This:
Greg66 wrote:
I did the 70.3 course this year. My thoughts:
Swim: out and back, out and back. If it is a mass start, there will be congestion on the first out leg. But the bay is secluded and calm and the beach is very flat, so good conditions.
> indeed a secluded bay so not a lot of waves to fight = rather easy swim
T1: a bit of a schlep from the water to T1 and T1 itself must be close to a km long. Make sure you know *exactly* where your T1 bag and your bike are.
Bike: pro teams use Mallorca as a winter training base for a reason. He first 3/4 of the bike is relatively flat, but it will all about the wind. The last 1/4 is decidedly lumpy. The climb sounds ok at ~5% ave, but rides more like ~7% ave for 13k or so. There's a first peak, then undulations, then a downhill to a 90 degree left turn that kicks straight up to the second and final peak. So. Complete loss of speed! The descent is Euro-switchback style - technical and very difficult to hold high speed on. The last 20k or so is a wind battle again.
> don't mistake the first part along the coast, it goes up and down quite a bit more than the profile suggests. Normally wind blows from the coast so not really an issue. You might have a bad wind day but it's certainly no Lanzarotte
-> climb to Col de Femenia (you don't go to the Monastary really) is really not that hard but the 10 kilometers from Pollenca before go up at a 1-2% grade, not really hard but if you give to mucht there the climb might feel harder than it is. First part of 5k is the hardest with grades around 6-7%. After that, it goes up and down a bit to the top. Don't make a mistake of thinking you are there on de plate that reads Col de Femenia. After a little downhill, it goes back up before reaching the highest point. The descent is indeed rather technical so look out (also the first turn is no switchback but might surprise you at hign speed).
> The final part after the descent is not really an issue. Wind might come into play indeed but lot's of flat sections on really good roads. Watch out for the Muro turn indeed. You wouldn't be the first one loosing or breaking your chain there while shifting and climbing at the same time.
> In the last kilometres of the bike course, there is a little climb before turning to the beach again.
T2: long and thin, again remember exactly where you are.
Run: flat, flat course. On paper should be fast, but two thing come into play. First, heat. If it is hot, it will be properly hot, and there is very little shade. Secondly, there are a few long straights with turn points so far in the distance they are hard to see when you hit them. Can be mentally difficult.
> depending on the part of the day it might indeed be hot (although it doesn't feel like that). 70.3 is normally run on the hottest part of the day but I don't know about the timing of the full.
Other: if you are a fussy or careful eater, you will need to hunt a bit to find a good supermarket for decent food. Restaurant food is stodgy and unimaginative. There are lots of good bike shops in the area, but take your own energy bars/powders, as you can't rely on them having what you want.
> quite a lot of decent restaurants in this part of Mallorca. Lot's of rice and seafood (really good) but also pasta if needed. Off course you can prepare your own dinner to be safe or visit the pasta party the day before the race.
It should be a tough but satisfying course.
Organisation of the 70.3 is really good (lot's of excellent pro's have found the way to Alcudia) and in 70.3 the participants are above average seen in other races.
If you can stay a little longer, you should certainly take your bike to Sa Calobra and do the climb back up (after the Femenia climb, go right instead of descending left and follow the directions to Sa Callobra over de Col del Reis to get there). One of the most beautiful climbs of the Island and probably of Europe in my opinion. Really hard also with a 9-10% average over 10km and a lot of switchbacks.