Sa Calobra is perhaps the most iconic challenge for most of us when thinking about a cycling holiday in Mallorca. It is the most famous climb and on everyone’s bucket list when visiting the island.
If you feel up to it. during your 7 day Tour de Broads Abroad cycling holiday, your expert Ciclos Major ride leader will help you over your biggest Mallorcan challenge. Here is Ciclos Major’s Darryl & Liz to explain how your day would unfold:
A ride to Sa Calobra would entail approximately 115km and almost 2,000m of climbing. For the first 25 km or so we would ride together in our groups to Caimari to the base of the 8km climb to Coll de Sa Batalla aka ‘The Petrol Station’ This is undertaken at your own pace and we will regroup at the café by the Repsol Garage, for a quick coffee, cake and gel before setting off in our groups towards Escorca and the Arches. This is an undulating road that climbs for a further 2 to 3 kilometres before descending the next 7 or so kilometres where we take the right fork at the Arches. You will be cursing this road on your return. After the right turn you will climb up the final 2.5km to the top of Coll dels Reis. From the fork you will be riding at your own pace – there will be a guide riding at he back to look after you should you have a mechanical issue or puncture.
At the Coll dels Reis there is time to take in the view and a photograph at the sign and we recommend taking a further gel, before the we descend down to the bay of Sa Calobra. Having taken the descent carefully and also taken in some of the views and the odd photograph you will reach the bottom and the bay. The chance for a quick stop for a photograph and a further gel before you ascend one of the most famous climbs in the cycling world. 9.5km at an average of almost 7% – this is a ride where you need to pace yourself – for some it will be almost an hour to climb back to the Coll dels Reis. Don’t be tempted to stop at the café by the corkscrew – it will add to your Strava time.
Having reached back up to the top, you may well think it is downhill all the way back to Alcudia. Not quite yet. There is a short descent back to the arches, where we may regroup for a snack and coffee, before we start the undulating road back to the Repsol Garage. On a normal day this wouldn’t be too challenging, but you will already have 60km and 1,500m of climbing in your legs. If you’ve been skimping on the food/gels you will be found out here!
With about 2km to go to the Repsol Garage there is welcome relief as we start to descend again. Turning left before the garage we carry on descending to the turn off for Lluc Monastery. After a further kilometre’s descent, we turn right to start the last 5km of undulating road to the Coll de Femenia. Once you have reached this point you can give yourself a small pat on the back; the climbing is over. There is still 25km to ride to the hotel, but you have a beautiful descent on the relatively wider sweeping roads to Pollenca where we regroup at the roundabout for our final ride through the lanes and along Pollenca Bay back to the hotel. If you have the energy and time, there will be a celebratory drink in the hotel bar or at Aqua on the jetty in Alcudia.
Wow, what a day that will be! Fancy joining us for a full week of fully supported and guided riding? Click the button below…