About Girona Cycling S.L.
Girona Cycling S.L. is run by a husband and wife team, Fiona Smart Ph.D and Gareth Speechley. They have both been involved in competitive sports for well over 30 years each. They formed Girona Cycling S.L. in 2005 and hosted their first clients in 2006. In 2008 they opened Hotel Mas Pelegri, their 3* Hotel and training centre and have been looking after everyone, from top pros to complete beginners, ever since. Everyone is welcome from individuals, families, groups or teams.
We are the Girona experts. When other training camp companies plan a camp in this area, they ask for our help and guidance.
So where are we?
Fiona Smart PhD.
Fiona gained her PhD. at Cambridge University, in the UK. Following her PhD she went to TSRI, La Jolla USA, to research synaptic plasticity for 6 years. With a thorough understanding in the body's physiology and also with her speciality in neurophysiology this enables her to have a more scientific approach to the coaching of cycling and triathlon. Fiona is a qualified sports massage and sports injury therapist. She also specialises in strength and conditioning using plyometrics, balance and agility, body weight training and breathing techniques to enable people to become more effective athletes. As she gets older she also realises the ageing process has a greater effect on our ability to train and how we need to adapt our training to full-fill our potential as we age and also to make us keep healthy and active. Fiona found as we get into our 40's and 50's we start suffering from stiff necks and shoulders. Therefore Fiona went to Rishikesh, India to complete an accredited Yoga Alliance yoga teaching course as she felt widening her knowledge would help her keep people fitter and flexible through their 40's 50's 60's and beyond. It is amazing how becoming more flexible allows our technique to improve as we are no longer fighting ourselves to get into the right positions to move correctly whether it be on a bike, when in water swimming or while running. During the pandemic she also complete her yoga trapeze coaching certificate and we now have 6 yoga trapezes for you to come and train on.
Fiona started skiing at 18 months, enjoying downhill ski racing for a number of years. She has been involved in one sporting activity or other since then. As well as being a competitive county runner Fiona has excelled in triathlon and duathlon. In her late 20's and 30's she concentrated on longer distance events and has raced in several Half-Ironman and Ironman events. She plans to compete another Ironman in her 50's, but for now she concentrates on looking after and coaching her guests. Fiona coaches both professional cyclists and triathletes, as well as beginners and age group athletes. For her it is important to help everyone reach their potential. A few of our yoga and workout videos can be found on our YouTube Channel. Fiona is also a qualified first-aider.
Gareth Speechley
Gareth started running competitively at age 11 and raced to national level. After an injury he moved to cycle racing at 15. He medalled at regional championships, finished in the top 10 in the British Best All Rounder and raced in the national 25 mile TT championships as a junior. He has raced throughout Europe, Australia and the USA on the road, the velodrome and in mountain bike events. He has represented his country in duathlon and triathlon at age group level. Gareth is an Expert Level Cycling Coach, bike set up guru (Accredited by the International Bike Fitting Institute), a Level 2 Triathlon Coach and a qualified first-aider. He also has a thorough understanding in bike mechanics. He has an eye for details and is a brilliant technique coach, enabling athletes to perfect their technique so that they can go faster for longer!
Testimonials.
We also have many more reviews on TripAdvisor
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Karen - Professional Ironman Triathlete: I am fortunate enough to have had two extended stays at Mas Pelegri. My purpose of stay was training related however, given the breath taking scenery, epic cycling rides and beautiful accommodations it could have easily been mistaken as a luxury vacation.
I have cycled in many places worldwide and the location of Mas Pelegri, which is situated on the foot hills of the Pyrenees, is hands down the best training- in terms of scenery, challenge and tranquility from traffic. You can be out the door and riding on quite roads within minutes.
The small town, Banyolas, only 10 minutes away, offers a feel of real Catalan living. Since it has not been over run by tourism, you get the privilege of experiencing the true culture. Usually this experience comes with the price of not having access to modern training facilities, however Banyoles is unique in that it has two quality pools to train in, as well as, a beautiful lake. There are endless trail runs and a dirt track the surrounds the lake. (Lined with coffee shops-to meet caffeine needs)
The family that runs the Mas Pelegri are willing to help in any way to accommodate individual needs. They have a first-hand understanding of the needs of athletes, of all levels, as well as families.
