For most of us, our cycling holiday in Port De Pollenca was a new experience, and we knew there would be a lot to learn. We had to pack light and be ruthless with what we brought in our 10kg suitcases, prioritizing our cycling gear above all else.
As soon as we landed, we grabbed a taxi and arrived at our accommodation in Port De Pollenca just 50 minutes later. After settling in, we picked up the bikes we had rented for the next four days.
Over the course of our stay, we completed a series of challenging rides, including climbs that I had only ever seen on YouTube and heard talked about as iconic. Our first ride was a relatively flat 100km route with 694 meters of climbing, and we discovered a charming little café in Llubí. The ride also took us to the Velodrome in Sineu, which our group’s track racer, Vanessa, was excited to explore. However, the degree of slope proved too challenging for some of us, and only one other rider in our group, Sharon, managed to complete several laps around the velodrome. All of our routes were expertly designed by Danuta.
We enjoyed Llubí so much that we included it in the next day’s 80km ride with 545 meters of climbing, giving the second group of ladies a chance to experience the café, coffee, and food.
On the third day, we started early at 7 am to tackle the Cap de Formentor climb, which covered 41km and 1000 meters of climbing. The weather was beautiful, and we had the road mostly to ourselves, although more cyclists soon joined us. It was a challenging climb, but the rolling downhill sections provided some respite. At the lighthouse at the end, we treated ourselves to coffee and cakes, the staple food for every cyclist.
Our final day of cycling began at 7:30 am, and we set out to conquer the Coll de sa Batalla climb, which covered 70km and 872 meters of climbing. We stopped for coffee and cake in Lluc before starting the climb, which was eight kilometers long with an average gradient of 5% and a maximum of 10%. Everyone in the group made it to the top, and we all felt proud of our accomplishment.
Overall, the four days of cycling were an incredible experience for me, with fantastic weather, beautiful roads, and amazing companionship from the ladies in the group. I’m already looking forward to returning next year to Port De Pollenca for more cycling adventures.
See you soon!
Emma Billane
