This years tour will go down as a classic. It had everything. I will try and recapture some of the atmosphere and recall the daring deeds. The time and distances I refer to come from my own bike computer so are only for the B rides. Click on the photos for larger clearer views, if you want to that is.
The tour started with the usual trip to Birmingham International in the middle of the night. We had one last minute crisis in that Sue Potts was unable to come. Todger did the business as usual and found us a replacement. We welcomed Justina to the group. Everyone was there on time this year, and looked lovely in their new BCC tracksuits. I must congratulate the chairman on the deal he did to acquire these. They are great and in colours that are subdued enough to wear comfortably in public, obviously why Helicopter did not come. Although we do not really want to know the details of how he managed to get so much kit for so little money, we have to thank him. Disappointingly there were no incidents on the way out. It all came together nicely. Plane was in time, coach was there at the airport, all bikes appeared still intact (well nearly, Dave had a broken spoke) I even think Rich and Bob had managed to get the weather sorted. The one small sticking point was that the hotel was actually opening for the season the day we arrived and they did not seem to have quite finished it. After some quick room swapping and a few minutes waiting around all was sorted.
Ride One: The Shakedown
Time: 2.13.48hrs.
This seemed to have some distinct similarities with last year. One it was windy, and secondly it all blew apart at the end, despite it was only supposed to be a gentle ride. Things started off easy enough, after Nick had punctured after only 200 metres. We all were out as a big group and worked it gently down through Alcudia and down the bike lane. There was some signs of what was to come with some through and off up a long slope that got the lungs going. Going through Sa Peubla we were caught out by a change of road layout. For some reason a one way system had been put in which sent us slightly off route. Why, in a town which would have fitted in Bannerman's bike case, they needed a one way system, I do not know. Rich's maps soon saw us back on the right track. Then there was a mad scramble for the sprint into Pollensa. Unfortunately we were turning off before Pollensa town to go through the lanes. Only 5 of us went the right way. Nick Selibas (who shall be known as twister from now on after his jiving exploits) was up to his old tricks and twice used poor unsuspecting scooter riders for derny practice. Everyone did turn up at the hotel without mishap.
The evening was quiet. We had all been up for about 20 hours and some sleep was very much appreciated. Especially as the serious stuff started the next day
Day two saw the first serious rides of the trip. The A squad had successfully persuaded Bob not to go on a 90 mile 3 mountain ride on the first day and went off calmly all of us together. After the split I was distraught to be beaten at the first sprint by Todger. We then started some through and off way too early in the ride according to coach, but he didn't stop us. We nearly got some respite when we caught some Germans up, but just as Nick was settling in to enjoy the view, our other coach decided to attack them. And so we attacked a large group of rather fit looking young Germans, on a hill. Nick had a few choice words about what he thought of that one, especially after we then spent the next 5 miles trying to get rid of them.
We stopped at our favourite watering hole, the cafe in Montuiri, where we met up with the C squad. A delightful little place that we found last year at the top of a hill. Cazza was up to his usual standard, smooth talking the waitress into whatever we wanted. To eat that is. After lunch we headed back with the C squad. Ian was feeling the pace and went straight back with Bannerman as guide. Beans and Neil Wilkes gave us a taster of what was to come in the mountains as they attacked and made the rest of us suffer on the hilly bits. We had another good through and off session with Cazza hanging on at the back. Twister taking the fast sprint into Petra I think it was, for the final points of the day. Oh I nearly forgot to mention. The surprise part of the ride was that rather than take a bashing as all of last year, all winter rides for two years and the last Majorca trip, I actually was there to ride and took the Five sprints in between the one that Rich got and the one Nick got. I am starting to like this biking lark. After our efforts we rolled through Alcudia and succeeded in annoying several motorists for not using the bike lane properly. It was one of those that is on the road and then is on the pavement and then back on the road. We missed when it went to the pavement, oops. As we went into Porto Pollensa we got ourselves mixed up with a large group of Germans much to our dismay. It got kind of split apart and I rolled in with Mick Wright (henceforth known as Rover for using any excuse to have a go at the Germans, even on a hill) who was suffering.
