I’ve done it and it was great! Never did I experienced such a cycling festival, a lasting experience with a reason to come back. Recovered and rested to some extent, I can now report.
All the preparations and investments were more than worth it. It was so beautiful, riding on the coastal roads high above the sea, enjoying these landscapes. Those who know the Amalftiana – the coastal road south of Naples from Sorrento to Salerno – will surely agree, this is an Amalftiana II.
Saturday, April 30 and 8’000 Supersapiens at the Starting Slot
Indeed, 8’000 cyclists were registered, and they stood at the start from 6:00 am and waited at about 11 degrees until it finally started at 6:30 am. A shot and the pack began moving. Surprisingly quiet and steady, without jostling, we rode the 20 km to the first climb, where naturally the blocks break up, so the 85 kg riders in the yellow jacket are then just on the right lane of the road and admire the 60 kg fleas how to ride up a mountain 🙂 .
But it wasn’t that bad, the climbs averaged about 5.3 % with no steep ramps. That’s how the first 52 km to the top at 899 m went and then came the descent.
That morning I had such a feeling of happiness, as rarely experienced, it was “crying beautiful” to ride around up there. These coastal roads were, for me, an Amalftiana II. The descents without oncoming traffic, were an extraordinary pleasure.
So it went the first 150 km up, down, up, down, refreshment point, up, down, …
Until we then came to the vicinity of Palma, the south of the island, and the route shifted more inland. Here, past the food station, I joined a group that worked well, and held for about 60 km but then flew apart due to crashes, and narrow and sharp hairpin bends.
These descents, you have to have experienced that, you roll down and all your senses are rejoicing. They were awesome because we were on closed roads, you could ride free. If I always raved about the descents in the Pyrenees, this was one on top, and it really went down, just look at the photo below.
Impression of the Mountains
Here’s the data from my Garmin recording. As you will see immediately, there are about 55 km missing to the M312, lets clearify that later.
At about 200 km I had a big sag, although I had strictly adhered to my nutrition concept of 75 g of carbohydrates per hour. In such moments, any motivation fades from the limbs, however, within a few minutes, 2 Ultra Energy gels in a row brought me back, and I drew new confidence to finish the course; what else am I here for?
I still meant, after 150 km you are out of the woods, the mountains are done and you roll wavy there. Just not, as a bike friend warned me before:
The last 30 km from Arta are actually flat and easy. But the stretch before, from the junction at km 200 to Arta looks quite flat on the profile but is super toxic. Many small ramps and direction changes on narrow dirt roads, I personally find that a lot more challenging than the first 100 km!
Patric
He was more than right. Those were exhausting passages. You ride around the corner and suddenly there is such a ramp in front of you, it goes up 10 % and that happens constantly with 8-12 %, rarely 14 %, climbs, roll down, something flat there and up again. Super toxic is already the apt description.
Impressions from Inside the Island
But even that was eventually behind me and I approached Arta. Here is the last food station at the village square, with a big party and really loud music that you can hear from afar, the village celebrates the riders. And there it was, an ice-cold beer! In the meantime, it had become around 30 degrees in the sun and a beer would have fizzed. With the worry about the still open 30 km to the finish line, I decided again for 2 cans of cyclists doping, Coca Cola.
The last 30 km to the finish in Muro were really easy. The effort is clearly visible to me, as the photographer in the finish area aptly noted.
What a beautiful day, with perfekt weather, no wind and a lot of cool people.
Where are the missing 55 km?
In retrospect, it quickly becomes clear where the mistake happened. Patric said afterwards this was an interesting mixture of the 167 km and the 312 km route.
As can be seen above, I took a wrong turn at Esporles and thus followed the 167 km routing. Can not remember anywhere a sign, a marker or the like that I might have missed or overlooked. But I remember I stopped at this food station, refilled water, drank a coke, continued immediately, and was happy to be in a well-functioning group. Now, of course, it is clear that this group was the wrong one, their objective was the 167 km route and so I missed the loop to Antrax, as well as the food station there and the timing check point and thus I am also not to be found in the classification.
