In the summer of 2020, miraculously squeezed in between Covid lockdowns, a group of Baysiders managed to travel to Civray Gites in France for a week-long training camp of swim, bike, run and sunshine.

Highlights included river swimming under a chateau, running along beautifully quiet lanes beside fields of sunflowers, and riding along mile upon mile of smooth, flat, smooth (did I mention smooth?) tarmac. The 25m on-site outdoor pool wasn’t a bad feature either! Morning yoga, access to sports massages and endless pains au chocolat and beer brought the perfect balance to a busy training week.

Steve and Jenny are both long standing members of Bayside Tri and experienced triathletes themselves. What they offer at Civray really is something special and, as they say, it goes far beyond just the swim/bike/run. It really was a home away from home and there were always multiple options provided throughout the week to cater for all abilities, whilst still keeping a very cohesive feel to the group.

It quickly became obvious that this would not be a one-off visit for Team Bayside and there was much talk within the group of returning to Civray, as well as keen interest from other club members.

A date was set for 2021 and within 10 minutes of this information being shared on our Facebook group, EVERY one of those who had been on the first training camp had seen the post and responded with “Yes please!” Enough said…

Unfortunately the 2021 week was unable to go ahead due to Covid, but it has been rescheduled for summer 2022. With even more Baysiders joining the fun, including some of our very newest club members, our hosts at Civray will be at full capacity this time round. The Bayside Takeover at Civray looks set to become an annual event!

Roll on summer…