Mallorca (Majorca) Cycling Challenge 2006 - Illes Balears

The XV Edition of the Mallorca Challenge (XV Vuelta Internacional de Ciclistas Profesionales, in Spanish) will be starting at Palma de Mallorca Paseo Martimo this February the 2nd.

During 4 days, many international well known teams will be in Mallorca to participate in this event, well known by the amount of mountains in its route, which makes the Challenge hard even to professionals cyclists.

Participants teams in the Mallorca challenge are: Viñamagna Cropu, the Euskaltel-Euskadi team from Biblao, Rabobank from Brusels, Phonak, 3 Molinos Resort Murcia Turística, Andalucía Paul Versan, Grupo Nicolás Mateos, Kaiku y Relax, Comunidad Valenciana, Saunier Duval and the French Ag2R. Participants to be remarked are Paolo Bettini, Óscar Freire, or Gilberto Simoni (twice times winner of the Giro).

In total, there will be around 300 professional running the 5 stages of this challenge, divided in to different 20 teams.

The Mallorca Cycling 2006 challenge is divided in stages as follows:

1^st Stage, February the 5^th, Sunday:

Urban route across Palma de Mallorca City, starting at the Paseo Marítimo

2^nd Stage, February the 6^th, Monday:

Starting at Cala Millor, passing by Son Servera, Capdepera, Artà, Sant Llorenç, Manacor, Felanitx, Campos, Llucmajor, Campos, Felanitx, Porto Cristo, Son Carrió and Son Servera to be ending at Cala Bona.

3^rdStage, February the 7^th, Tuesday:

Starting at Pollensa and ending at the Mirador des Colomer (Port of Pollensa) going across Sa Pobla, Santa Margalida, Llubí, Inca, Binissalem, Consell, Santa Maria, Bunyola, Coll de Soller, Coll de Puig Major and Lluc.

4^th Stage, February the 8^th, Wednesday:

To be started at Soller and ended at the Port of Soller, the route of the Mallorca Cycling Challenge will go across the Coll de Sóller, Santa Maria, Consell, Binissalem, Lloseta, Biniamar, Selva, Caimari, Coll de sa Batalla, Lluc, Pollença, Inca, Selva, Caimari, “Coll de sa Batalla" and the Coll of the Puig Major.

5^thStage, February the 9^th, Thursday:

Last part of the Challenge, starting at Magaluf and passing by Es Capdella, Andratx, Coll de sa Gramola, Estellencs, Banyalbufar, Coll de Claret, Deià, Sóller , Coll de Sóller, s’Esglaieta, Valldemossa, Coll de Claret, Esporles, Establiments, Coll d'es Tords, Calvià to be finalizing at Palmanova.

A total 708,9 kilometres.

From the above ones, we must highlight the ones passing by Pollensa and Sóller, the hardest ones due to the fact that those go across the mountains ways of the Sierra de Tramuntana the most of the time, which any mallorcan will recommend even by car.

More information to be found at

• Vuelta a Mallorca , official site, but only in Spanish.
• Cycling Start Lists .com

If you found this interesting then you should check the following!

• 2nd TUI Palma de Mallorca (Majorca) Marathon During sunday the 23rd of October, Palma will be home to the 2nd TUI Palma de Mallorca Marathon.
• PGA 2005 Mallorca Classic Golf Tournament Summer is out and now is time for golf. One week before the Volvo Masters, Mallorca Classic 2005 Tournament comes to the Pula golf with a improved course and great players like Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia.