Commercial Feature
Majorca's sunshine and mix of flat and hilly terrain plays host to Neenan Travel's and SunVelo's new project aimed at riders of all abilities. The island is a favourite with pro teams for the same reasons.
Specialist cycling travel agent, Neenan Travel has teamed up with a well known international cycling holiday operator in a bid to become the biggest supplier of cycling holidays and camps to the Irish market.
The Dublin-based company, owned by well known cyclist Alan Neenan, is beginning its relationship with the SunVelo company by offering a range of training camps and cycling holidays on the Spanish island of Majorca.
The trips are open for booking now and will run over the Irish winter and well into next year.
Some of the SunVelo riders sit in behind Team Sky who also train in Majorca; the mixed terrain ideal for both flat and climbing spins.
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“We’ve seen a big increase in demand from Irish cyclists for what you’d call cycling camps but also for cycling holidays; which are less serious in terms of the mileage covered and the intensity of the rides,” said Neenan.
“We’re confident that working with SunVelo we’ve put together a really great offering that will suit riders of all abilities; whether you’re training for serious racing and want to get 700 miles into your legs during a week in the sun or you’re looking for something a lot more leisurely.
“The idea of teaming up with SunVelo is to provide that wide range of trips; so no matter what the fitness level or the goals of the rider looking to go to Majorca, we have a group there that suits them.”
The locations are beautiful and facilities offer all of the quality that holiday makers look for; ideal for combining recreation with cycling while getting some sun on your bones.
Neenan added SunVelo had a proven track record over many years of providing first class accommodation and food as part of the trips.
“Obviously the cycling people will do is the main part of these trips, or certainly a big part of it,” said Neenan.
“But it’s a holiday for people as well and we’re certain we’ve found an international partner that provides that kind of quality off the bike.
“They’ve been around for a long time and out of the range of international partners we could have gone with, we’ve definitely taken the pick of the bunch.”
It's not all serious stuff; some of the groups riders can join in Majorca on a Neenan-SunVelo holiday are very leisurely and the odd beer has even been involved.
Neenan Travel has become very well known in recent years as the travel partner for Cycling Ireland in providing packages for all of the national squads going abroad for racing and training through the season and winter months.
Following on from its new Majorca offering, it will also be expanding with other cycling camps and tours in Africa, Asia and the Americas.
The company, headed by cyclist Neenan, also runs trips for spectators to major races including the Tour de France and World Road Championships, with many of the trips having become a pilgrimage for fans that go back year after year.
It also sponsors the youth development Neenan Travel Talent Team 2020 and 'Track Team of the Year' annual competition.
The hotel accommodation is four star and boasts first class facilities for guests during their stay.
“I’d like to think we know Irish cycling and Irish cyclists because we train and some of us race,” said Neenan of his company.
“And for us it doesn’t really matter how good you are or how seriously you take the bike. These Majorca camps and holidays are quality trips and a cyclist who wants very leisurely short guided tours each day with a lunch stop in the middle is catered for just as well as the racing cyclist treating a trip as an opportunity to get some serious training in.”
For more details, you can visit the website and also have a look, below, at our profiles of the groups you can join for your trip to Majorca.
Leisure Cycling
Should you prefer to organise your own riding schedule and not take part in the expert lead riding groups, SunVelo offers you the flexibility when making your booking to make your own training plans when here with us in Majorca; whether you're on your own or with your own group.
You'll also have the opportunity, should you wish, to ride some days with SunVelo organised groups by purchasing day tickets on site. This has proven a great option for those holidaying with non-cycling friends or for those who have travelled with their families and who want to enjoy a mix of cycling camp holiday and traditional family vacation in the sun.
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Those cyclists who choose this option will still enjoy the mentoring and advice of our staff on site, who can help you plan your spins according to your ability and goals. We can point you in the direction of short and flat spins, or towards some mountains depending on your preferences.
Touring
This group is all about discovering the unknown Majorca; tranquil country lanes leading to beautiful rural villages.
