With its perfect weather, varied terrain and

Mallorca
Island
LIFE
With its perfect weather, varied terrain and considerate
drivers, Mallorca could well be the most bike-friendly
destination on Earth. Even the hospital staff like cyclists
Words WESLEY DOYLE Photography GEOFF WAUGH
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45
H
Mallorca
ow bad does
it look?’ I
asked my
co-rider Jon after I’d peeled my face off of the
Mallorcan tarmac. He didn’t have to answer;
his grimace said it all.
The first thing to go through my head – after
the road of course – were the words of Dan
Marsh, director of Marsh Mallows, the boutique
cycling tour operator that had been my host for
a visit to the island. ‘Something always happens
when riding in Mallorca,’ he’d told me the
previous day. He was referring to the time he saw
a zebra in someone’s back garden, but rushing a
bleeding hack to hospital seemed to fulfil his
particular prophecy just as well, more’s the pity.
And it all started so well. Earlier that morning
over breakfast I’d been extolling the virtues of
cycling – saying that in no other sport can you
get as close to the pro experience as you can with
road riding. You don’t get to play at places like
Wembley or Wimbledon centre court unless
you’re a professional athlete, I reasoned, but
Left and above: Even
the main roads are light
on traffic, allowing you
to enjoy the island
without interruption
– except for the
numerous coffee
stops on the route
Below: When crossing
the railway tracks look
out for Mallorca’s
unique wooden trains
that trundle around
the region
Doing the rounds
Port de Soller
This circular route has lots of hills, a bit
of sea and precious little traffic
The Cyclist team completed a nearly 130km clockwise
circuit starting and finishing in Port de Soller. After
leaving the port on the Ma-11/Ma-11A, climb the 495m
Col de Soller and after descending on the other side
turn off the main road and go through the small village
of Bunyola. From there head west towards Esporles on
the Ma-1120 but before you hit the village head south
towards Establiments. From there go west on the
Ma-1041 and head through Puigpunyent to Es Capdella
and on to Andratx on the Ma-1031. Take the Ma-10
along the coast passing through Estellencs to
Banyalbufar. From there head back inland to the top
of Esporles and up over the top of the 499m Coll de
Clara and down towards Valldemossa. Before
Valldemossa turn left to Deia staying on the Ma-10
and enjoy the descent into Soller. From Soller you
turn left back onto the Ma-11 and into Port de Soller.
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CYCLIST
Total distance:
129km approx
Total ascent:
2,213m
Col de Soller
M
AL
LO R
C
Bunyola
A
Banyalbufar
Esporles
Andratx
Palma
with cycling you can just jump onto your bike
and ride the same roads as your heroes.
To bear this out, a few of hours into my
second day in this cyclists’ paradise I was living
my Wiggo fantasies large by descending the
serpentine slopes of Sa Calobra. At seven per
cent this 10 kilometre pass was infamous even
before the Team Sky promo film featuring
everyone’s favourite ginger mod appeared.
It’s a fast descent that demands the focus of a
pro, not the wandering eye of a wannabe. My
attention wavered and when I looked up I was
about to run into the back of my co-rider. I
grabbed the levers to avoid a collision, forgetting
that the six grand’s worth of carbon technology
beneath me was kitted out continental style.
That is to say, the brakes were reversed. It was
then that I found myself replicating the last
thing Wiggins was splashed all over the papers
for: being unceremoniously dumped off his
bike. My earlier speech came back to haunt me.
When I said I wanted to follow in the pros’ tyre
tracks, this wasn’t quite what I had in mind.
Sun, sea and saddles
To say I was excited about riding in Mallorca was
an understatement. Even the bucket-shop flight
from Gatwick couldn’t take the shine off my
anticipation, although the hordes of Magaluf
2012 T-shirts gave it their best shot. Luckily they
and I parted company at Palma airport and
thoughts of foam parties and severe sunburn
didn’t trouble me again until the flight home.
As Dan drove me to Port de Soller, base for
our stay on the north-west of the island, I began
to understand why Mallorca is the destination
for so many pro teams and their pre-season
training. The roads are really quiet and the
scenery is varied, stunning and humbling. As
for the climate, I was there in September, fresh
off the back of a couple of wet UK sportives, so
I took a rain jacket with me just in case. Suffice
to say it didn’t make it out of my bag.
It’s not just the weather – there’s something
else, something fundamental in the attitude the
islanders have towards cyclists in general. Here P
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Mallorca
P bikes are not seen as an irritant, but rather
they’re viewed as an integral part of the island’s
economy. Cars give riders a wide berth and cycle
lanes on key routes are three abreast. They even
have their own road signs, although to be fair
most of them are instructions telling you what
not to do. Still, nice to be a considered.
