 Ciclo Costa Blanca, along with two other local Cycling related companys, has been busy with the purchase of Spain's first permanently installed time trialling equiment. The System is called StoppOmat. It's already up and running and, the Best thing, is IT'S FREE! You can use the equipment any time you like and it's free each and every time.
The guys from Pez checked out our StoppOmat equipment.
Click here to read their write up
 StoppOmat Inauguration day
Here is some history and blurb on the official opening of the StoppOmat. Sunday 10th January saw the official opening of The first permanently installed ' StoppOmat' time trialing equipment in Spain, Located on one of the Costa Blanca's most well know and attractive mountains, The Coll de Rates, alt 636 mtrs.
Present along with around 100 or so local riders was professional cyclist and current Spanish National Champion, Ruben Plaza of Team Caisse d'Epargne, Tom Boonen and Team Quick Step, currently on a training camp on the Costa Blanca stopped by to ask what was going on. Joint best rides of the day was by Toni Molina Canet, 17 yrs old, of Team Eleval, and British rider Alistair Robinson, both with a time of 17 min 16 seconds.
The Equipment has been installed thanks to a collaboration between 3 local cycling related businesses: Ciclo Costa Blanca, The Hotel Los Caballos of Els Poblets and Maxima Bikes of Ondara. The Equipment named StoppOmat was originally designed and built in Germany with funding /sponsorship provided by Continental (tyre manufacturers) & Lightweight (wheels). There are 8 StoppOmat machines operating in Germany, and each year 'Lightweight' sponsor the ' Lightweight uphill challenge'.
 How does StoppOmat work?
Equipment is installed at the bottom and top of the climb. Riders take a card from the bottom machine completing their details on the cards reverse. Inserting the card into the machine prints a start time on the card. Once the rider reaches the top station the card is again inserted into the machine and a finish time is printed onto the card. The card is then posted into the letter box of the top machine. Cards are then collected weekly and all competitor's details and time are posted onto the StoppOmat site. Once the rider's time has been uploaded, he or she receives an email advising of the individual time, position in category and registration number. The registration number is all the rider needs to write on the time card next time he uses a Stoppomat machine whether in Spain or Germany, or any other country. In addition, each registered rider gets their own unique StoppOmat page listing with all the times registered on all the climbs. You also get to post pics onto your own page and download a StoppOmat Coll de Rates diploma.
Location:
Start station is at the village of 'Parcent', east face of the Coll de Rates, Marina Alta region, Costa Blanca, Spain (inland from Denia)
Finish top of The Coll de Rates
Course distance: 6.92 km.
Altitude start: 284 mtrs (Parcent)
Altitude finish: 636 mtrs
Height gain: 365 mtrs
If you are heading over to the Costa Blanca for your 2010 spring training, the equipment is free of charge to all users and should prove an incentive to test current form.
We are working on the site's Spanish and English translations,
please bear with us.
Click here to see pics from the official Stoppomat opening day
and more info in Spanish at http://stoppomat.com/info/
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