Image 1 of 22 Alberto Contador. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 2 of 22 Peter and Juraj Sagan during a stretching exercise at the Tinkoff-Saxo training camp. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 3 of 22 Alberto Contador is seeking Giro d'Italia and Tour de France victory in 2015. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 4 of 22 Alberto Contador surveys the scene in Gran Canaria. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 5 of 22 Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo). (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 6 of 22 Peter Sagan makes some tweaks to Ivan Basso's planking form in Gran Canaria. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 7 of 22 Peter Sagan puts Ivan Basso through his paces at the Tinkoff-Saxo training camp. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 8 of 22 Matti Breschel executes an abdominal bridge. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 9 of 22 Bobby Julich chats with Matti Breschel at the Tinkoff-Saxo training camp. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 10 of 22 Ivan Basso is back for a second spell with Bjarne Riis' team after riding for CSC from 2004 to 2006. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 11 of 22 Peter Sagan must remain in Cannondale kit until January. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 12 of 22 Alberto Contador during a core exercise session with his Tinkoff-Saxo teammates. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 13 of 22 Ivan Basso. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 14 of 22 Alberto Contador stretches with his Tinkoff-Saxo teammates. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 15 of 22 Peter Sagan leads Tinkoff-Saxo in the Classics. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 16 of 22 Ivan Basso will ride in support of Alberto Contador at the Giro d'Italia. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 17 of 22 Rafal Maja (Tinkoff-Saxo). (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 18 of 22 Michael Rogers is an integral part of the Tinkoff-Saxo squad. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 19 of 22 Roman Kreuziger faces a CAS hearing to resolve his biological passport case. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 20 of 22 Robert Kiserlovski is a new arrival at Tinkoff-Saxo. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 21 of 22 Ivan Basso during a core exercise. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com) Image 22 of 22 Daniele Bennati at a stretching and core work session at the Tinkoff-Saxo training camp. (Image credit: Daniel Benson/Cyclingnews.com)

Tinkoff-Saxo’s work at their training camp on Gran Canaria was not limited to riding their bikes or fine-tuning the details of their 2015 programme – the squad also assembled twice a day for core strengthening work-outs.

For an hour each morning and 30 minutes each evening before dinner, Alberto Contador, Peter Sagan and company engaged in sessions of stretching and core exercises to complement the work they were carrying out on the bike.

Such work-outs have become increasingly in vogue in cycling in recent years, with riders ever more aware of the impact core strength (or the lack thereof) can have on pedalling mechanics.

In this gallery, Tinkoff-Saxo stalwarts such as Contador, Rafal Majka and Michael Rogers join new signings Sagan, Ivan Basso and Robert Kiserlovski in a session supervised by Bobby Julich, who has joined the squad’s management after a spell at BMC.

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