I met my riding partner, Jon Sowerby, over the
continental version of a fry-up in the restaurant
of the brilliantly named Espléndido, the hotel
that forms part of the Marsh Mallows cycling
package. A triathlete who runs a top-end bike
fitting company in Palmanova (bicimetrics.
com), Jon’s endurance levels were somewhat
more advanced than mine. Luckily for me he’d
competed in a duathlon a couple of days before
and his wife was due to give birth at any second
so he was feeling a bit weary and had to keep an
a revelation. It’s a case of finding a comfortable
gear and settling into an hour or so of steady
climbing. The tree-lined road was relatively
shielded so despite my labours it started to get
nippy and I appreciated having a gilet with me.
Jon timed it just right, though, and the sun
cut through the early morning cloud as we hit
the top. Not only did we get a clear view of Palma
and the rest of the island, we also enjoyed a
warm descent down the 24 (count ’em!) hairpins
that took us into the valley below. Again, the
roads were strangely bereft of cars especially at
a time of day that would have seen UK traffic
bumper to bumper. As Jon explained to me
though, most drivers prefer to go through the
mountain rather than over it.
When the Soller tunnel opened in 1997 it had
a huge impact on the region. Before it was built
‘I began to understand why Mallorca
is the destination for so many pro
teams and their pre-season training’
earphone in at all times in case he got the call.
Jon was happy just to stretch out his legs and
take it easy. Or maybe he felt sorry for me. Either
way, he set a regular pace that kept me on the
edge of my abilities without completely
demoralising me, for which I was grateful.
Leaving the port bright and early, we headed
out south towards the Col de Soller. There wasn’t
much time to warm up before the road tilted up
into 495 metres of climbing – not what you want
first thing in the morning but it definitely got
the blood pumping and set the tone for the day.
For one used to the short but steep climbs of
UK roads, Mallorca’s long, winding gradients,
rarely going above seven or eight per cent, were
Tips from the top
Useful stuff for your Mallorcan trip
FUEL FOR THE HILLS
You may want to go old school and fuel your
ride with only ciabattas and caffeine but you’d
be missing a trick if you didn’t take a couple
of these with you. These gels are quickly
digested without making you feel full, and
offer a mix of carbs for energy and electrolytes
to replace lost minerals through sweating.
And they taste of syrup mixed with Irn Bru.
Ener:gel, £1.19 for 60ml, myprotein.co.uk
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all traffic had to go over the mountain to get to
the rest of the island, while now Soller to Palma
by car takes no more than 20 minutes. The great
benefit of the tunnel for us cyclists is that the
Tramuntana mountain range – a world heritage
site – is now relatively car-free.
Stops and starts
Hairpins negotiated, we turned off the main
road and headed into the unspoilt village of
Bunyola. At around an hour and 20 minutes into
the ride, it was the ideal place to stop for a coffee.
At this early hour the cafés around the square
were pretty quiet, although I imagine they get
plenty of two-wheeled trade throughout the P
IT GETS CHILLY
UP THERE
Despite being a hot
island, mountain tops
and long descents can
bring temperatures
down and, especially if
you’ve been sweating,
turn you into a
shivering wreck. A
lightweight gilet is the
perfect accessory, as
it can easily be slipped
off and on and stored
in a back pocket.
Rapha Gilet,
£120, rapha.cc
For a small island,
Mallorca packs in a lot
of different terrains
to cycle, from rugged
coastline, to scented
woodland, to winding
climbs and pretty
villages
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Mallorca
‘Mallorca’s long, winding
gradients, rarely going
above seven or eight per
cent, are a revelation’
Mallorca
By the
numbers
Because everyone
loves stats
128.88
kilometres ridden
2,213
83.6
05:19
4
£140
metres climbed
kmh top speed
ride time
number of stitches
cost of written-off jersey
The rider’s ride
Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
£1,629 (frameset only), www.canyon.com
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This Canyon was a hire bike from Rad International
in Mallorca and had been seriously pimped with
Campagnolo Super Record 11-speed group set and
Lightweight Standard C tubular wheels. Sadly, that’s
not the sort of kit you’d get with an off-the-shelf
model, so I’ve restricted myself to talking about the
frameset only, which is a beauty.
Extremely light – the frame weighs in at 790 grams
– it is nevertheless rock solid at the rear and through
the bottom bracket, which is perfect for the flawless
tarmac of Mallorca’s roads where you can afford to
sacrifice some shock-absorbsion in favour of sharp
performance. That’s not to say that the Canyon is an
uncomfortable ride. I stepped off after 130km and felt
remarkably fresh, which I put down to the flattened
top tube and slender forks that had enough vertical
flex to allow for relaxed riding.
