Breakaway Andalusia
A 5-Day Immersive Coaching Retreat · 17–21 September 2026 · Ronda, Spain
There's a particular kind of thinking that doesn't happen in the office. Not because you lack the time - but because the diary, the inbox, and the daily rhythm of work don't create the conditions for it.
Breakaway Andalusia is designed for that.
Five days in Ronda - structured coaching, peer learning, and guided riding in near-guaranteed September sunshine. Not a cycling holiday with coaching bolted on. A proper development experience, built around movement.
Who’s it for?
Senior professionals who cycle seriously and are at a meaningful inflection point. A significant decision to make. A transition to navigate. A promotion recently taken - or declined. The sense that something needs to shift, but the clarity to act on it hasn't arrived yet.
The retreat format works for people who want more than a single session can provide - and who are ready to invest properly in what's next.
You should be comfortable cycling for 3+ hours at a conversational pace. Routes are selected to suit the group.
Why Ronda?
Palacio del Moral is a boutique hotel in the hills outside Ronda - nine rooms, a pool, extensive private gardens, and a restaurant on site.
Small enough to feel like your own space; well-appointed enough that the recovery after a big day in the mountains is genuinely comfortable.
This is where the afternoons are yours. The pool, the gardens, the terrace. The kind of environment that makes unstructured time feel like a gift rather than a gap in the schedule.
Ronda sits at altitude in the Serranía de Ronda, with classic climbs, quiet roads, and near-guaranteed September sunshine.
Expect long, flowing descents, coffee stops in white villages, and routes that feel built for rhythm. Big-mile riding with space to think - challenging when you want it, forgiving when you don't.
Delivered in partnership with Andalucian Cycling Experience - 20+ years of supported riding in the region. They handle the logistics; the focus stays on the coaching and the riding.
Where do we stay?
The Programme
Five days structured around morning coaching sessions, afternoon rides, and unscheduled time that's genuinely yours.
Click each day to see what's planned.
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Transfers from Málaga airport. Settle in at Palacio del Moral, Ronda. Arrival for lunch (provided).
Afternoon orientation, introductions, and contracting – establishing individual focus and group ground rules.
Welcome dinner together at the hotel.
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Morning group work (sharing your challenges), followed by a guided ride, where the conversation continues.
Afternoon is yours – time for walking, reading, rest, or sampling the delights of Ronda.
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Morning group work (sourcing solutions from the group), followed by your second guided ride.
The mountains are there if you want them; the pace is yours to set. Routes to be agreed with the group, based on Day 2 experience.
Afternoon is yours again.
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Free morning. Optional self-guided ride (GPX files provided), time in the pool, a massage, or an additional one-to-one coaching session with Mark, if you want it.
The afternoon will be a group session – focus on what you’ve learned about yourselves collectively.
Final evening group dinner– venue to be finalised (likely historic Ronda).
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Morning - final guided ride. Closing reflection and commitments.
Pre-departure lunch provided. Airport transfers to Málaga.
About the Coach
All Breakaway sessions are designed and delivered by Mark Taggart.
I have 25+ years of experience in senior leadership roles - including VP positions in FTSE 100 companies across telecoms, retail, technology, and professional services. I know what it's like to sit in the rooms where decisions get made, and understands the politics, pressure, and complexity of leading in large organisations.
I’ve coached leaders through career transitions, designed leadership development programmes, and facilitated difficult team conversations at every level up to C-suite.
I am also a cyclist - a member of iCycle in Bedford, and I’ve done many multi-day road and gravel routes across the UK, France, and Spain. I am an England Athletics-qualified fitness leader, hold a current Outdoor First Aid qualification, and an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
The combination matters. Breakaway isn't delivered by someone who has observed senior leadership from the outside, or who took up cycling to launch a product. It's delivered by someone who has lived both worlds - and designed a coaching offer around what genuinely works in each of them.
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"I can't recommend Mark highly enough - his skill, patience, and ability to work hard together to achieve the outcome that I always thought was going to be elusive to me"
Marnie, Senior Sales Director, enterprise tech
Coaching client
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"Mark is a thoughtful and caring specialist who is driven by delivering great work, which is human-centred and makes a difference."
Giles, Associate Director, NHS
Leadership development client
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More testimonials to come post-launch!
Spring 2026
Your Questions, Answered
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A roadworthy road or gravel bike (including e-bikes), helmet, lights, and appropriate cycling kit including high-visibility clothing. Flat-barred, hybrid, folding, and commuter bikes are not suitable for on-road sessions. Kit and bike will be checked before every ride.
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You should be comfortable riding for 2–3 hours at a conversational pace. If you have any health concerns about physical activity, please seek advice from your GP before enquiring.
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Sessions currently operate within a 50km radius of Bedford, covering rural Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire - quieter roads, manageable terrain, and room to think.
If you live elsewhere in the UK, get in touch. I’m always happy to explore other options.
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Outdoor sessions go ahead in most conditions. Genuinely unsafe weather - heavy rain, high winds, ice - is handled by mutual agreement, with a rescheduling option or a switch to the indoor Zwift format, decided no later than 48 hours in advance.
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Absolutely not! I’m an intermediate level rider myself and the aim is to have a ride that enables us to have some pause and conversation.
If you have specific accessibility needs you are welcome to discuss requirements with me before any engagement is agreed.
Coming Soon: Breakaway Andalusia
Target date: September 2026
A 4–5 day immersive coaching retreat in southern Spain, combining structured coaching sessions with supported riding in one of Europe's great cycling destinations.
Small groups. Guaranteed sunshine. Proper roads. And the kind of thinking space that a day ride simply can't provide.
Delivered in partnership with Andalucian Cycling Experience - an established operator with twenty years of experience running supported cycling in the region - so the logistics are handled and the focus stays on the coaching.
If you'd like to register your interest or find out more as the details develop, get in touch.