It's early November and I'm wrestling with the prospect of fighting yet another storm out on the roads (Desmond this time...I think) in an attempt to drag just some of my now fleeting summer fitness through to 2016.
Reflecting on the year, one in which many personal challenges and achievements have been slayed: the Dragon in June, La Marmotte in July, Ride100 in August, and with my last sportive finishing in September, I realise that I'm faced with something new for almost the first time in 2015; a lack of motivation to go out and ride my bike. The only thing in store is the advance of Christmas turkey, and the inevitable gluttony over a sedentary fortnight that will, no doubt, have totally nuclear consequences for my fitness and level me completely back to ground zero.
I realise I'm sounding like a spoilt brat and I should just ride, but this isn't how my brain works. When faced with choices - stay in bed another 2 hours or get up and get cold - I need a tangible commitment of sorts to help me at 6am. My next event isn't until May and with Christmas on the horizon it just seems too far away. While I've continued to lay down some base miles, my fitness has definitely waned as I barely manage 40 miles a week. Something must be done.
With two days of annual leave remaining at work and my Twitter feed becoming jammed with pictures of all the pros returning to training in sunny climes, I set to work on Google and within the hour had found my season finale: Mallorca looked like the perfect destination to rejuvenate my drive and end the year on a high.
I quickly learnt that not only was the island home to the now legendary Sa Calobra and its 26 hairpins, but that the west of the island is littered with plenty of spectacular mountains just perfect in size for the amateur looking for a test.
I now new reason to get up and ride hard. Not an event with a medal, but an experience and a way to re-invigorate my lacklustre spirit and depleting leg strength. The perfect end to the season and a way to propel me into the New Year. Cheap flights, good weather, legendary cycling - and, without wanting to sound like a fanboy, if it's good enough for Team Sky, then it'll probably be more than fine for me.
A few more minutes of googling and I'd come across the perfect solution. A Mallorcan-based British family running a cycling experiences company called Challenge Mallorca, offering packages of varying flexibility and convenience. For less than £45 a night they would provide B&B accommodation (with dinner for a little extra), tour guide (with nutrition) and arrange my bike hire. A quick check for flights on Easyjet and a Friday to Monday return from Stansted to Palma in mid-December was found for £55. I quickly sent the team at Challenge Mallorca an email and a hasty reply saw us agree and confirm a booking within the same day. I even set them a challenge of finding me a size 50 frame, carbon bike with electronic gears for less than £35 a day. By the next day I was offered a Ridley Fenix with Campagnolo EPS 50/34 groupset for £24 a day. Bargain! I accepted and now set about the task of regaining some form in order to enjoy the trip.
My Friday flight in mid-December was soon upon me. My bag packed with pedals, helmet and clothes, and an early flight meant that I would arrive in my destination village of Buger with plenty of time to spare for a quick 60-mile afternoon spin up to the glorious northern mountain range of Formentor. Throughout the four days, my tour guide, Warren, was eager to show me not only the main attractions but some of the hidden little beauty spots that only a local has knowledge of. This little secluded bay on the way to our destination was just one example of such serenity.
The ride continued along a spiky, yet empty road out to the lighthouse point of Cap Formentor for more tranquil sights of igneous rock and motionless water that I would not have associated with the Spanish island. A fantastic introduction and start to the trip.
With our first day complete, our second day would see us out of the door for a gentle day's riding of 70 miles, around the often forgotten east side of the island. Lots of coffee stops through quiet, quaint historical villages was the perfect way to see the sights and leave plenty in the legs for the more challenging west coast at the back end of the trip.
Warren took us out towards Manacor, down to Felanix and back up through Porreres, taking in beautiful villages such as Sinea along the way.
