Mallorca is Spain’s largest island by area and the second largest by population after Tenerife. The island has more than 900,000 inhabitants, and its largest city is Palma. The island has two mountain ranges: the Serra de Tramuntana covering the northern coast of the island and the Serres de Llevant in the eastern part. The island’s highest point, Puig Major, rises 1445 meters above sea level. The central part of the island is relatively flat and fertile. The island has been inhabited since ancient times, and since 1950, mass tourism has changed the island considerably. 

Roller skiing in Mallorca

Teemu Virtanen, editor-in-chief for Maastohiihto.com, had the honor to follow one of Ski Classics’ top Pro Teams, Team Ragde Charge, when they had their annual training camp in the heat of Mallorca. 

Virtanen stayed in the same hotel as the Pro Team. Club de Sol is a four-star accommodation, and the room price of one hundred euros includes a good breakfast. At dinner, there was always a comprehensive buffet, which was €22.50. The hotel is located right next to the seashore, about three kilometers from the center of Port de Pollença. The village in question is located on the north coast of the island, where there seemed to be a lot of roller skiers and, of course, cyclists. The temperature was pleasant throughout the trip, being well above 20 degrees Celsius during the day.

Teemu Virtanen didn’t have time to get to know the city of Palma or the roads around it with roller skis but heard that the roads there were in really good condition and many people recommended the south side of the island as the destination for the training camp. On the north side, the roads were admittedly in poor condition and very narrow. The road surfaces had a lot of cracks and potholes, but fortunately, the surface was often relatively smooth, so the skis didn’t shake very severely.

In general, there are no problems with traffic or the police, but you should be careful in the middle of cars and, choose the roads best suited for roller skiing and avoid main roads.

Mallorca is a paradise for cyclists

In addition to roller skiing, the island has excellent cycling opportunities. You can rent bikes relatively cheaply, and for example, there was a bike rental shop near the hotel, where the rental price of a road bike for the day was €27. The nearby mountain range is beautiful, and there are decent climbs. 

Of course, you always have to come down from the tops of the mountains, in which case the speed goes to well over 60 km/h, depending on the cyclist’s courage and experience in the downhills.

One of the best routes was the climb from Inca to a tourist destination called Lluc, an old monastery. Many ski teams also like the climb in question because the road surface is good, and the climb is long and sometimes very steep. Team Ragde Charge also did their hill race on this hill on a Thursday morning. 

Team Ragde Charge trained hard

Teemu Virtanen managed to follow the training of Team Ragde Charge for four days. So, on a Thursday morning, they had the hill race mentioned before, and in the afternoon, there was a light run on the program, which ended with a swim in the sea. On Friday morning, the team went for a couple of hours of easy roller skiing, which included short speed bursts. 

In the afternoon, there was an easy run again because the next day would be the most arduous training of the camp. Pro Team Director Magnar Dalen said that training always focuses on the morning, and the afternoon is usually easy running.

On Saturday, it was the turn of the legendary Vasaloppet Pass training session, a different version of which the Ski Classics teams do at their camps. The model used by Team Ragde Charge is a workout developed by Anders and Jørgen Aukland, where they first ski for two hours at a steady, hard Vasaloppet racing pace. After that, an interval exercise is done, starting with a 10-minute interval and shortening each one by a minute until the last is one minute long. Recovery between intervals is only one minute. 

This exercise was really tough, and the skiers knew it. The team’s female skiers, Anniken Gjerde Alnæs and Jenny Larsson, skied with the men on the fastest roller skis and fought with the men’s speed. The group stayed together during the two-hour start, but a few skiers sometimes had a little trouble staying in the group. 

The skiers had rest or light training in the afternoon, and on Sunday, it was a long bike ride. According to Magnar, the cycling was supposed to be a light social ride together, but the competitive skiers seemed to be pedaling the hills of Mallorca in all seriousness. Halfway through Lenki, the skiers stopped in a small village for coffee and pastries. It was worth refueling because there were a couple of really tough climbs ahead. 

Karstein Johaug, Therese’s brother, said that he has not ridden a bike for a couple of years because it is not part of his training program. Therese also shunned cycling as exercise, and running was always the ski star’s bravura sport. However, Karstein persevered along, and he was satisfied that his upper body could rest from the intense interval training. The man seemed to be in great shape and believed that he would finally make it to the podium next winter.

Kasper Stadaas was open and talkative by nature. His goal is to rise to the ranks of the great skiing heroes over the years, and he admitted that switching to Ski Classics was the best decision of his life. Next winter, he wants to join the Ski Classics Legends in the Hall of Fame with five victories.

Anniken, Jenny, and the team’s new junior skier, Solveig Lie Støverud, continued the training at their own pace, letting the enthusiastic male skiers pedal the hills with more speed.

Also Read: Team Ragde Charge – Pro Team presentation Season XV

In conclusion, Teemu says that Mallorca works well as a training place in late autumn before the snows come. The conditions are pleasant, and the temperature is suitable, which enables practical training during a time of year when training in Scandinavia can be pretty challenging. There are also good roads for roller skiing and cycling on the island, which provide a suitable change from the familiar local routes. We should also remember the refreshing effect that the training camp will surely bring, giving a new kick towards the challenges of winter. After the trip, we now understand well why so many Ski Classics Pro Teams go to train in Mallorca or some other similar destination just before the start of winter.

 You can get more information about the island and the opportunities it offers for training and vacation on the Mallorca tourist information page.

Photos: Teemu Virtanen & Magnus Östh