2014 it’s almost gone so we’re on those day that makes you a little nostalgic, a little melancholic about the year just gone and it gets you thinking on how quickly it went, the things you did and you didn’t, goals you achieved, changes in your life, happy days, sad days, people you’ve met and people who went….
It’s been a great year here in Mallorca, and of course many of the memories of this year have been cycling, either training or racing, just riding with friends for fun, or taking guests around cycling around Mallorca to enjoy this beautiful place. Looking back on this year, it’s been over 12000 Km of riding and it’s been a bit of everything. Happy days, great rides, lots of fun, and lots of pain and suffering as well. Here a list if our top 5 cycling days of 2014, and since we don’t want to give it any raking… we’ll describe them chronologically.
Palma - Sa Calobra – Puigmajor – Soller - Palma Feb 20th
It had to start with Sa Calobra of course. I had been to the place a few times but I think that was the first time I was riding it. As it was the case with many of the great rides from the winter, I met up with Harry and we headed up there. His dad Chris, Iggy and Jamie joined us but slowly went peeling off heading back to Palma.
See our blog from this ride here
After riding through all the Binissalem wine region, we turned towards Lloseta, Biniamar and by the time we started climbing Col de Sa Bataia from Caimari, it was only Harry, Jamie and I... as it was also the case riding in the winter with Harry, we said we would take it easy, saving ourselves for the long day ahead, so when a IAM Cycling pro passed us right at the beginning of the climb doing short intervals, we just followed and kept smashing all the way to the top… taking it easy hahahaha!!! At the top of Sa Bataia Jamie had enough and turned back. Harry and I continued with basically the same attitude, taking it easy during the flats, having a go at during the climbs. Cycling Sa Calobra was indeed a challenge trying to keep up with Hazz, but the whole ride was just spectacular. We passed by the lakes up near the Puigmajor, the highest peak in Mallorca, and then Cycled down to Soller and up back to Palma through the Coll de Soller. By the time we got back, we’ve ridden 140 Km and got a few PR’s in a lot of the climbs… classic Mallorca cycling and great cycling partner to do it with.
Strava Ride here
Yep, this time it all started with Palma and meeting up with Harry again. We also met Iggy, Dougie and a few of the Bicimetrics Cycling club guys who joined one of the classic sportives in Mallorca. Yes the Mallorca 312 in April is really “the one”, and that was indeed one great ride, but the day of the Mallorca Classic it dawned pouring down raining, stayed raining all day, and finished raining as well. We left early morning and the route was quite similar to the ride to Sa Calobra I did with Harry but without cycling to Sa Calobra… but it wasn’t the route this time it was the conditions. Total we rode 160 Km that day, and cycling time was just under 6 hours, but since we left home until we get back, it was raining. One of those days that really takes you out of your comfort zone, makes you think so many times “why am I doing this?” but by the time we all were having a warm shower back at home, I can bet we all had one big boyish grim in our faces… and that’s priceless.
Strava ride here
Half IronMan 10th May
The perfect cycling day in Mallorca. I’ve been preparing the race since November 2013 and by the time May the 10th arrived I was as ready as I could’ve been for it.
Back when I started road cycling about 4 years ago, I never thought I could ride on my own for more than one hour above 32 Km/h average. But during the training months in Mallorca I started realizing I could go much faster that initially thought and that day the conditions just turned perfect for the cycling leg.
I left Alcudia after an average swim, but once I got on the bike it all came together, what a day on the bicycle. When I got to the bottom of Col de Feminia I was averaging above 37 Km/h, at the top of the Col de Sa Bataia, I was above 30, and I had all the downhill and flat sections back to Alcudia in front.
I got to the Transition zone after 2 hours and 35 minutes of riding, an average of above 34 Km/h… way above what I thought I could do when I started training… but what I really learned that day, is that I can even go faster than that! :-)
Strava ride here
Formentor with new Tarmac and Wazza October 25th
A classic ride in Mallorca, cycling to Cap Formentor Lighthouse is one of the most amazing roads you can imagine. It has a few great short climbs, twisting downhill sections and some stunning views of the sea, and designed by Antonio Parietti, the Italian Engineer who also designed the road to Sa Calobra. It stretches for about 20 Km from Port Pollensa and you finish at the Lighthouse which signals Cap Formentor, the most Northerly point on the island, and it’s a must do for anyone’s Mallorca Cycling Holidays… and of course one of the usual rides we do with our guests.
Unfortunately, the road condition was well below average and traffic after 11 in the morning can be quite a spoiler to such amazing piece of road engineering and landscape. It takes the poetry away from the place as they say in Italian.
The traffic still a factor you should consider when you go there, but since October this year, they closed the road for about 3 weeks and resurfaced the whole way to the Lighthouse with the smoothest, blackest tarmac you can think of, and to celebrate the occasion we packed our bikes in the van with good friend Wazza and started from Pollensa, with the aim to smash it to Formentor for the first time and then maybe some lunch by Aucanada or Mal Pas… and oh what a ride it was.
The tarmac makes so much difference to the speed and heading there I realized it was the first time I was having a real go at it, always riding it with cycling guests as part of their bike trips in Mallorca, so it was great fun to just going for it.
After a good break at the Lighthouse I took Wazza to a new route for him so we headed past Alcudia and up towards Bonaire, Mal Pas, not such a popular cycling route but quite scenic with great views of the Bay of Pollensa and the Formentor Peninsula. Great fun and awesome ride!
Strava ride here
MTB ride 6th December
New to Mountain biking, it’s been an exciting way to discover new angles and corners in Mallorca we don’t usually get to see on the road bike.
The trails are very hard in the Sierra Tramuntana, and on my first few outings there was always a good fall.
I went swimming that week and I got invited to ride with a couple of guys who are in good form, but because of pedal problems I had to turn back even before starting so when I got told they were going out on the mountain bikes again on the weekend I got ready and met with a few local guys and by the time we head off we were more than 20 of us… but that quickly changed.
We started cycling into the mountains near Esporles and people were quickly turning back and calling it quits, that’s how difficult the route was… by the time we get in the real business we were only like 10 of us and very quickly we started going up this climb that it was the steepest and most dramatic thing I’ve ever been on a bike. I really think you can’t go up much more steeper things on a bike than that. I went and had a look at the Strava to find that segment and found it was about 1 Km long but some bits were nealy 49 %... forty nine… and yes that’s maybe an exaggeration from strava but for sure that thing was 40 plus percent… and that was the easy bit hahaha.
All up we rode for about 70 Km, garmin off for a while L and we went across the Tramunatana to the coastal trails between Port des Canonge and banyabufar, simply stunning… one of those days that you realize what a wonderful place we live in, and what an amazing way of getting to know it all the bike is.
Strava ride here
Duatlon St Llorenc March 9th
Special mention goes to the Sant Llorenc de Cardassar Duathlon which was my fist duathlon ever and I couldn´t believe how much fun this popular races were. About 150 people racing full gas for around one hour, the bike leg being only 20 Km, it was those kind of rides when your inner boy just gets out no shame. All out, total commitment in every corner with 10 or 20 people around you all going for it, trying to pass each other, basically bordering irresponsable... but such a laugh.
I´ve been to a few of those races after that and verytime I have the chance I will be there, great triaining and great way of getting to know the island and some people alike.
See the strava ride here
And if you´re coming to Mallorca and feel like having a go at one of the many popular races that are held in the island every weekend be it running, swimming, duathlons, triathlons or aquathlons just visit www.elitechip.net and pick your race....