MALLORCA - THE DREAM ISLE

My Annus Horribilis was 2015, combo of the separation from my wife, and also my apparent inability to conduct any form of exercise for most of that year...thought I had a serious achilles issue...spent a fortune on top docs (including Jess Enniss's), 2 x MRI scans, physios, ridiculous invasive irrelevant procedures..but no resolution...so, suddenly the boisterous family home of over 25 years was very quiet (as coincidentally Katie went too Leeds Uni, Becky went World travelling and Jamie and the hounds followed Linda, oh! sorry forgot, I did have the fish!)...and on top of this I couldn't even walk to the local shop...see the Cycling Weekly FULL report on the "Photos Page" or a partial flavour HERE - I did however eventually and luckily find a saviour.

But during that year, although my head told me I would never exercise ever again...I had a fantasy thought that if I ever get the green light to restart, I would dump myself somewhere appropriate and train like I've never trained before (appropriately of course 😊) and comeback with more fortitude and determination than I ever had before...but that was just a dream, typically as I stared at myself forlorn and so depressed in the mirror on a regular basis...they were seriously bad times, a good job I had children to consider.


So, and if you read the aforementioned article, my saviour was Simon Till, who attempted to convince me that problems were in fact life related and therefore psychological...there was nothing actually physically wrong with me! He instructed me to start riding the bike in September 2015...and that is when I first thought I could jet off somewhere in 2016 and convert that fantasy above, into reality?

Even in December though, I was getting terrific shooting pains in the achilles, but Simon continued to convince me that it was all psychological (read the article it is really good, well written by Chris Sidwells) - I hesitated in securing flights and accommodation - but Simon told me to go for it...

So on January 6th, 2016, "Kings Day", I arrived in Mallorca, the obvious location for cycling, but not knowing a soul....and the place apparently shut! Unaware that  Kings Day is bigger than Christmas Day in Spain, and also a public holiday - I found one bar open, The Mombassa Bar, which became a favourite (sadly closed in 2019)...and Burger King the only place to eat! I recall thinking, as I "carb loaded" on a Whopper, that it will get better than this..it just will..."the only way is up"!

And how quickly it did...the first ride was the following morning, Tolos (of course) at 9.30am...I don't intend to mention names, but on this occasion I will - sure the first person was the gent Dave Stalker, now retired but coincidentally a quality National level TT man and administrator with the RTTC back in his day...the journey commenced!

That first stay (6 weeks) I rented an apartment looking over the Pines Walk...amazing sunrises and "back" sunsets on the high cirrus, stunning pinks you would not believe (photo above)...just what the Doctor ordered, literally.

But, was my achilles holding up, everything depended on this...well the answer was clearly a yes, although it was not that straightforward, I had those moments, but Simon was always on the end of an email...and was so good at reassurance. By this time I was coached by Richard Simmonds (who I am still with)...Richard gave me some 'tests' to "The Lighthouse" and back (the well trod Formentor out and back road)...essentially very bumpy...but came through with no repercussions...we progressed to the bigger mountain climbs and even a double blast up from Caimari to Lluc, and then immediately followed by a full bore up Sa Calobra (just to test "what I had left")....the achilles took everything...but the other good news, the fitness was more than surprising (see 2016 Palmares) - apparently it's all to do with memory muscles (a negative though and now proven is that DOPERS 😡 also benefit from memory muscles, the reason why they should never ever get a 2nd chance, in ALL sports, but let's not go there...I'll save that possibly for another dedicated page, one day 😉)...

So, en velo..it was back to full steam ahead, but I also took an interest in new acquaintances I met, and particularly those that owned accommodation in Mallorca, but "flitted" between there and the UK....I fancied that, I did not want to live there full time...that seemed like the better option (I was still sort of working too)..within those first 2 weeks I looked at over 20 apartments, and typically ended up purchasing the first one I saw!

So now, April 2020, I've been coming and going to my Mallorcan pad ever since...making friends on and off the bike, pals and family visiting me...but of course with almost perfect riding / training conditions all over the island...not sure what the long term holds, especially once I pack in the racing...I have an ambition that there are just too many other places to visit,...but also off the bike, Mallorca has some tremendous walking and hiking, and even scuba diving to be at least checked out....and I'm not that young - how long have a I got?!

Also off the bike and in great contrast, I've always had an interest in "nature", with quite a surprisingly legacy bird knowledge...well, Mallorca has some of the most prestigious known birding habitats...near to Puerto Pollensa are Albufera and Albufereta....and it really is a contrast, in fact its quite a contradiction of my personality..but I do really enjoy...more emphasis ornithologically there may be one day...but until then I've got some serious Mallorcan training to continue until Father Thames catches up with me and slows me down...I do wish sometimes he would, but until then...there is only one option!

Vamos y Adios. 😊