From orange groves to vineyards, hidden valleys to mountain top monasteries, this easy paced group typically covers between 40 and 70 miles per day depending on the terrain and coffee or lunch stop options.
A degree of on bike fitness is required before you arrive in Majorca as this group is physically challenging. But it’s primarily about the enjoyment of cycling through the countryside of Majorca.
This is the group that sits down to dinner with stories to tell of the places they’ve discovered and the experiences they’ve had.
The group is structured and co-ordinated to ensure efficient cycling with the objective of going to places of interest, all sharing the pace. Sometimes it’s about the journey, not the destination.
Working together to aid each other in reaching the day’s destination ensures skill development. The training days also mean that by the time your visit is completed, your fitness will be developed in a manner that should leave you able and keen to progress to further, hopefully bigger adventures.
We promise you great excursions in Majorca to unexpected locations, tranquil country roads, beautiful rural villages, scenic climbs and local cuisine.
The rides will take you to farmlands, orange groves, vineyards, stunning turquoise coves and rocky headlands.
Majorca has it all and the goal of this option is to drinking in – and taste – the experience in a sociable touring group.
Sportive Endurance
These sessions take the shape of regulated, even paced riding in a group for those looking to build stamina for sportive events and endurance charity cycles. This is coordinated group riding; structured to develop fitness and comfort over long distances. These rides also take in some of Majorca’s most scenic climbs and rolling countryside.
The aim of this group is to improve strength, stamina and general condition so riders become better athletes who perform at a higher level, thereby enabling them to more fully enjoy the challenging events on offer back home in Ireland and abroad.
There will also be an emphasis on mastering riding in a group. This is central for both safety and for getting around long sportives in the most efficient manner; by riders positioning themselves properly in a group to maximise drafting and sheltering from the wind.
Those who know how to position themselves and ride as close as possible to those around them will conserve most energy and are more relaxed and comfortable over the course of a long ride.
The pace will be regulated and steady so as to develop core strength but also allow for recovery between the daily sessions. A series of these rides one after another will advance each rider’s core fitness without leaving them exhausted for the following day.
There will also be a social dimension to the training, with this group visiting some of Majorca’s most beautiful towns for coffee and lunch, while also enjoying the stunning countryside and spectacular climbs Majorca has to offer.
The pace, distance and intensity of this group is aimed at a wide range of cycling abilities but will most suit those who have experience riding in a group or who plan to begin taking a more focussed approach to their cycling via training sessions with their local club or ‘chain gang’.
Those who spend a camp with the SunVelo Sportive and Distance group should definitely be returning home in better condition and with an appetite for progressing further.
Sportive Performance
This option involves fast paced training while developing disciplined and coordinated close group riding skills. The rides are typically 80 to 100 mile plus days; using all the variable terrains and climbs Majorca offers. This is a structured program that builds strength and speed.
The racing and training group is aimed at those with sporting ambitions and is a step up from the Sportive Endurance group. The group plan sets out to quickly develop a rider’s core fitness and base for endurance cycling.
At the centre of the philosophy of this group is the ability, not only to ride for longer with greater strength, but also to build speed. That includes riders gaining the knowledge to use group formations to maximise speed.
For example, techniques for riding in cross winds while sharing the workload in an ‘up and over’ formation in a fast moving group will be practiced, as will the ability to pace oneself while looking to ride a race or sportive as strongly as possible.
All of the techniques and etiquette of riding as part of a competitive group will be taught, with a view to developing those skills needed for challenging riding by athletes looking for performance gain for racing or top end sportive riding.
With this option, there is a very clear focus on progressing the group during the camp by using varied routes; each with their own challenges over targeted mileage to ensure each day is demanding.
If you’re a racing cyclist, time trialist, triathlete or seeking high performances at sportive events, this is the group to consider.
It takes an inclusive approach, where everyone will make a contribution; it’s about team riding and everyone having a role to play.
You will be afforded the chance to be part of a coordinated team ride, mirroring how the professionals do it.
This is a great opportunity for those serious about their cycling to get some really quality miles into their legs and to experience a challenging and enjoyable cycling camp, by the end off which significant progress will have been made.
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