For our third day we would get into some serious climbing and attempt the beast that is Sa Calobra, but first we would have to overcome Coll de sa Batalla. No small feat; a mountain that goes on for 4.1 miles, an elevation of 1250ft with an average of 5%, this proved to be the perfect warm up. A wonderful mountain almost reminiscent of an Alpine atmosphere, it weaves its way through pine forests and grassy banks with stunning views of the peaks never far from sight.
With our first test completed, we headed on to Sa Calobra. Now, much has been written about this climb and I can only testify that it is all true. A near perfect climb and an even more perfect descent. Warren tells me that come March we would be squeezed between cyclists and cars as this popular location starts to feel the brunt of the tourist season, however as we arrive at the bottom in December, I honestly don't recall seeing any one at all, car or bike, which led to an exhilarating journey allowing us to pick the racing line over the smooth, faultless tarmac.
We stopped at the bottom for a quick re-fuel, taking in some nutritious Pedal Bites included within the price of the package. 100% organic and gluten free, these bite-sized snacks were not something I'd eaten before, but certainly would be happy to try again. A tasty and clean alternative to the sticky world of simple carbs. With some grub in our bellies we headed off and out of the port to experience this famed climb. With over 17,000 Strava accounts having ridden the segment of Coll dels Reis (the official name) we set about accomplishing the 5.8 mile, 2192ft climb of 7% average gradient a pace at which we could continue a conversation and snap away with the smartphones in attempt to capture this engineering marvel. Surely the architect of this road was a cycling fan? 26 hairpins and one unique 'spiral bridge' hairpin, Sa Calobra is the prime attraction of the cycling theme park island that is Mallorca.
Back to Buger, via a majestic descent of 8.7 miles between Lluc and Pollensa, we had ridden 72 miles and covered over 11,000ft in an absolutely glorious day in the saddle.
Fed, cleaned and rested we started our last day heading south towards Inca, in the endeavour of packing in just a little more riding. A quick coffee and croissant stop before we reached our intended destination at the foot of the Coll d'Honor, a tasty little Cat 2 climb of 3.8 miles, 1103ft and 5% average, we flew up it feeling the positive training effects of four days continuous riding that I completely hadn't predicted. I was expecting to have sore legs and numb feet, having never ridden more than two days in a row previously; however, I was feeling remarkably fresh and decided to leave it all out on the island, breaching the peak in 26 minutes.
A gentle saunter back home riding through wild countryside lanes and fields surrounded by almond trees and protruding rock, exquisitely and distinctly Spanish, and we completed the day with 44 miles on the clock.
And with that my winter training booster experience was over. 248 miles covered and over 23,000ft climbed, my passion and fitness levels had been kick-started back into life in spectacular fashion. At £260 total for flights, bike, guide, accommodation and food for four days in cycling paradise, I could not recommend a winter trip to Mallorca more. The December climate was just great for cycling. With our days starting around 10 degrees, rising to around 18 degrees at max, some long tights and a couple of layers ensured I was warm in the shadows and cool under direct sunlight on the hardest of climbs.
The use of a tour guide was also a new experience for me and definitely something I will do again. The convenience of not having to rely on my Garmin failing to navigate me, plus the added security and comfort of having someone to chat with and assist any mechanicals (I had none by the way), not even to mention all the local beauty spot/coffee stop knowledge, was invaluable to my overall enjoyment. As for the location of Buger, I'm sure there are plenty of great places to base yourself in Mallorca, however Buger was a timely 25 miles in all directions from most major climbs.
Having previously self-catered on all cycling trips, I have to say that the overall experience and satisfaction provided by the team at Challenge Mallorca was of the highest level. Having someone to take care of my food, accommodation, bike and navigation, leaving me to just concentrate on my riding between the time of booking and flying, was a new experience and with work and family commitments taking most of my waking hours, this time and stress saving convenience was incredibly welcome and valuable.
All in all, an awesome little trip to Mallorca that has left me wanting to go back and improve upon all those segment times. To any winter-weary cyclists looking for a trip to relocate their mojo, Mallorca offers a perfect escape.
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