On an altitude internship? Athletes can now do this at 21 meters above sea level in Ledegem

The West Flemish entrepreneur Chris Mullie opens a new resort in the West Flemish Ledegem where top athletes can sleep, eat and watch cinema at altitude – up to 4,500 meters. ‘Everyone is looking for those extra percentages. Now you no longer have to go to Tenerife for that.’

This year, Wout van Aert went to Mount Teide on Tenerife and slept at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters to prepare for the spring classics. Mathieu van der Poel stayed at the Syncrosfera hotel, with altitude rooms, to rack up his kilometers on the Costa Blanca.

High altitude training courses of two to three weeks have become a must in the cycling peloton’s training schedule in order to peak for certain competitions or grand tours. ‘Everyone tries to be at altitude for as many days as possible per year. You can now also do this in Ledegem, 21 meters above sea level,” says West Flemish entrepreneur Chris Mullie, the owner of the new Monte Marcella resort.

In the coming weeks, from April 1, the first top riders will move in. Mullie does not want to reveal names, but there are agreements and discussions with the WorldTour teams Alpecin-Deceuninck, Bahrain Victorious and Visma-Lease a Bike.

There is also a collaboration with the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC). In the run-up to the Olympic Games in Paris, several long-distance runners, mountain bikers and hockey ladies will stay in Ledegem. “That might be the difference between silver and gold,” says Mullie.

The complex has 42 beds, spread over 16 rooms where the effects of an altitude training period are simulated by lowering the oxygen level. At sea level, 21 percent of the air is oxygen, the rest is nitrogen. For example, at 3,500 meters the oxygen level drops to around 14 percent. ‘The body will then produce more red blood cells in response. This increases the capacity to transport oxygen and improves endurance, and therefore performance,” says Frederik Van Lierde, former Ironman world champion and sportsman of the year in 2013 and ambassador of Monte Marcella.

The height and therefore the oxygen level can be adjusted individually per room. ‘That is important, because everyone reacts differently to information. The science surrounding this has evolved enormously. It is optimal if the oxygen saturation in the blood is between 90 and 92 percent. For one this is at 1,800 meters, for the other perhaps at 2,500 meters. We can officially set up to 9,000 meters here, but no one is going to do that. There is no point in sleeping extremely high.’

There are still ‘altitude hotels’ in Europe, but Monte Marcella is unique, according to Van Lierde. Not only the rooms, but also the common areas – except for the sauna – are at a height: the dining room, the relaxation room, the cinema room, the fitness and the gaming room.

‘In other hotels you see that riders stay in their bedroom as much as possible, even to eat, to get the most out of it. That is not necessary here’, Van Lierde emphasizes. ‘You will train four or five hours a day. Train low. And the rest is up to you here. Live high. And the longer you stay at altitude, the better the results.’

There are also many athletes who buy altitude tents to sleep in at home. “I’ve done that before, but it’s not really comfortable,” says Van Lierde. ‘And you don’t even lie in there during the day for fun. The fact that Monte Marcella saves you two travel days to southern destinations is an extra plus. And the family can come over on the weekend.”

How much the project cost remains secret. ‘It is a heavy investment. But it is an investment in the future,” says Mullie, who has converted the family farmhouse from 1778, surrounded by meadows, grazing cows and orchards. The name refers to his grandmother, Marcella.

Mullie starts his second business adventure with Monte Marcella. Over the past twenty years, he has developed his company Barias into a specialist in the packaging and storage of refrigerated food. The SME has 150 employees. The customers include Agristo, Lutosa and Greenyard.

Monte Marcella is initially aimed at top athletes, but from August the general public is also welcome. Mullie aims, among other things, at Gran Fondo riders who seek height stimuli, or recreational cyclists who want to immerse themselves in the world of racing. He also thinks he can attract foreigners. ‘Flanders is the Mecca of racing. You’d be surprised how many Americans and Australians even come here to experience that. You can be on the Kemmelberg or the Oude Kwaremont in an hour,” says Mullie.

An exact price per night is not posted anywhere. This is tailor-made, depending on the size of the group, the duration of the stay, the season and the extra services.