Ride Time 4:15:18 hrs
Distance 73.81 miles
Average 17.3 mph
This was our first excursion up the mountains. We started off with a large group having gained a few extras who were looking for some company. They left fairly early on, their reason, that we were going to fast, they wanted long slow miles. I am sure it had nothing to do with our constant repeating of the week-ends' rugby scores. We went a rather meandering route to arrive at Sineu for lunch. The sprinting was somewhat subdued from the all out war it had been the day before, apart from Bean's startling win in the sprint to Sineu for lunch. The rest were shared between myself and Rich, though most were unopposed. Lunch was taken outside at the same cafe as we went to last year. It had improved by the loss of the stroppy English waitress we had before. We also went to the track, to prove that it was shut and we could not get on it, again.
After meeting the C squad again at lunch we headed to Inca for the climb to Lluc again. There was a group of 6 at the front when we got to the start of the climb. Beans, Neil, Gary, Todger, Rover and me. As we hit the slopes it started to break up. I went off the back first, not willing to stay with the pace set by the real climbers. This seemed like the best strategy for me. My legs felt like lead and my lunch had not settled well so I felt a little dodgy as we started upwards. There is also some assertion that I am a little overweight at the moment and that does not help my climbing. Anyone calls me Meg Ullrich and they have Sarah to answer to. Anyway my pacing seemed to work as Rover soon came back to me as did, much to my surprise, Todger himself. I caught him just before the downhill bit of the climb (stay with me here, it does make sense) and then DROPPED him as we went down. This proved to be a false dawn as he came back upto me and we finished the climb together. I had sent Beans on ahead with my camera and we have photographic evidence of the finishing state of the team. As last year Beans was first up and had to buy the coffee. He had a close tussle with Neil all the way up which pushed him to the limit. The finishing order was, Beans, Neil, Gary, Me and Todger, DAS, Bannerman, Rover, Twister, Binman and Cazza bringing up the rear.
The descent was it's usual nasty self. From the cafe there are at least two small climbs and numerous undulations until you actually get to descend. The same group that led up the climb led down (Minus Mick W who was caught short when we started out) As we hit the descent proper I made sure that I wasn't on Beans wheel and led all the way down. With a predatory Mr. Ridgeway following me all the way. There was also a headwind all the way down which made it quite hard work (I did not top 40mph) and when I got to the bottom I was glad of Gary's presence to help with the work along the flat. We stopped at the roundabout on the edge of Pollensa and waited for the rest. Next down was Neil and Beans, followed by Todger, Nick S, Mick Wright and Dave. I forget the rest of the order, I should have written it down.
Ride Time 4:34:34 hrs
Distance 77.5 miles
Average 16.9 mph
Unfortunately there was one small problem on this week. There was a lot of illness. There was a cough which generally did the rounds, worst affected was Todger who had it as part of a full cold. This caused him to take a morning "off" and ride with the C group. This shows how unwell he was, as this took him out of the B group overall classification. Mick Wright was another affected, but by a slightly worse affliction. Mick decided to have some seafood for dinner and paid the price with two days spent on the loo. It was then a slightly different look to the ride on the fourth day. We rode out with the A squad, who got a bit carried away when we met a couple of female cyclists. Unfortunately for them they were both national standard and gave them some pain later.
We had three "guests" along with us. One of which was a young lady which definitely brought out the more polite side of the group. Unfortunately they were Scottish, but there were OK really. With Todger on the C run our route finding was not quite as precise as usual. He sent us on a different route which I had not seen in the two years I have been going. It was a rather pleasant rolling road, but Gary decided to do some road cleaning and picked up an nice 4 inch nail. Lunch was another trip to Montuiri, with Dave and Nick trying to stitch me up in the sprint to the town.
After lunch Dave got the big gear rolling and there was a good through and off session. Todger seemed recovered enough to lead the hill into Sineu and put in a damn fine effort for the sprint. There was another through and off session down the bullrush road into Alcudia. On the way back to the hotel we were debating whether or not to do an extra loop to keep the mileage up. We decided not to, but Nick still managed to go the wrong way at the roundabout and then managed to make the gap up with the help of another unsuspecting derny. On the run in Nick decided to try one of his sprinters tricks and nip up the inside of Dave. Dave just put him on the beach.
