Majorca (Spanish: Mallorca) provides the perfect base for European cyclists looking for some quality early season training. While the rest of Europe is caught in a freeze and mountain passes are buried under metres of snow, the cycling season on the Balearic Islands can begin as early as February. During February, Majorca enjoys calm and clear weather with temperatures typically ranging between 10-15 degrees Celsius. The chance to train at this time of the year definitely gives you a head start; just ask 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, who bought real estate on the island during 2012 and spent early 2013 training on this cycling haven.

When we talk about ‘havens’ though, many Australians may still best remember Majorca as the hideaway for shonky businessman Christopher Skase. The safe haven he infamously enjoyed for almost a decade during the 1990′s no longer taints the island and instead cyclists now travel in their droves to this new cycling mecca.

Majorca – is it really the new Cycling Mecca?
So why exactly have cyclists sought out Majorca of all places? Perhaps it is the stand-alone airport bike carousel, or perhaps street vending machines that sell bike tubes rather than cans of coke. In all seriousness, the first wave of international cycling tourists arrived to Majorca about 25 years ago due its warm temperate weather, sandy beaches, long days, excellent accommodation and fresh food. They discovered a variety of cycling terrain, lightly trafficked roads, and the chance for enjoyable loop rides combining picturesque coastal views, interior scraggy mountain rocky landscapes, and fertile green central fields and pastures.

Majorca offers a range of cycling terrain which means the island is accessible to beginners through to professionals; anyone with an interest in pedal power. The island measures 3,640 square km and has a well organised and interconnected road network; depending on where you call home there will be door to door cycling options available. The island also opens itself to 10 to 12 unique cycling stages which will take you through the flat central sections of the island to the mountainous and remote southern and northern roads. Though “remote” might sound strange for a relatively small island, the mountain roads are exactly that. Cycling switchback after switchback, up and over its ten categorised climbs, the chances of being passed by a professional cyclist on his daily training ride is greater than being passed by a petrol fueled vehicle. Don’t let them get you down though as they speed by. For what it’s worth I prefer being overtaken by a professional cyclist than a car any day!

The Mediterranean island also boasts the spectacular World Heritage ‘Serra de Tramuntana’ mountain range to the north and west of the island. Cycling this mountain range is a treat for those looking for elevation gain. There are seven Category 1 and 2 climbs available which range between 5-14km in length and have average gradients between 5-7%. The two Category 1 climbs to ‘Puig Major’ and ‘Sa Colabra’ are a must do. Puig Major rises to Majorca´s highest point at 1445m and offers amazing island views, and the battle to ‘Sa Colabra’, with its 26 switchbacks, is a test of concentration, all the while though enjoying the beautiful landscapes.

Majorca and its Cycling Calendar
From the 10 million tourists who visit Majorca annually, approximately 70,000 thousand are cyclists. Almost half (40%) of this number are women, so the island is a great cycling destination for individuals, couples and families alike. There are also many events on the Majorca cycling calendar which are attracting cyclists of all breeds: competitive, social and challenge seekers. The fact that professional and recreational cyclists return year after year speaks volumes for the royal treatment they receive and the cycling experience that awaits them at every kilometre marker.

The cycling season in Majorca is split into two periods from January to May, and September to October. A list of some of the key events on the calendar is provided below:

1. Challenge Iberostar Majorca
Pro tour event which is held every February. During 2013, Orica GreenEdge´s Leigh Howard won two sprint finishes at this four stage event, beating quality sprinters such as Tyler Farrar.

2. Marxa Cicloturista de Femines
Cyclo-sportive event solely for female participants. During late May 2013, this event will celebrate its seventh edition.

3. WiW Duva International
Cyclo-sportive ride which is held during April and includes 95km & 135km options.

4. Mallorca 312
Cyclo-sportive event held during April which is a serious challenge and not for the faint hearted. Mallorca 312 takes cyclists around the entire circumference of the island (312km) and includes over 4300m of elevation gain. If you think you can beat the 14 hour time limit, then this could be the next challenge ride for you!

5. Tour of Majorca for Masters
During October, a full week of Masters racing is available for those looking to test themselves against the best ‘veteran’ riders from Europe.

Establishing your Majorcan cycling base?
This is in no way an exhaustive list of regions to choose from, but the most popular towns for cyclists looking to establish a cycling base include Port de Alcudia (Puerto de Alcudia), Port de Pollenca (Puerto de Pollenca) and Portocolom. These regions are all to the east of the island and far away from the capital Palma de Majorca and its tourist masses.

Orica GreenEdge made their first official training visit to the island in February 2013 and called the Hotel Iberostar Playa de Muro home for a week. It is not difficult to see why this hotel has become a magnet for cyclists. With over 2000 road bikes on site for hire, one can quickly see that this hotel is prepared to satisfy the hungry demand for cycling tourists. It is obviously a hit with the tourists as 90% of their guests travel to Majorca without their bikes. The hotel also includes resort like features with many pools, spas, sports training rooms and its own private beach. Not forgetting the cycling memorabilia that is littered throughout the hotel from pro teams including Katusha, GreenEdge, Garmin, and Omega Pharma Quickstep to name a few.

