Mallorca Training Camp - Day Three

Day Three: Puig major, Deja & Valdemossa
Distance: 121km
Climbing: 2,118 m
Weather: 22 degrees - sun and cloud and a bit of mist

Not so bright this morning, low cloud and a few drops in the air as we strolled to breakfast but by the time we gathered by the van we only needed jerseys and undervests.

I set off with the second group and we made our way to Pollensa and then up to Lluc and then Puig Major. Good new roads this year in Mallorca everything is getting a new layer of Tarmac.

We kept on trucking through the mountains until we reached Deja and lunched overlooking the beautiful blue sea below us.

The climb from Deja to Valdemossa always catches me out though and this year equipped with my Garmin I found out why; in places it reached 14% which even stopped Gretchen from talking.

Now, Gretchen is the revelation of the week, a small young lady from New Zealand who has only been riding for a year. She tucks in near the front of the group never drifts off the back and just pedals away chatting to whoever comes beside her: chirp, chirp chirp...the only thing that stops her is a stiff a climb or when she takes a turn on the front. She has already been voted the player's player of the match.

After Valdemossa on the flat roads we had to ride into a headwind, the heat, the speed and the distance proved too much for a few so we regrouped at a Cafe for coffee and Fanta. The twenty minute break did the trick and with Little Stevey on the front with even littler Mark we all tucked in behind for the run-in to Club Pollensa and the inevitable sprint. My favourite part of the day, small, twisting rolling roads and great scenery dreaming of owning a small farmhouse with a wood burning stove and a few olive trees...one day eh?

The pace picked up and Jon got so excited he wanted to throw out his bidon just like the pro's but he didn't want Mark to have to go back and collect it after the sprint…

A seven hour day, tired legs and very contented riders. Tomorrow is rest day.