Pre season trip to Majorca has a sting in the tail.

This year we decided to take a break in Majorca after the Ski Hame winter season. It is an ideal time for us to get away with Aiden on school holidays and we can get back to France in good time to prepare for the Summer cycle season. It also means I can get in a few kilometres on the bike, that is nearly impossible to do at all in the main part of the ski season.

 This year we decided to stay in Alcudia on the Northern end of the island. 2 years earlier we had stayed in s'Arenal and I really enjoyed that, I was not sure if the Northern end would have the same appeal. The island delivered however, it was just as nice and to be honest I have decided I would be happy in most of the coastal resorts in Majorca.

 On the day we arrived it was raining and when the coach pulled into Alcudia the roads were flooded. WTF? It didn't do this last time we were here! Fortunately it did start to clear in the late afternoon and the rest of the holiday the weather was fine, some days had mixed cloud and at times we were looking for a bit of shelter from the wind but generally it was somewhere between very good and excellent. The roads were as I remembered them, mostly fantastic and cycle friendly. I think I am lucky to live in an amazing cycling area but I rate Majorca just as highly, certainly at this time of the year. In the Winter I will assume it is far superior to the French Alps , you can ride outside at least, I am not sure how they compare in the height of Summer, I guess the island must get very busy.

 I did not spend a great deal of time in the hills, I don't really feel a need to bother on Majorca, there are no shortage of climbs where we are based in the Alps. Most days I would cycle through the middle of the island, a couple of times ending up in s'Arenal for a coffee before making my way back. Other days I would end up in the East of the island. I would set off quite early so I could be back to spend the afternoon with Anne, Aiden and her mum. I did venture up into the hills a few times, twice up to the tunnel on Puig Major, that is a nice ride. The mountains are a World heritage site, and it is easy to see why when you are riding up them. I would be on the road before the crowds but faced them on the way down. I swear that road is busier than Alpe d'Huez in July!

On the last day I decided to do the climb from Pollenca, carry on over Puig Major to Soller and back over the coll de Soller before heading back to the hotel. It should be a great ride to finish on but I really wish I hadn't bothered. Making my way down the Col de Soller I was descending relatively slowly, people that have ridden the col will tell you that there are a lot of hairpins with short straights and a shallow descent. I was in no mood to put in any real effort but of course I still came off the bike. There was water across the road, I had even backed off for that but all of a sudden the wheels were off the road and I was on it - what a tit. The fall winded me pretty bad but I managed to stand up, pick the bike up and a few other bits scattered about before moving to the side of the road. I could see a bit of grazing on my right leg but felt quite lucky that I had got away without too much damage, I had landed on my side but was certain no ribs had been broken - lucky. I felt a bit dizzy but recovered. When I walked back to collect the water bottle lying in the middle of the road I put my hand to my collarbone and realized that it had completely snapped - unlucky! Now I felt really dizzy and was sure I was going to faint. It passed and I managed to sit down against a rock with not a clue what to do next. A number of people cycled by, some were asking if I was okay, most rode by. I was trying to contact Anne with my phone but she did not have hers with her. Thankfully the sun was warm, so as much as could be expected I was surprisingly comfortable. In the end I dialled 112 and an ambulance was sent to collect me. The last few days of my stay on the island were spent in a private hospital in Palma. I was fortunate to have a very good surgeon, he is a competitive triathlete and will be taking part in the Majorca ironman this weekend. As a cyclist I felt he gave me special attention. It turns out the bone was completely broken in 2 places, so it was in 3 parts. It meant it had to be reconstructed and pinned together, and he is telling me I should be able to ride the bike in 2-3 weeks. Get in you beauty, collarbone completely broken in 2 places and right now I feel like the luckiest person alive!

The accident happened on Monday and by Thursday I was back at home looking forward to the Summer season.

A final thanks to the people from Pro Cycle Hire for making the trip to the hospital to collect the bike I had used, there was no fuss and it was nice to have in a friendly face in a foreign place.