I have had the privilege of receiving expert coaching from the owners, which has allowed me to reach my current level of competition as a professional triathlete. I would recommend, a short or long term training vacation at Mas Pelegri to anybody looking for a quite get away or a prefect cycling or triathlon training facility. I look forward to returning every year!
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Regina: My husband and I recently stayed at Mas Pelegri, and absolutely loved it. Fiona and Gareth(the owners) are wonderful hosts, willing to accommodate any request. We stayed in a room with with a private bath and access to a lovely patio. Meals provided by the owners were amazing and they had excellent knowledge of the area for recommendations. The grounds of the house are beautiful and it was very quiet and peaceful. Our accommodations were setup through Equestrian Escapes as part of a horseback riding tour. The stables are about 1 km from Mas Pelegri. The swimming pool provided a refreshing workout and there are many running routes that travel nearby. Overall, we cannot wait to go back!!
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Charles: I spent a week at Mas Pelegri, where the weather (in the last week of February) was brilliant: almost unbroken blue sky, and warm enough to be in a short sleeve jersey in the daytime. The location is brilliant, with a mass of recommended rides to suit a variety of abilities or stamina, across terrain ranging from high mountains to flatter valleys nearer the coast. For me the highlight was a 100-mile day ride across the Pyrenees into France and back.
My room was very comfortable, there was always ample hot water for bath or shower, and the sheets were crisp and fresh.
Gareth and Fiona are excellent hosts, very friendly and helpful, providing evening meals on demand (there are not many local restaurants, and the only one I tried to get into had quirky opening times...). Gareth provided me with recommended rides each day, which enabled me to explore the local area in each direction. The Spanish have built a large number of wide, smooth surfaced roads, which seem to be largely empty: basically a cyclist's paradise!
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Guest: A wonderful place to stay and relax. The pool is 25m, clean and well looked after. The property is a converted farm house which is spacious, cool and well designed with spacious rooms. The owners are very helpful and give great advise about things to do locally. The village has little in it so a car is needed to get around to the local towns and mountains which are a joy to visit. Very, very recommended!!
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Guest: My husband and I spent a week at Mas Pelegri. The room was large, elegant, comfortable and the food was terrific. Fiona and Gareth were friendly and helpful in every way, providing maps, suggestions about trips and places to visit in the area, even a cell phone. The location is outstanding, beautiful, and the building itself is remarkable. We have no complaints and will return again when we can.
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Guest: ...And you are pretty serious about your cycling...How serious?
Well, you are the type who will do research for 6 months to find the best deal, but value premium service. You make sure that you are meticulously prepared for any eventuality, and maybe you have a mileage goal in mind, or are training for an upcoming event...Or maybe, you just want to work on that tan and prefer to do it on a bike... What YOU want are quiet, relatively traffic free yet a huge diversity of endlessly challenging roads, a knowledgeable and friendly cycle guide and coach who customises the ride for YOUR ability, skill and comfort level, some damn good food and drink (including some really nice locally sourced wine), an awesome warm shower and clean crisp sheets with satellite TV to watch the Giro d'Italia in an 500 year old Spanish Casa at the end of a long ride to get you excited about the next day...Hey, if you can get entry into a local cyclosportif to experience the local cycling culture, take snaps of some of the stunning countryside and city, or rub shoulders with a pro or two.
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Guest: Okay, so two sporty Brits - Fiona and Gareth have set up permanent shop in the middle of some of the very best cycling in Europe (Really! Just ask one of the dozens of pro cyclist who might pass you on the road!)...
So they offered me all of these things during my too-short-stay there, AND got me entered into the local cycling club around-the-lake TT on my last day, AND Fiona gave me some valuable physio advice/cyclist's massage, AND Gareth helped me improve my technical skills in descending and climbing, evaluated my position and helped me set up my bike AND their two kids are completely adorable AND in 4 days I did almost 270km of really challenging rides AND I was even able to wash my stinky cycling kt in their washer before coming home...Just first-rate, top-drawer, pro-level stuff...