Ride Time 4:16:48 hrs
Distance 73.65 miles
Average 17.2 mph
Thank God
Big mountain day. 3 mountains before lunch. Chris Banner joins us for the full trip. While trying to stop for some relief, Beans manages to get himself nearly run over and that was before we even started to climb. The morning was dominated by the mountain goats. Neil and Beans sharing the primes. The first climb we had the 3 Scots with us again. They kept up a good enough pace despite telling us they would be struggling. The order was the same as the first climb, though I never managed to keep up with Toddy this time. Up the second climb and near the bottom I was with Dave. One of the lakes seemed to have disappeared. I think they might be having a water shortage later on this year. At the top I stopped to take some photos and a brief record of the achievement. Then the 15k descent into Soller. Wahey!!!
When we got to Soller we waited for Chris Banner, and we waited, and we waited. We were just about to send Beans back up the hill when Chris appeared. Chris was suffering Achilles problems and had really been forced to slow down. Out of Soller and Neil asks, how many hairpins on the climb. I can now confirm 29. Sad I know, but it made the climb go quicker. This year again saw another set of midgets climbing in the big ring a lot faster than the rest of us. This year they were even on mountain bikes. At the top myself, Gary and Neil waited for Chris in case of problems, and got some more photos. Chris made it up OK. We also saw the German junior squad who seemed to be using the climb as a time trial. The descent was a tricky one. I was descending with Gary again and then he nearly went over a barrier when his back wheel let go. We were very surprised to catch Nick. Nick had also lost a wheel, but his front wheel went out from him and he went down. Fortunately Nick was not badly damaged and neither was his bike. He continued on a lot more cautiously.
At lunch we met up with the C run again and Mick W who was now recovering. Having a nice lunch in the square and some more photo opportunities. Gary finally found some friends, but their Mum took them away when he started playing with their toys. Chris was really suffering and needed some help to get home. The three climbers went on ahead, clearly impatient with us for being too slow all day. The TSS had a through and off session and left me and Rover looking after chris. After we got to Sa Peubla. Nick invaded Poland and a serious session started back down the bullrush road. Unfortunately Nick and then Dave could not keep the pace up and as the session started to disintegrate I thought I would see how I was going and attacked. I did not look back, but any minute expected a high speed train to come past. I sat up at the roundabout just before Alcudia. Behind me the two supposed invalids were chasing and closing me down. We then pottered back in through Alcudia. Cazza taking a flyer to get the Pollensa sign for an impressive win.
Ride Time 5:35:31 hrs
Distance 85.8 miles
Average 15.3 mph
Wacko decided to join us saying he had a cold and did not feel like the A run. Big mistake. He just ripped us apart and felt a bit restricted with us. Gary, Neil and Chris did not come. They went on a cake run instead. We went down the coast road all the way to Arta. The coast road gets very lumpy and Wacko set off on the run in to Arta. Beans was the only one who got close and got towed along somewhere around 40mph on the way in. We then went down to Porto Christo for lunch. This is a beautiful port and we had a very expensive lunch which I managed not pay for and even earned a profit on.
On the way back we stopped at the bike shop in Manacor. I nearly rode back to the hotel with a new frame on my back. Credit cards are very dangerous and that shop is a diamond. Wacko set off on his own as he wanted to get some more miles in and left us alone. With the wind finally favourable we got some speed up in places. Rather than relying on Wacko to drag us along as earlier. The run in was not particularly eventful, apart from one speed session into Alcudia which caused toys to be ejected from the pram. We just kept things turning on the way in. Apart from yet again there was a conspiracy to stitch me up for the sprint. Unfortunately guys as I had been telling you all week, I was not going for the Pollensa sign as by the time we were there we should be warming down not sprinting, but I will give you that one. Especially as Beans got it in the end. Fair play to the lad for having the energy to go for it after the week we had.
This year the cycling in the B squad was fantastic. I had a fab time on the bike. There was a general agreement that this was a really good week. The squad worked really well together and we got a lot from it, in terms of training and also experience. Thanks to everyone who arranged it all and those that worked in the week as well. I cannot wait to go next year, which is already arranged.
Squads
A- Bobbi, Linda, Wacko, Nige, Wilkes, + Ray Minovi, Hughey, Bradley
B- DAS, Meg, Beans, Todger, Nick S, Mick W, Gary Ridgeway, Neil Wilkes
C- Cazza, Binman, Bannerman
Masseurs -Janice, Justina
General Hangers on and groupies- Sarah Pogson and Sandra Wilkes.