Thursday 17th

Decide it is time to stop putting off a big climb and head for Lluc. A nice easy ride to Pollensa and the first part of the road to the Coll de Femenia and then the climb begins – 7.7Km with an average gradient of 5.5%. Not horrendous but a bit of a challenge.

It’s not the climb that gets you, nor the gradual aching of the thighs but the sheer relentlessness of the climb. On and on it goes with more accomplished cyclists zipping past. You round every bend thinking – “is this the last?” and it never is – and then suddenly there are lots of people on bikes taking photographs of a brown sign!!

Having got to the top – there is only one way to go and that’s down. I scoot down the other side – 7km of winding descent and watch hundreds, possibly thousands of poor buggers coming up the other way. Some look like they’ll never make it while others are chatting and smiling as they cruise up an 8% gradient.

A lovely run back to Porto Pollensa (glimpsing the bearded Wiggins on his way out) – 45 miles of great cycling and meet up with the Shipston crew who have just flown in from UK.

We meet at reception at 5.30 – head to Tolos for supper and a good catch up and then home for  sleep. Another long day of riding beckons tomorrow!