Really, there is no other option for anyone even remotely interested in their cycling- from novice to the pro-level cyclists/triathletes- It was superb! Bring sunscreen and a Camera...The sun is glorious and Gareth knows those roads like Google Maps- You have been warned...
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Guest: If you are serious about cycling, or just serious about becoming serious about your cycling, want some sun, and want to do nothing but ride your bike and have everything else sorted, give Fiona and Gareth a ring. they will give you a warm Catalan welcome, and you will NOT rerget it at all!
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Guest: I went for a weeks cycling with my husband and some friends (and left with more friends from the other guests!) Fiona and Gareth are wonderful hosts and a lovely family, and couldn't do enough for us, with tailored bike routes, advice on restaurants if we wanted to eat out and fabulous meals when we ate at the house. The facilities are amazing, the rooms gorgeous (the views are to die for) and the bike routes varied and scenic with great weather as well! There is so little traffic on the majority of roads, and the Spanish so considerate to riders, we really did have a wonderful trip - I can't recommend it highly enough and consider myself fortunate to have found such a fabulous place for winter training. There are also lots of lovely places to go to, like Girona and the Gaudi museum if you are not looking for a cycle holiday, it really does have something for everyone.
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Guest: I greatly enjoyed my stay at Mas Pelegri. Gareth and Fiona were both lovely and couldn't do enough to help us; from providing the most yummy local food to great cycle routes of the local area, individually tailored to our daily requests. There is a great atmosphere about the place; very relaxed and informal. I would definitely recommend it as a place to stay.
Privacy Policy
Privacy Statement.
Every web site you visit records which pages you view. We are no different. We use this data in order to improve our site, and give you a more enjoyable browsing experience.
If you become a Girona Cycling client or enter one of our competitions or giveaways we will have collected your E-mail address, postal address and other personal details. This information will never be shared with anyone... ever. We may share some demographic information with our sponsors (present and future) but no contact details will be divulged. From time to time we may prepare mailings, both electronic and postal. These will provide info on special offers, new products and other services. If at anytime you no longer wish to receive them, simply contact us, by E-mail, phone or mail.
GDPR statement and our loyalty club:
By entering the loyalty code on our website or by agreeing to be a member of our loyalty club you are agreeing to be part of our loyalty program. Our loyalty program offers discounts off B&B and depending on the level you reach may also include discounted bike rental and other services. By being part of our loyalty program you are agreeing to allow us to e-mail you with our newsletter up to 3 x a year to keep you up to day about what is happening at hotel Mas Pelegri and Girona Cycling S.L. We only keep on file your e-mail address, any details pertinent to a new booking you have made with us such as being vegan or the bike that you would like to rent. We also keep on file how long you have previously stayed with us in the past and how much your invoices were, as all of this information along with your name is on your invoices which have to be kept for the tax office (your e-mail address is not on our invoices). We never share your information with any other party. All hotels are legally required to give guests passport numbers or identity card numbers into the Police database at the time of their stay and also invoice numbers and names are also handed to our accountants and the Spanish tax office (Agencia Tributaria). No e-mail addresses are ever handed out to anyone or any other company, unless a guest has specifically asked for their phone number or e-mail address to be forwarded to for example the local horse riding centre or other activity centre so that they can arrange directly their activities. We take our guests privacy very seriously. At any time you can e-mail us unsubscribe and we will remove your e-mail address from our loyalty program.
Terms & Conditions.
Flights:
Flights are not included in any of our packages. Girona Cycling can put you into contact with a company to arrange air transportation for you. From then on all responsibility for air transportation is between you and whoever you decide to use to arrange the flights for you.