It's also an exceptionally good-looking frame. The
squared tubes give it a certain rugged machismo, yet
they flow together in a way that makes it look very
elegant. If only I could say as much about myself.
Right and previous
page: The twisting
climb of Sa Calobra,
favourite training
ground of the pros, was
on Cyclist’s second day
of riding. Don't leave
Mallorca without
ticking it off
P day. If you prefer your pick-me-up to come in
a sachet rather than cup and saucer, however,
then just outside the square, by the train station,
is Pro Bike Fit – a mountain and road bike shop
founded by Katusha’s Juan Horrach – which had
the usual array of day-glo gels, bars and drinks.
Out of Bunyola we headed south towards
Palma and hit what was the only truly flat
section of the day, passing fields of almond and
olive trees. We then went west over the train
tracks that carry the unique wooden train
around the region towards Esporles, chucking a
sharp left just before we got to the village, up a
couple of hairpin bends and then straight down
to Establiments, hitting a smooth 60kmh on the
bike computer. This was followed by a long but
easy climb west up through the French-inspired
tree-lined mountain village of Puigpunyent.
As the landscape changes so too do the
aromas – the scent of pine, lemon, almonds
and, unfortunately, goat, worked as an olfactory
record of our ride.
We passed the entrance to the red brick Gran
Hotel Son Net, which in the early part of the
season is home to SaxoBank. No sightings of
Contador today, although Jon demonstrated
similar climbing abilities as he danced up the
short, steep climb to the village of Galilea. I was
happy to drop into my inner ring and make the
climb without leaving my seat. We rolled onto
the terrace of the Café sa Placa de Galilea and
stopped for a jolt of espresso and a sugary
magdalena while taking in the view of the coast.
‘My house is down there,’ said Jon pointing
to what, from our vantage point, looked like the
best place in the world to call home.
We then descended to the rural village of
Es Capdella and from there headed over to the
western tip of the island and skirted around the
town of Andratx. The drop from there to the
coast quickens the pulse and not just because of
the dramatic scenery. The roads high above the
sea on this rugged north coast are fast. Very fast.
Mallorca’s tarmac is as smooth as a snooker
table, which means you spend your time looking
for the fastest line rather than dodging potholes.
With little road friction we picked up speed
quickly and maintained it with minimal effort.
The scenery flew by and we were soon hitting
speeds that I wouldn’t dare consider on my usual
weekend rides for fear of meeting a Range Rover
coming the other way. The little traffic we
encountered was so considerate that we never
had to slow down or take evasive action.
Jon told me that there was a big change
around six or seven years ago when the islanders
realised how important two-wheeled tourists
were for the economy. Indeed, while a few local
drivers still fulfilled the stereotype of unhinged
continental petrolheads, they gave us a wide P
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Mallorca
‘As the landscape changes so too do
the aromas – the scent of pine, lemon,
almonds and, unfortunately, goat,
were an olfactory record of our ride’
Mallorca
How we
got there
TRAVEL
Ryanair, Monarch and EasyJet all fly direct
to Palma from London Stansted, London
Gatwick, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow,
Liverpool and Manchester. Port du Soller is
about 40km away from Palma and if you’re
not hiring a car (recommended if you’ve
brought your own bikes) then a cab will
set you back around €75.
HOTEL
We stayed at the plush Esplendido Hotel
(www.esplendidohotel.com). In my
experience you can guage a lot from the
shower in your room and this one was
excellent. We didn’t venture far from the
hotel when we were off the bikes. Rates
start from €125 in low season, €160 in
mid season and €199 in high season.
FOOD & DRINK
Esplendido has an excellent restaurant,
although there are a few to choose from
around the port and plenty of choice if you
travel over to Palma. While out riding, the
Restaurant Son Tomas on the right before
you come into Banyalbufar village itself
(careful you don’t miss it) is perfect for a
quick coffee and pamboli (Mallorcan bread,
drizzled oil, salt, tomato, local cheese &
cured ham) and likewise the Supermercat
at Es Capdella will make you an excellent
cheese and ham baguette while refilling
your water bottles.
ORGANISE IT ALL
I hired my bike from Rad International
(www.rad-international.de) at the cost
of €24 a day but the rate goes down the
longer you have the bike. Marsh Mallows
(www.marsh-mallows.com) guided rides
daily rates start from €175pp for which you
get five hours in a small group and you’ll
be supported by a well-stocked vehicle
driven by a mechanic/photographer.
The trips are very much holidays and
encourage you to bring the non-cycling
other halves for a spa treatments,
organised walks in the mountains, yoga
sessions and general lounging around.