The days before
First, still, the preparation was finally discussed with my coach before I traveled to Palma on April 23 and joined a training group. They organized everything, so I had to worry about nothing but cycling. My coach had now over 25 weeks of insight into my data and contacted me shortly before with the words:
Hi Roland – How were the two longer tours that were possible last week? The average intensity was very, very good! 0.8 IF and more for 3 hours. An improvement has occurred again in the aerobic area! The e-bikers can now warm up 😉 Am very confident for M312 and beyond.
Philipp
The Camp
What was not so clear to me before, Arnold’s Champions Training Camp was attended half by Austrians and Bavarians, which was a homerun in terms of understanding, but especially the sense of humor I havn’t experienced longer times ago. I can report some people almost fell off their bikes when they had to hold their stomachs from laughing. This week was as curious as seldom.
So Arnold’s crew organized everything and also offered a few bike tours that I rode along. Except 3 days before the event a 220 km tour, here I had concerns not to regenerate completely because I wanted to go rested and fresh on the route on Saturday, and Philipp has strictly forbidden undertake long rides so close to the event. So I used my bike and went on to some distinctive sightseeing excursions.
On Thursday, we then rode together an easy training lap in Muro in the north of the island, pick up our race numbers, and got a first impression of what awaits us on Saturday. Here is a photo at the finish with all the participants of the camp and the guides.
Supersapiens
Supersapiens is a company specialized in individual nutrition expertise. They analyze people whose diets, priorities, and individual characteristics are crucial for them and provide advice, support, and products; of course highly technical, how could it be otherwise today. The goal is to optimally fuel the athlete’s body in every load sequence and monitor that in real-time.
What matters to me was the name, “Supersapiens” is just brilliant, and the brand appeared very prominently everywhere at this event.
For me it stuck, ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE SUPERSAPIENS.
Friday, the day before
We got a Whatsapp with a plan for Saturday, it’s in German, so I mark the main points only:
- 3:45 – Breakfirst
- 4:15 – Open the Cycling Room with water, food, etc.
- 4:30 to 4:57 – Transfer bus is ready for loading
- 5:00 – Departure to Playa de Muro
- 6:00 – Roll to the start line
- 6:30 – Start
Now just do nothing strenuous and eat as much as possible, was the motto the day before.
When the plan for Saturday came, it was clear to everyone, it is now serious and hopefully, I can sleep when I already have to get up at 3:30 am.
Philipp had given a small training session with a few loads as sprints and otherwise easy driving along. So I moved afterward again to the historic center of Palma, who knows if and when I come there again.
Organisation
Perfect! At each junction a volunteer was placed, who watched that no car, motorcycle, etc. crossed the track. However, only some cats were not really interested to stop. I even saw brooms in some places, which made me think that the curves were cleared of sand. At the larger traffic points and intersections, there were always police blocking the traffic.
Especially in the morning in the mountains, I saw many ambulances standing by or with sirens coming from behind to pick up stumbled riders. Larger accidents are not known to me, but as my ex-colleague, Oliver would say: “A few struggles always”.
The only thing I felt was a shortcoming of the organization was the poorly marked turnoffs. At some point, I no longer knew on which route I am.
Catering and the Food Stations
Approximately, every 50 km was an food station with a tanker full of water, refrigerators full of Coca Cola and ice, as well as bars, gels, fruit, cake, etc. – but no sausage rolls.
I had my food plan defined beforehand and a lot of 75 g carbs with me, so I only ever reached for water and a coke.
With the number of riders, you would expect absolute chaos at these points and it was. However, the number of arrivals decreased significantly at each further point; at my penultimate point, I saw about 15 riders, but in Arta of course there were much more.
Disciplin and Culture
With 8,000 participants, I thought it would be rough and rowdy. Not at all, overtaking was with announcements, no touching, joing groups was easy – if I could keep up the pace – and at bottlenecks, it went carefully. That sounds like a gentleman’s race, now way, but people tuck care of each other.
My Companions from the Camp
Fazit
Mallorca 312, was an unforgettable experience, all investments have paid off in any way.
Previously, I always thought, if they all go to Mallorca and there are thousands of cyclists on the road, I do not have to be there too, and always preferred southern Italy. Today I am really glad that Patric motivated me through his reports to participating here. It was great, absolutely.
Also, the week before at Arnold’s Champions Training was an enrichment with great people. With his guides, Peter and Gerhard I have to ride for 2 weeks, that would be a different preparation.
And the missing 55 km is actually a reason to come back.
PS: Missed the into: