Vuelta a Mallorca explained

Vuelta a Mallorca
Date:Early February
Region:Majorca, Spain
English:Tour of Majorca
Localnames:Volta a Mallorca
Vuelta a Mallorca
Discipline:Road
Competition:UCI Europe Tour
Type:One-day
Number:33 (as of 2024)
Mostwins: (3 wins)
Mostrecent:
(2009, no overall winner classification since)

The Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca (English: Tour of Majorca, Catalan; Valencian: Challenge Volta Ciclista a Mallorca) is a series of four (five until 2012) professional one day road bicycle races held on the Spanish island of Mallorca in late January or early February. The event is used as an early season preparatory event by many of the top teams in readiness for the bigger races later in the season. The five races are ranked 1.1 on the UCI Europe Tour.

Although the race styles itself as the "Tour of Majorca" it has never been allowed to be classed as a multi day stage race by the sports governing body the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) because the race rules allows riders not to participate on certain days. However, there is an unofficial overall classification winner taken on total time over five days. This laid back attitude by the race organisers makes the race popular with team managers who can bring a large squad (sometimes as many as 20 riders) and interchange them over the five days. Apart from the overall classification. there are the usual Mountains, Points and Sprints competitions associated with any stage race. There is also a competition for the top Majorcan based rider; in the past this has been won by Vicente Reynès, Antonio Colóm and Antonio Tauler.

The first day of racing is the Trofeo Mallorca, a criterium around the streets of Palma. The second day is the Trofeo Cala Millor, sometimes called the Trofeo Alcúdia. These two opening days are run over a fairly flat course and result in a sprint finish. The Trofeo Pollença (day three) and Trofeo Sóller (day four) are contested over a more hilly course using the climbs of the Col de Sóller (501 metres) and the Col de Puig Major (850 metres) amongst others on the route. These two hilly days usually decide the outcome of the unofficial overall classification over the five days. The final days racing is the Trofeo Calvià which takes place on an undulating course over a series of small climbs.

Top class riders such as Laurent Jalabert, Alex Zülle and Alejandro Valverde have won the overall classification at the Vuelta a Mallorca; Spanish rider Francesco Cabello, who rode for the Kelme team throughout his career, holds the record for the most victories, taking three overall victories in Majorca in 1996, 2000 and 2002. In 2004 Colóm became the first rider who was a native of the island of Majorca to take the overall classification.

The Vuelta a Mallorca receives heavy sponsorship from Tourism section of the local Majorcan government (Govern de la Illes Balears). The race was first held in 1992 and for the first three years was just open to Spanish teams, however in 1995 foreign squads were invited for the first time with teams such as Telekom and TVM attending. In 1998 Léon van Bon of the Dutch Rabobank squad became the first overall winner riding for a non Spanish team.

Individual Race Winners

YearTrofeo Palma de MallorcaTrofeo AlcúdiaTrofeo CalviàTrofeo ManacorTrofeo Sóller
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
YearTrofeo Palma de MallorcaTrofeo Cala MillorTrofeo CalviàTrofeo PollençaTrofeo Sóller
2006
2007
2008
YearTrofeo Palma de MallorcaTrofeo Cala MillorTrofeo CalviàTrofeo PollençaTrofeo Inca
2009
YearTrofeo Palma de MallorcaTrofeo Cala MillorTrofeo DeiàTrofeo Magaluf-PalmanovaTrofeo Inca
2010
2011No winner[1]
YearTrofeo Palma de MallorcaTrofeo MigjornTrofeo DeiàTrofeo PollençaTrofeo Serra de Tramuntana
2012Not raced[2] Cancelled[3]
YearTrofeo Palma de MallorcaTrofeo DeiàTrofeo Platja de MuroTrofeo Serra de Tramuntana
2013Not raced
YearTrofeo PalmaTrofeo Ses SalinesTrofeo DeiàTrofeo Muro-Port d'AlcúdiaTrofeo Serra de Tramuntana
2014Not raced
YearTrofeo Santanyi-Ses Salines-CamposTrofeo Andratx – Mirador d'Es ColomerTrofeo Serra de TramuntanaTrofeo Playa de PalmaNot raced since
2015
YearTrofeo Felanitx-Ses Salines-Campos-PorreresTrofeo Pollenca-Port de AndratxTrofeo Serra de TramuntanaTrofeo Playa de Palma
2016
YearTrofeo Porreres-Felanitx-Ses Salines-CamposTrofeo Andratx – Mirador d'Es ColomerTrofeo Serra de TramuntanaTrofeo Playa de Palma
2017
YearTrofeo Porreres-Felanitx-Ses Salines-CamposTrofeo Andratx – Mirador d'Es ColomerTrofeo Serra de TramuntanaTrofeo Playa de Palma
2018
YearTrofeo Ses Salines-Campos-Porreres-FelanitxTrofeo Andratx LlosetaTrofeo de Tramuntana Soller-DeiaTrofeo Palma
2019
YearTrofeo Felanitx-Ses Salines-Campos-PorreresTrofeo Serra de TramuntanaTrofeo Pollença – Port d'AndratxTrofeo de Playa de Palma – Palma
2020
YearTrofeo CalviàTrofeo Serra de TramuntanaTrofeo Andratx – Mirador d'Es Colomer (Puerto Pollença)Trofeo Alcúdia – Port d'Alcúdia
2021
YearTrofeo CalviàTrofeo Alcúdia – Port d'AlcúdiaTrofeo Serra de TramuntanaTrofeo Pollença – Port d'AndratxTrofeo Playa de Palma
2022
YearTrofeo CalviàTrofeo Ses Salings - AlcúdiaTrofeo Andratx – Mirador d'Es Colomer (Puerto Pollença)Trofeo Serra de TramuntanaTrofeo Palma
2023[4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
YearTrofeo CalviàTrofeo Ses Salines-FelanitxTrofeo Serra TramuntanaTrofeo Pollença - Port d'AndratxTrofeo Palma
2024[9] [10]
Notes
  1. The race, won by Tyler Farrar, is not officially recognized by the UCI because of a large protest from riders.
  2. Event reduced to 4 single-day races in 2012 due to financial problems.
  3. Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana cancelled due to adverse weather conditions.
  4. Web site: Weislo . Laura . Rui Costa wins Trofeo Calvia, the Challenge Mallorca opener . cyclingnews.com . 30 April 2023 . en . 25 January 2023.
  5. Web site: Weislo . Laura . Tyson . Jackie . Marijn van den Berg wins day two of Challenge Mallorca at Trofeo Port d'Alcúdia . cyclingnews.com . 30 April 2023 . en . 26 January 2023.
  6. Web site: Weislo . Laura . Goossens charges across Mallorca for victory at Trofeo Andratx . cyclingnews.com . 30 April 2023 . en . 27 January 2023.
  7. Web site: Stuart . Peter . Kobe Goossens wins stormy Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana at Challenge Mallorca . cyclingnews.com . 30 April 2023 . en . 28 January 2023.
  8. Web site: Stuart . Peter . Ethan Vernon wins Trofeo Palma, Challenge Mallorca finale . cyclingnews.com . 30 April 2023 . en . 29 January 2023.
  9. Web site: Carr outsprints Vlasov to win the Challenge Mallorca - Trofeo Calvià . cyclingnews.com. 25 January 2024 . en . 24 January 2024. Ostanek . Daniel.
  10. Web site: Paul Magnier makes perfect start to pro career at Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx. cyclingnews.com. 26 January 2024 . en . 25 January 2024. Ryan . Barry.