The second stage of the Trofeo Mallorca (aka the Challenge Mallorca) ran from Pollensa to Andratx: that’s the width of the whole island East to West. The peloton started at the base of the famous 365 steps in Old Town Pollensa (just 200m from our villa). I won’t give away the result of the race, as you can see the highlights video here. From the start the race headed south and east to Alcudia before looping back on itself and climbing up to Lluc monastery by the north-east ascent (you can see them whizzing past the monastery turn at 11 mins in). Then it’s down the wonderful Lluc to Caimari descent (the cameras didn’t catch this, sadly as it’s a road very well known and well loved by all our clients; but you can see them zoom through Selva itself at 11.54 mins in).
Instead of going through Inca, the route turned through the not-very-picturesque village of Lloseta before passing through the much more picturesque Binissalem (where they had their feed zone—as do many of our clients: Restaurant Robines and Can P’dal are our favourite bars).
Through Santa Maria to Esporles, the peloton moved from roads very familiar to Cycle Mallorca clients to more westerly roads, less familiar. Apart from one intrepid adventurer who road solo to Andratx and back from Campanet, it’s really only clients from our Alaro villa who have ventured this far west (here is a route that takes in all of the best roads in the northwest corner of the island, but it’s still a 146km route). They report that it’s great riding here: the road from Esporles to Andratx via Puigpunyent and Galilea is very quiet and beautiful (you get to see it in the video from about 17.00 to 19.20 mins in). First is the climb of the Coll de Grau (469m—the ascent is 17.15 to 18.00 and the descent 18.00 to 18.30 in the video), and then follows the Coll de Galilea (402m—the summit and descent are 18.30 to 19.15 on the video). These climbs are the last two climbs of the Tour of Mallorca route that we do as a 4-day holiday: a wonderful gentle pair of challenges to end things!
From Alaro, these Colls can be part of a gentle return route, that finishes off a ride that starts with the Coll de Soller and takes in Deia and Valldemossa—arguably the best lunch and coffee-stop towns in Mallorca.