camp.

This year represents a return to a kind of normalcy, and sober training camp is back where it belongs. For the past two years, due to the COVID-19 epidemic and the resulting paucity of January races, the camps were postponed, timed, and carried over into the new year. Now, with the Tour Down Under and the Vuelta a San Juan back on the calendar in a few weeks, the races are right around the corner.

All 18 men's WorldTour teams will be in Spain for a training camp in December. Eight of the men's teams have already started their training camps, with seven scheduled to begin by the end of the week and the remaining three starting on Monday. There is no time to waste.

All 18 teams in the men's World Tour camp and the majority of the women's World Tour camp will be in Spain. Cement conditions, inexpensive housing, quiet well-paved roads, and a combination of coastal flats and inland climbs have turned Spain into a major spot over the past few years.

Some people go to Majorca or to Girona in the northeast, but the center is on the Mediterranean coast in the southeast, between Valencia and Murcia. The Costa Brava recreation area goes dormant in midwinter, but suddenly comes alive with the sound of freehubs and the clanging of gears.

Logistically, it's a pipe dream. Flights to Alicante and Valencia are cheap and plentiful. The parking lot is filled with trucks and cars, the conference room has been turned into a mechanic's workshop, and there is no room for poolside lounging chairs.

According to Astana director Giuseppe Martinelli, last year they paid only 60 euros per person per day for lodging. Even though everything in Europe is skyrocketing in price, large-scale operations are surprisingly inexpensive. [Teams like UAE Team Emirates and Israel-Premier Tech organized their first camps in November, taking riders to their supporters' countries for preliminary team building. But December in Spain marks the beginning of the race in earnest.

Distances increase, sessions become more specific, and heart rates return to race levels; riders who race in Australia or Argentina in January are already ahead of others in terms of intensity.

But the bike is not everything. These camps also include pre-season planning meetings, where a race calendar is created and goals for the year are written on a wish list.

They also familiarize themselves with new equipment and kit, undergo physiological testing, and have numerous media and sponsorship obligations, including official team photos for the new season.

The Ineos Grenadiers, who held their first meeting in Nice with the Ineos-backed soccer club, began their first training camp in Mallorca on Tuesday. Geraint Thomas will target the Giro d'Italia, while Egan Bernal will aim to return to the best competition.

Beulah Hansgrohe will land in Majorca later in the week and the EF Education Easy Post will be in Girona, Catalonia. They will be joined by Israel Premier Tech, but since their departure from the World Tour has not yet been made official, not much planning can be done.

Jumbo Wisma, located in the southeastern hub, is one of the late starters for the January 12 event in Denia. Jonas Vingegaard is expected to defend his title, but it is unclear whether it is a two-leader strategy with Primoš Roglic or if the Slovenian will turn to the Giro d'Italia. Roglic himself has just returned to the road after shoulder surgery and will be behind his teammate in terms of training load. The race schedule will be revealed at a team presentation in Amsterdam on December 22.

Soudal-QuickStep is currently in Calpe, world champion Remco Evenpoel has already decided to target the Giro, and two-time Tour champion Tadej Pogachar and his UAE Team Emirates teammates will be in They will be in La Nucia from December 10.

Some women's teams will share camps with men's teams, including Trek-Segafredo in Calpe, Movistar in Almeria, and Israel Premier Tech-Laurent in Girona. Jumbo Visma will head to Girona later this month.

Not all will be held in Europe, with U.S.-registered teams EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and Human Powered Health holding camps in the U.S. EF is already in California and HPH is holding two separate camps in Girona and Minneapolis. EF is already in California, and HPH is holding two separate camps in Girona and Minneapolis.

As with the men's teams, many will hold follow-up camps in January, prior to the start of the European race season.