Wesley Sulzberg and Daniel Teklehaimanot of Team GreenEDGE Orica

What does 2014 hold in store for GreenEdge and Majorca?
All reports suggest that Orica GreenEdge will return to Majorca, and Hotel Iberostar, in 2014 for their early European season training camp/racing. The idea of a January/February trip to Mallorca for Australian cyclists however is unlikely to be overly enticing. Australia is already right middle of its home season, a trip to the Tour Down Under in Adelaide with its 30 degree weather is probably more appealing.

However, we could do well to take a leaf out of the book of our fellow European cycling amigos and look for our own pre-season cycling holiday experience. Let your friends back in Australia think that you are lying on the pristine beaches of Majorca enjoying some quality R&R while you’re taking the chance to ‘get one up’ on them. The Australian winter is slowly drawing upon us and as the European cycling season warms up, Majorca can offer much deserved cycling away from the boredom of the indoor trainer. Between June and September, Majorca enjoys average daily highs between 25 and 30 °C.

Cycling is full of tactics and Majorca, while being a fun holiday destination, could well be your next secret training paradise.

My team and I will be in Majorca in late August/early September 2014 running a guided cycling trip and would love to hear from you if you can picture yourself cycling Majorca. Also get in touch if you would like information about self-guided cycling on Majorca and in Europe: information@sierrasportsandtours.com.au or www.sierrasportsandtours.com.au

But why stop at just 1 day of Gran Fondo magic when surely there must be more out there? After some time searching the bottomless pit of cycling blogs, a ride that sounded like the ultimate cycling test for the recreational rider was uncovered. The event is called ‘Pirenaica’, a 6 day Cyclo-Sportive which covers approximately 700km and more than 20 famous ‘cols’ straight from the Tour de France. At first sight the event looked truly amazing and who could believe an event existed which asked the recreational rider to back up over 6 consecutive days of challenging mountain terrain. Before I realised it, I had signed up and was nervously looking forward to taking in the beauty of both the Spanish & French Pyrenees. This was going to be my chance to live like a professional cyclist for a week even though it would be in a non-competitive and supportive environment!

6 Day Pyrenees Cyclo-Sportive

In July 2011 I travelled off to the quiet Spanish town of Urzain ki to embark on what was sure to be a lesson in cycling and persistence.  The route was complex but co-ordinated incredibly well and along the way included three different crossings between Spain and France. We cycled a total of 670km and 17,750m of elevation gain. Yes, we averaged almost 3000m of elevation gain per day. Thankfully the event support crews were placed strategically on course and as we passed each mountain climb they were on hand to keep us hydrated, well stocked and most importantly enthused!

5 x Tour de France Winner

Along the way we received a special treat as we began climbing the revered Tourmalet. Here we were cycling in the heart of the French Pyrenees and Spanish legend Miguel Indurain unexpectedly joined the peloton just as we were arriving into Luz St Sauveur. The event organizers had brought the 5 time Tour de France (TdF) champion along to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his first TdF victory.

The 28th July 2011 will be a day forever marked in my memory as the predominantly Spanish peloton chattered away excitedly in the presence of one of their national sporting heroes. One older Spanish rider explained to me with great pride how during the 1991 Tour de France, Miguel gained more than 7 minutes over Greg LeMond during the ‘Tourmalet’ stage to receive his first yellow jersey. The rest as it goes was history and he held it all the way to Paris and started a 5 year winning sequence through to 1995!

The Pirenaica organizers presented a magnificent homage to Indurain.  On the bikes we ‘only’ cleared the final three peaks of the epic 1991 Queen Stage: Tourmalet, Aspin and Val Louron. This included an ‘easy’ 98km and 3000m of elevation gain.  ‘Easy’ considering the professionals during 1991 rode 232km from Jaca to Val Louron and also had the famous climbs of Portalet and Aubisque to encounter. We weren’t too upset though because we had cycled the Aubisque two days earlier. The mountain road linking the Aubisque and Soulor climbs is one of the most scenic routes world-wide and to put it bluntly is a ‘must do’ for any cycling enthusiast!

As our day surrounded by cycling royalty came to a close we arrived to the valley approaching Val Louron. The continuous uphill is met with a sudden transition of four kilometres exceeding 8%. The final ascent to the Val Louron ski resort, while not being one of the best-known climbs in the region, is still four gruelling kilometres alongside marvellous views down to the valley and lake.  As we left Miguel Indurain, he spoke to the large media contingency that had gathered to ask him about his famous day on the Tourmalet in 1991:

“My idea was not to attack in the mountains.  When I launched my downhill attack on the Tourmalet I simply wanted to see what happened. At the outset I was not prepared. My intention had been to try and maintain my presence during the mountain stages and to arrive to the last time trial with an opportunity”.

