Kate Veronneau wants to ride bikes with you!
Want to hear about the Tour de France Femmes from one of the women who makes it happen every year? Kate Veronneau can chat about the highlights from the Tour for hours as you pedal up stunning climbs or along the water in Calpe, Spain. Joined by inGamba’s own Katie Boling and with ride leader Manuel Cardoso, the Women’s Week in Calpe this coming February promises to be the best we’ve ever had.
Calpe—one of the top destinations for pro cyclists looking to build their base in the offseason—is a coastal town nestled on the Costa Blanca between the vibrant cities of Valencia and Alicante. Even in February while other cycling destinations are gray and cold, Calpe is almost always sunny. (Although with Kate chatting with you as you ride, you won’t even need the sun, she pretty much brings her own.)
As the Director of Women’s Strategy at Zwift, Kate has been integral in making events like the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and Paris-Roubaix Femmes Avec Zwift come to life. But she’s been in the cycling industry for much longer than that. In fact, she and inGamba founder João Correia met over a decade ago when João was still racing professionally and Kate was just coming up in cycling. “We shared this deep enthusiasm and passion for cycling, so we got along right away,” she recalls. “I was lucky that early in my cycling career, I met so many people like Joao who understood what truly makes cycling so special and unique—who really understand the culture and appreciate it. And I know that’s what João has built into every inGamba trip.”
On the trip, riders will stay at the luxurious Marriott La Sella, a resort that combines relaxation with proximity to some of the region’s most acclaimed cycling routes. This five-star establishment is frequently utilized by World Tour Teams, so there’s a good chance you’ll encounter some well-known riders during your stay—and the odds are high that Kate will know quite a few of them!
“Calpe is the training ground for the pros right now,” she says. “It’s the perfect terrain, and the best place to play.”
Kate’s background in cycling included a racing stint, but also included working with other bike touring companies, so in this trip, she’s coming back to her roots. “Trips like this are the perfect opportunity to slow down and take in the sights and have fabulous conversations and just connect with people,” she says. “That’s truly my favorite thing in the world to do, and it’s what has kept me in the sport for so long. I worked in bike tours for five years before coming to Zwift and I’m so eternally grateful for those times and those experiences and those connections. So this is an extension of that.”
“And Calpe and our itinerary for the week—it’s a dream trip, really,” she adds. “Any inGamba trip is special, I’ve been able to be on a few and they’ve always done such a knockout job. On this trip, I’m so excited for some of the bigger climbs. I love when the view is the reward, and in Calpe, the view is always worth the climb!”
“I just like the way everything slows down on the bike on these trips,” Kate says. “It’s such an opportunity for everybody to take a deep breath and literally stop and smell the roses and enjoy new experiences, new roads, new company, new conversation. And for me, that is incredibly exhilarating. It’s lining up to be a spectacular experience. I’m very excited—I can already hear the laughter and see the smiles, because when you get a bunch of women together, that’s what the magic happens.”