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‘In Mallorca bikes are not viewed as an
irritant but rather they’re seen as an
integral part of the island’s economy’
P berth and were patient when stuck behind us
on narrow sections. OK, they weren’t actually
leaping from their cars to give us a hug, but it
was nice not to feel hated for a change.
Stars and cars
Sticking to the coastal road we whizzed past the
villages of Estellencs and Banyalbufar, the latter
of which – fact fans – featured in a recent Estrella
Damm beer ad. By the time we’d climbed all 499
metres of the Col de Clarat, a cold one was pretty
much all I could think about. But after refilling
our water bottles at a BP garage near the turning
to Valldemossa, Jon wanted to push on and so I
used the descent into Deia as recovery time. I’d
heard of this small mountain village as it has a
reputation as a bit of a hideaway for the rich and
famous. Bob Geldof, Piers Brosnan and Richard
Branson all have homes there apparently. I didn’t
see any A-listers, although I’d soon be seeing
stars of a very different nature. But I digress…
The northern slopes of the Puig des Teix rise
up 1,000 feet above Deia and on the sweeping
descent it was easy to be distracted by the sight
of homes built improbably into the rugged
geography. However as we sunk into our drops
it paid to keep an eye on the road as this flowing
descent allowed us to hit our top speed of the
day. The corners were sharp but there was
enough space between them to pick up speed.
Once past Deia we were on the home stretch
with a couple of small climbs before hitting the
final decent into the amphitheatre that is Soller,
water bottles empty and legs tired, the heat of
the midday cooling into the afternoon. As we
turned into the port there was time to reflect
on how the riding out here is as varied as the
landscape. You can venture into the mountains
for switchbacks and climbs, or take the rolling
roads out to the coast for some fast-paced
time-trialing. There’s literally something for
everyone, pro and amateur, which is why at
certain times of year there’s a real possibility
that bikes outnumber cars on the road.
‘The claims for the number of cyclists who
travel here each year vary,’ said Dan. ‘I’ve heard
estimates range from 100,000 to double that.’
That’s a lot of tourist euros, which is probably
why the island wants to keep its cycling visitors
happy and catered for, although at its own pace.
‘Mallorcans are very reluctant to commit to
anything and you can’t rush them for deadlines,’
Dan said. ‘You simply can’t hurry them up and
things happen when things happen.’
Heading home
For the second time, Dan’s words came back to
haunt me as I waited in A&E to have the gash
above my right eye sewn up.
Day two of our Mallorcan odyssey had started
perfectly. The plan was a 120km loop that would
have taken us out to Team Sky’s training ground
and the Sa Calobra, plus an excursion into the
Orient valley and a climb the other way up the
Col de Soller. Instead, several hours, one crash
and a swift car ride to hospital later, I found
myself waiting for the Department of Health to
fax through my E111 card, without which the
hospital wouldn’t go near me. Not unless I
wanted to pay by credit card, of course.
As I flew out of Palma, bandaged up like a
Magaluf hire-scooter casualty, I was determined
to get back out to Mallorca at the earliest
opportunity and complete that second day’s
riding. It’s a given that the best way to get over a
fall is to get straight back on the bike again – and
destinations like this Mediterranean cyclists’
nirvana make that all the easier to do. ]
Wesley Doyle has recovered sufficiently that his
kids don’t scream any more when they see him
Above: Cyclist’s rider
leaves bits of himself
on the tarmac after
coming a cropper on
a fast descent. He’s fine
now, thanks for asking
Accidents will happen
Learn from our mistakes
IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN EHIC
CARD, GET ONE.
The EHIC is the new version of
the old E111 and allows you free
or cheap medical care within
certain European countries in
an exchange deal with the
NHS. It’s free to get and could
save you a fortune if you take
a tumble while abroad. Go to
www.ehic.org.uk to arrange
one, and take the details with
you when you travel.
CHECK YOUR BRAKE SET!UP
If you’re hiring a bike abroad,
check the brakes. British
set-up tends to be right lever
for front brake, but continental
style is the opposite, so it’s
easy to go into a skid or go over
the handlebars if you pull the
wrong lever at the wrong
moment. Either ask for the bike
to be set up to what you know,
or practise with the new brakes
before you hit the steep hills.
HEAL THYSELF
Road rash is just a part of
cycling. If you take a tumble
and end up with painful
abrasions, clean the wound,
apply an antisceptic cream or
ointment, then bandage the
area or cover with a breathable
dressing. Hydrocolloid patches
can be a godsend.
TAKE SOME PROTECTION
As well as your insurance, it’s
worth having an ID bracelet,
such as ICE ID (www.iceid.
co.uk), so that anyone who
finds you sprawled across the
tarmac can know your name,
contact details and medical
details for emergencies.
Prices start at about £20.
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