You already know the rest of this story.

This climb has everything that the hardened cycling aficionado might want: a 40km continuous climb, an altitude gain of approximately 2650m and an average grade of 6.5%. No wonder this unique cycling ascent is known as ‘The Everest of European Mountain Passes’. This travel log account summarises a ride I shared with a Spanish cycling club and 9 dedicated members who were hellbent in conquering Veleta as their end of 2010 season cycling special! The age of the cycling group ranged between 45 and 70 years and the determination and effort produced was nothing short of outstanding!

Assault Veleta
Rising from the valley floor is probably a strange way to describe it when you are already at 800m altitude but the ride does in fact begin on the floor of the valley. Before setting off we decide to bypass the modern highway and its ‘comfortable’ 6% gradient and head for one of the mountain back roads. As we arrive at the base of the climb we quickly realise that the most daunting and difficult part of the climb is at the beginning, well before the silhouette of Veleta and its vertical wall even enters our line of vision. The first 3km, the hardest of the ascent, include seven spectacular switchbacks with an average grade of around 11% and sections in some curves above the 15%.  After about 7km the road eases slightly and continues on at a more realistic angle climbing up along the ridge at 5-6%.

It is not long though and after 12km of climbing the road presents us with a new feast of switchbacks; a total of twelve in the next 6km to be precise taking us to 2000m altitude. It is during this second section of endless switchbacks that we catch our first glimpse of the beautiful green-blue vertical wall which defines the Pico de Veleta and which afford magnificent views as we continue gaining height. We are snapped out of our reverie by the realisation that only half the job has been done and we are still far from the Veleta peak. By comparison, even in the Pyrenees or anywhere else, the effort so far would have been enough to reach the top of any famous mountain pass. Here though one must be patient if one is to climb the 1300m of further elevation gain to reach the summit.

Waiting to regroup at the 2500m altitude signpost and our last group member rides in as the clock ticks over 3 hr. We refill our water bottles and pack our warm-weather clothing and hear that the temperature down at Granada is nearing 35 degrees. At the top of Veleta there couldn’t be a bigger contrast – there the temperature is likely to be 10-15 degrees and wind-chill could see the temperature plummet exponentially. A couple of portable oxygen cans are also packed away should the 65% of normal oxygen levels create altitude sickness.

A drawcard for climbing Veleta is that the final section of road is guarded by a military barrier that prohibits the passage of civilian vehicles. As you gaze into the distance and towards the sheer vertical rock wall which characterises Pico de Veleta you cannot help but marvel at the engineering feat that enabled you to tackle this ultimate cycling challenge. This is now a mountain road in every sense. Only 12kmand 850m of further altitude gain separates you from cycling heaven!

From the military barrier the hairpins continue at an alarming rate and the slope hovers at 7 – 8%. In some places, too, the road twists tightly and rises into double digits. These steep pinches, whilst short in length, inflict considerable damage as the continuous effort and the lower oxygen levels at these altitudes take their toll. At this point the 2750m altitude signpost is reached and received with joy and great emotion. Its sandblasted shape is testimony to the severe mountain conditions that batter this area. It is here you take the opportunity to take stock of your achievement to date. The elevation of famous mountain passes such as the Gavia or the Gailibier are long in our wake and we now share company with some of the authentic myths of our cycling sport, such as, the Stelvio, the Agnello, the Iseran or the Bonette. We pay our respect to these climbs but appreciate that with over 600m of elevation gain still awaiting us the challenges is still tantalisingly in front of us but in reach!

Adding to this challenge is the vagaries that snowfalls can present to the aspiring rider. Depending on the season it is not uncommon to find fields of ice strewn across the road. As we pass the magical figure of 3000m altitude we pass a ravine and still during late July we uncover walls of snow up to 3m high in places. On this occasion we are lucky indeed as we follow alongside the ice walls for a few hundred metres with no sign of snow. The air is crisp through this section, the summer sun hidden behind towering peaks and a chill enters the numbing body.

Cycling Heaven
From 3100m altitude we swing around a hairpin to the right and as our eyes lift from the road we come across the completely vertical wall of Veleta: “We still have to rise more? But how much more? It seems to be further away than before!” The asphalt has now become weathered through years of ice action and as we enter the last hairpin it disappears and the final authentic wall is all that remains. As we scale the final metres our eyes fix onto the survey column which defines 3392m altitude and more importantly for us the finish line! Resting at the survey column our exhaustion disappears and a sense of exhilaration takes hold as it dawns on us that we have conquered the beast of a mountain. We find ourselves in the highest point than can be reached by bicycle on the European continent. The effort was definitely worth it!!!