Majorca 2011
After the success of the previous year’s foray in the Alps, interest levels were high for a trip to Majorca. A total of 11 Chevaliers signed up for the trip: Andrew, Mike, Colesy, Chardy, John, Julian, Nick, Richard, Aaron, James B & Ed. We met at Gatwick airport with dissembled bikes neatly packed into hard cases courtesy of Bike Box Alan. He did a roaring trade from us that week, and we recommend his services if you live anywhere near to Rotherham (at the time we managed to collect from Windsor).
We chose Port de Pollença for our base as we understood Team Sky training camps had previously been held there. It seemed entirely probable that by the end of the week we’d also be able to dominate grand tours, especially as we’d recently welcomed our first new member with real racing pedigree, Ed ‘the Enigma’ Whitehorn.
Although the intensity of our training reached new levels, it was clear that we didn’t quite have the self discipline of a pro tour team. We can’t state with 100% confidence, but it’s unlikely that their daily rituals involve snacking on donner kebabs, drinking until 4am, or incidents involving flaming Sambuca.
It’s easy to see why professional riders would train in Majorca; the road quality is good, traffic is negligible, there are pan flat, straight roads that seem to go on forever, and there are roads that go up mountains. It was on one of the latter that five of us learned a valuable lesson. Victims of complacency prompted by the morning’s blue sky, we set off in shorts & short sleeve jerseys without a single extra later between us. As we reached the top of Colls dels Reis (9.5km at 7%), the heavens opened & it wasn’t long until torrential rain turned into a veritable air strike of hail stones. As we huddled underneath the tiny canopy of a small café pleading with the owner to part with some of his treasured plastic bags, we all promised ourselves to be more prepared in future.
The most popular route was out to the lighthouse at Cap de Formentor and back, an undulating 30 mile ride along the coast with fantastic views and a well stocked café.
Overwhelming consensus was that it was a great trip, and it would be surprising if the Chevaliers kit is not seen hurtling along the Ma-2220 coastal road from Alcudia in the future!