Accommodation:
Our prices are based on an occupancy level and room style as described in the accommodation page. If you are travelling alone and want to share a room, we will do our best to pair you with a roommate of the same gender. If you are in your own room there will be a single room supplement. We ask that you do not bring electric kettles, or hairdryers or high powered electric items as our sustainable system is not set up to run high powered electric items. Charging computers and phones is absolutely no problem and we have low powered hairdryers, hair straighteners and curlers for you to use while you are here. If you have any questions please let us know, we are only too happy to explain how we run Hotel Mas Pelegri sustainably.
Meals and Drinks:
If you have special requirements for health reasons or allergies, Girona Cycling will do everything possible to accommodate you. Please inform us when you book your trip.
Transfers:
Transfers are only included in our luxury camps and then only as stated in each camp. Transfers can be arranged for self guided camps (for example Girona or Barcelona airport), however they will carry a supplemental fee.
Passports and Visas:
All participants must have a passport that is valid for 6 months after the conclusion of the trip. It is the passengers responsibility to obtain a valid passport and or visa if necessary. US citizens do not generally need a visa to visit Spain, check with your airline carrier to confirm whether you need one. Girona Cycling assumes no responsibility for changes in document requirements, not for carriage or entry into any destination for any passenger not having proper documentation. Passengers denied boarding or entry because of improper documentation will receive no refund.
Smoking:
Smoking is not allowed at Hotel Mas Pelegri (inside and outside) or in any of our vehicles or at Mas Pelegri. Please note that restaurants and public buildings in Spain do not allow smoking.
Bike Helmets:
Helmets are required at all times in Spain while cycling, unless you own a UCI professinal race licence.
Items Not Included In The Price:
Any expenses that are not explicitly mentioned in these terms and conditions are not included in the package. These include, among others, expenses such as passport fees, travel and medical insurance (please make sure you take out a policy before you come), drinks and telephone calls.
Reservations Payment and Refund Policy:
We ask for a 25% non refundable deposit per room for your B&B stay to confirm your stay at Hotel Mas Pelegri. This can be paid for via a secure link our bank will send you. Or send us an e-mail or telephone us to arrange your booking.
We run cycling, triathlon, running, MTB, swimming and other sporting activities and offer bike rentals, sports massages, coaching and guiding via our company Girona Cycling S.L. We ask for a 25% non refundable deposit for all of the services booked with Girona Cycling S.L. at the time of making your reservation. For group bookings a 25% deposit at the time of booking is required to confirm your reservation and then we ask that the full amount to be paid for in full 1 month before arrival. No money is returned if group bookings are cancelled 1 month before arrival unless we can fill your reservation with another group. If your would like to cancel your group booking more than 1 month before arrival your deposit will not be returned, but you will not owe anything more.
We ask that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover cancellation and also to cover your whole trip including travel and health insurance.
This refund policy only applies to deposits paid directly to Girona Cycling SL. Deposits paid to other tour operators, even if they are using Girona Cycling or Girona Cycling's facilities, are covered by the refund policies of those tour operators and not Girona Cycling S.L.. For clarification, whoever you pay your deposit or total trip cost to, their refunds policy governs any refund you may able to get and if a refund is agreed, will then come directly from that company. People booking with other tour operators cannot get a refund from Girona Cycling S.L.
Refunds For Withdrawals Or Absences:
If serious illness or emergency compels you to leave a tour, Girona Cycling will make best efforts to refund you for unused services, but this is at Girona Cycling's discretion. Please see refund policy above. Refunds are limited to amounts that can be recovered from the service providers by Girona Cycling and written requests with relevant documentation have to be received within 60 days of completion of the trip. Your own personal Travel insurance may cover other losses, so we ask that everyone takes out travel insurance at the time of booking any trip with Girona Cycling S.L. There is no refund for arriving late or leaving a trip early. Please note that Spain has top quality health care, so if you are unfortunate enough to have a medical problem you will be well taken care of. The local hospital here is one of the best hospitals in Spain.
Travel and Medical Insurance:
Travel and medical insurance are not included in any of our trip packages. You are expected and requested to take out your own personal travel and medical insurance before coming on a trip with Girona Cycling. New insurance policies now can include Covid cover. We would recommend including this in your cover. Obviously if lock downs occur preventing your travel, then you can move dates to another date later the same year.