This year, Irish cycling legend and Tour de France winner, Stephen Roche, is celebrating 20 years since the opening of his bike station in the Calvia region of Majorca; the first on the popular Balearic Island. Drawn to Majorca by the subtropical year-round climate, Roche chose Calvia as the site for his bike station due to its pivotal location, which offers access to major biking routes around the region.
Over the last 20 years, the popularity of Roche’s bike station has soared with thousands of visitors from around the world booking his cycling holidays and joining his training camps which tackle the surrounding bike routes each year.
Roche’s first bike station was at the Ponent Mar Hotel, a four-star hotel offering spectacular views of the Bay of Palma, which is an ideal base for cycling enthusiasts. Roche’s bike station offers a professional service for visitors whether they are looking for a hard-core ride or a leisurely holiday cycle. Visitors can join group cycle tours, which last approximately three hours and are suitable for all levels of cycling ability and fitness. Private guided tours are also available.
From Friday, 4 July 2014 until Sunday, 6 July 2014, Roche will represent Calvia and Stephen Roche Cycling Holidays at the start of the Tour de France at the Grand Depart festival of cycling at Harewood House in Yorkshire. Roche will be making appearances on the Stephen Roche Cycling Holidays stand throughout the weekend.
Stephen Roche, born on 28 November 1959, is a former professional road-racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming the second of only two cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia stage races, plus the World road race championship. One of the finest cyclists of his generation and admired for his pedalling style, he had 58 professional career wins.
A week’s stay at the Ponet Mar hotel on a half board basis including guided riding starts from 596 Euros per person.
Cycling in Calvia
Calvia, a municipality located on the southwest corner of Majorca known as the home of popular party spot Magaluf, is a cyclist’s mecca with a warm, reliable climate averaging 15°C in the winter months and beautiful natural training areas. Already a popular cycling destination with nearby European countries, Calvia offers world-class cycling opportunities, with Team GB athletes even choosing to train in Mallorca for a few months each year. Calvia is a short two-hour flight from London Gatwick and regional airports, served by the likes of Easyjet, Ryanair and British Airways.
Dubbed the ‘seven wonders of the roads’, Calvia offers routes for cyclists of all levels, who can choose from seven different designated routes which vary in intensity. The Enjoy Peguera, or the coastal Palmanova-Magaluf routes offer idyllic views of secluded coastal bays and lush pine forests, while routes such as Calvia’s Landscapes offer shorter distances, allowing cyclists to take in the picturesque residential and tourist areas of Calvia. The Capdella-Galatzo route will allow enthusiasts to take it up a gear, beginning at the region’s main mountain bike ride starting point, Es Capdella, and travelling through mountains to the public estate of Galatzo. Alternatively, cyclists can ride along a beautiful river bed on the Torrent de Santa Ponca route, take the tempting Almond Blossoms and Wineries route to discover the delicious landscape of some of the region’s best culinary offerings, or the Sunset Tramuntama, a favourite route of cycling legend Bradley Wiggins prior to the Beijing Olympics. With spectacular panoramic views, especially at sunset, this route runs right along one of the most impressive landscapes of the Serra de Tramuntama.
For more information on the Grand Depart in Yorkshire, visit www.letour.yorkshire.com
For more information on Calvia, visit www.visitcalvia.com
