Mallorca

As many will know early season training camps have been around for years and many of us have wondered if they are for us.  As a late starter to the cycling world and

even later to time trialling I was aware that people escaped the cold of the UK to go to warmer climes in the depth of UK winter to get in the miles but had felt that they

weren’t for me – after all I was a 55(ish) rider who probably could  no longer even claim MAMIL status.  Once I had decided to give it a go it seemed obvious to go with

Andy Cook Cycling, even though I naively thought it could end up being a club run in the sun, given I knew Andy and his team quite well. (Other camps are available.)

Having taken the plunge I signed up for my first camp in 2016 and headed off to Mallorca to find the coldest and wettest camp they had had in years.  I hadn’t really

thought about the mountains so was not fully fit and it was tough but there was something about it that I liked.  However, 6 days didn’t quite do it for me as it didn’t

quite give me the training load I needed to see me off into the early season.  So back I went in 2017 and this time we had the weather which I had been expecting. 

What surprised me though was that over 50% of the riders were people who had been there the previous year and that they came from all over the world with many

US regulars.

So what keeps people coming back to ride Valldemossa, Orient, Puig, Soller, Cap De Formentor with Andy Cook Cycling?  Perhaps not surprisingly the organisation,

the people, the ride leaders, the mountains, the views and the fun.  Yes, it is just riding a bike as people say but the weeks are structured with shake out rides, big

rides, a rest day and then a mountain day but none of this would work without the groups.  Way back when these early season camps were full on race training but

over the years they have mellowed apparently and we now have a quicker group and several other groups.  People move between groups as they tire or recover and

when it comes to the hills the ride leaders follow at the rear and it can be everyone for themselves, or if lucky you can get into a good group and tap your way up the

hill. It is worth remembering that overdoing it early in the camp can result in pay back later – legs go rubbery, legs ache all the time and you pray for a free downhill

ride – but of course it isn’t free as you have had to climb to get there. So why am I now into my fourth year and count as a regular?  Well having gone underprepared

in the first year (and having learnt that friends of mine view many cyclist in Mallorca as BOABs being determined not to be in that category) I have trained harder prior

to going to get the best benefit from the camp and in 2017 and 2018 I had some excellent results which were largely due to the training effort I put in during March.

 With flights leading me to extend my holiday I have gone from 6 days to 9 days of riding and in 2017 I did 56 hours of riding and in 2018 I did 67 hrs of riding in March,

the bulk of which was done in Mallorca.  The training load is reflected in all the software and generally I get an FTP increase off the back of the camp of 20W or more,

last year recording 302W FTP on my first races after the camp.  It is possible to maintain the fitness gained and in 2018 I have no doubt that the Welsh 12 Hr distance

of 252.41 miles and 200W normalised power versus my 2016 221 miles at 180W normalised power was down to the camp and subsequent training discipline. But in

reality it is just great fun and trying to do the same thing in a camp in the UK just would not be the same.  Also it must be said that the roads are mostly in far better

condition, the roads are quieter and drivers (other than hire cars) are generally more aware of riders (of which there are a lot even in March).

In 2019 there was another aspect to the camp for me as I entered the Mallorca 312 km sportive and am focussing on holding steady power on the climbs to find the

right number to allow me to complete the ride in the 14 hour cut off.  The number at the moment seems to be about 240W.  Completing this event successfully

confirmed my intent to enter the Liverpool 24 Hour in July.  The Mallorca 312 went well except for a mechanical on my hire bike which meant I was stuck in the small

ring for most of the event which did not suit my riding style and combined with an incident to a rider early in the event caused a loss of time and meant that I missed

the full distance cut off time.

In 2020 I was enjoying the training until Spain went into lockdown due to COVID and had to leave early, which was a great shame as I had hired a Pinarello Dogma

F10.

[Note: BOAB – Blob On A Bike, MAMIL - Middle aged man in lycra]