Sa Calobra CC - Food

A great week on the cycle camp. Very much a training vibe with good healthy food from our chef Uli and whilst wine and beer was available very little was drunk. We also benefitted from a daily massage and our bikes were very well looked after by Paul our driver, mechanic and photographer.

Sa Calobra CC - Day 6 - Formentor and Race

Final day of cycling and a much easier day out to Formentor and a day with just 60 km and 1000m of climb. The weather was improved although a bit chilly. The road was closed with works going on so we didn't quite make it to the lighthouse at the end. Lovely views though.

It was a final race day with a handicap uphill race to Albercutx. Pleased to have pushed very hard at 108% of my week start FTP.

Lots of photos taken on the hill and then an easy ride along the coast and home.

Got out of the house for the first time, other than on the bike, for a short walk around Pollenca. Found the hill with 365 steps up to El Calvary church which I couldn't resist walking up.

Sa Calobra CC - Day 5 - More big hills

The heavy rain this week led to landslides on Sa Calobra and closure of the road so the final two days needed to be replanned at short notice. A second very big day was planned with similar distance and climb to the queen stage. My legs weren't great and couldn't get much pace over the first two climbs. I jumped in the van for a long rolling section and the third climb before getting back on the bike for Sa Batalla climb and the final 20 km run into home. A better performance on the climb and got out the front and pushed hard on the return home and managed not to get caught by the group.

Sa Calobra CC - Day 4 - Queen Stage

A big ride today of 110 km and 2400 m of climbing along the Serra Tramuntana. We got delivered to Andraxt in the morning at the western end of the Serra and proceeded a delightful up and down journey along the range with the coast to our left hand side. The main climbs were

Sa Gramola 5.2km at 5%

Coll des Pi

Sa Bastida 3.2 km at 5.8%

Claret 

Puig Major 14.2 km at 5.7%

On reasonably good form to day beating several of the team up the final hors categorie climb.

A bit of a slog for 15 km after the summit with a lovely final long gentle slope home at the end. Massive day.

Sa Calobra CC - Day 3 - Coffee Ride

With bad weather forecast we switched the queen stage and the recovery ride. A cycle out from Pollenca to Cycling Planet for coffee and cake at roughly the half way point. The weather started pretty nice for the early part before torrential rain on the way home.

81 km , 630 m climb, 3 hrs

Sa Calobra CC - Day 2 - Pollenca to Felantix

A longer day mainly on the flat and again hard work to hold the wheel so big effort for some and an easy day for others. Weather not so great. A bit overcast and pretty horrible at the end for the final climb.

Two Cat 3 climbs of Randa (4.8 km at 5.2%) and Sant Salvador (5.1 km at 6.6%). Last on the first climb and 2 behind me on the second. Was mainly focussed on efficiency today and holding energy back for the days to come.

97 km , 1348 m climb in just under 4 hours.

Sa Calobra CC - Day 1

First ride was a generally flat ride in the countryside just south of the tramuntana ridge. The weather was lovely and the scenery very appealing. Riding in the group with a very wide range of abilities meant it was tough work for me to keep up with the bigger riders with big engines. Dropped off the back on a fair few occasions but generally not off for too long. Two climbs to do. I was last up the first relative short Cat 4 climb of Santa Llucia and had two people behind me on the second Cat 3 climb of Santa Magdalena.

 69 km with 934 m climb in just under 3 hrs.

Very well looked after in the dining room with our own chef for the week Uli. Paella tonight.