Took it easy for a couple of weeks after the Tour of Mallorca but have now got back into regular training. I’ve decided to start the winter training a bit earlier than normal and keep up regular ‘top-end’ efforts (intervals etc) and try some leg strengthening exercises. The theory being that as one gets older it is important to keep up the intense work and that the ‘base miles’ should really allready be in the legs after 20 odd years of regular training! Makes sense, I’ve always noticed how cyclocross riders seem to benefit from a winter of regular intense races (and the training associated with it) whilst those of us who spent our winters riding steady miles struggled to keep up early season. The leg strength exercises are an attempt to slow down the loss of ‘fast twitch’ muscle fibres (which I read is important somewhere!), all I know is that they have left me barely able to walk this week so they must be targeting something!
Necessity dictates that tough efforts are performed on the dreaded turbo trainer, an instrument of torture I have managed to avoid for the last few years but have now returned too with my tail between my legs to accept it’s use. I can never quite understand the point of spending thousands of pounds on ’simulator’ trainers which allow you to follow your progress on a computer screen whilst riding up your favourite climb, pretending your in the Alps when in reality your stuck in the cellar! Surely the indoor trainer is supposed to be unpleasant, tough both physically and mentally, in fact rather like real cycling and isn’t that why we do it?
Alongside all this indoor stuff I’ve been enjoying the winter riding in the UK, which this year so far means a lot of rain and wind. I have treated myself to some new Mavic clothing which has helped me get through the worst of the weather. The ‘ ‘ waterproof bib-tights combined with the ‘ ‘ jacket have been worth their weight in gold. Never having used waterproof tights before I have learned what I was missing, even with mudguards there is a lot of spray off the roads and they really come into their own off-road where any ride at this time of year is a mud bath.

It’s a couple of weeks now since I was racing the Tour of Mallorca with Matt and Niall, a race full of surprises!The first shock was discovering that despite being billed as the ‘Masters Tour of Mallorca’ the event was basically open to any non-pro over the age of 23 which we figured, and we were soon proved right, would have a significant affect on the speed of the racing! As you can see I’m getting my excuses in early because basically we got a good old fashioned kicking!!

It all started off fine with the 6km time trial along the seafront (each rider with a police out-rider), none of us troubled the leader board but but at least we didn’t get caught by our minute men.

Stage 2 was run on a 20km flattish road circuit. Disaster struck after a couple of laps as we were hurtling along in the 120 man bunch when there was the heart stopping sound of wheels touching and as I did all I could to avoid falling I glanced Matt flying through the air and into the ditch, it looked nasty. Thinking we were going to be spending the next few days visiting Mallorcan hospitals it was a big relief to see Matt back on his bike the next time I came round (having managed to get dropped whilst worrying about him!). Bad bruising to his back and a buckled front wheel (sorted out by a local bike shop).

Stage 3 and we were into the mountains, the day we hade been talking about. However first we had to tackle 60km on the flat where the bunch was determined not to let anyone get away so the pace was pretty brutal. We were all aware of the potential danger of the bunch splitting especially when we went around the Bay of Alcudia where the crosswinds are notorius. The predictions were right but we still got caught out as the bunch split in two and we were left chasing as we approached the climb.So I settled for a ride up the mountain with a small group and a fantastic long descent into Inca, it was worth all the suffering just to ride down the mountain on closed roads.

So onto the final stage, a couple of times around a 50km circuit ventruring into ‘Es Pla’ the rural centre of Mallorca. Problems started early for me as I punctured after only 5kms, a fast wheel change from the Shimano neutral service car soon had me back on the road and thanks to some helpful drafting from the team cars I managed to get back into the bunch fairly quickly. Unfortunately the effort cost me and when I found myself on the wrong side of another crash I saw the last of the bunch and finished the race in the aptly named ‘laughing group’ of 15 riders.
The race finished with a great buffet meal in a local hotel laid on by the organisers, not the kind of post-race treatment one is used to as a British bike racer! The prize presentation followed with a succession of Spanish, Portuguese, German, Belgium riders picking up silverware with not a Brit to be seen, next year…..