The waiting time is finally over! Tomorrow the European cycling season kicks off when the riders head out for the first race in the four-day Challenge Mallorca race series. The four races may be mostly about preparation but their mix of climbing and sprints offer everybody a chance to take the pressure off early in the season by opening the account right from the beginning.

 

One of the most popular preparation events, the four-day race series Challenge Mallorca will be held one week earlier than usual and so marks the start of the European season which has traditionally been opened at the GP d’Ouverture la Marseillaise in France. At this time of the year, Europe is really not suited to bike racing but the island of Mallorca usually offers reasonable conditions for riders to get their season underway with a challenging mix of four one-day races that offers a bit for everyone.

 

It is no wonder that the race series is very popular among the teams. Mallorca is a popular training venue at this time of the year and many teams use the four races as a test of form at the end of their final pre-season training camp. Like most other races at this time of year, the event has been forced to cancel and shorten races in the past but in general, the weather conditions have been favourable. That can’t be said of the economic situation as the series has been fighting hard to survive and on a few occasions, its future has been in doubt. It has been shortened from five to four races but until now, it has managed to survive as an important part of the preparation for many teams.

 

The race series is no stage race as every team is allowed to field a team from which they can choose their line-up for every race. This means that the start lists for the individual races won’t be known until less than 24 hours before the start, with many teams making last-minute decision about who to race where. There is a classification for riders who do all four races but as very few do the entire schedule, it doesn’t carry much prestige. Instead, the riders pick and choose the races that suit them best as the series has a bit for everyone. Traditionally the first two races have been for the sprinters before the riders headed into the mountains for the final two races but this year the sprint races will bookend the series.

 

Below we take a look at the favourites for the four races, keeping in mind that we don’t know the final start list for each of the races at the moment.

 

Thursday, January 29: Trofeo Santanyí – Ses Salines – Campos

The race series has traditionally kicked off with a fast criterium in Palma while the second race has been the slightly hillier Trofeo Santanyi – Ses Salines – Campos which has still been a race for sprinters. To have the Palma race on a Sunday, things have been changed around for 2015, meaning that the Satanyi race will now open the series.

 

The race takes place over 175.5km from Santanyi to Campos and after the riders have travelled from the start to the finishing city, the main part of the race is made up of two laps of a circuit that has two fourth category climbs. With the opening stretch featuring one of those climbs, the riders will tackle a total of five ascents but they have never been enough to split the field. The penultimate climb comes with 55.5km to go while the final challenge is located 12.5km from the line. However, the descents have often caused some nervous racing with several races if they have been raced in wet conditions.

 

 

 

Despite the hills, the race has always finished in a bunch sprint. The race made its debut as part of the series in 2012 when Andrew Fenn took the win. I 2013, Leigh Howard was the fastest and last year it was Sacha Modolo who beat Ben Swift and Gianni Meersman to win for the second day in a row. This year most of the teams are again expecting a sprint finish and this means that lots of sprinters will be attendance. This makes it highly unlikely that the race won’t come down to a bunch kick.

 

The race has two overwhelming favourites who are expected to be some of the major sprinters in 2015. André Greipel has opted for a slower start to his season, skipping the Tour Down Under in favour of the Mallorca series. He will be up against Nacer Bouhanni who will have the first chance to test his new Cofidis lead-out train in racing conditions. Greipel will have most his famous Lotto Soudal train at his disposal and this should set the scene for a hotly contested sprint.

 

On paper, Greipel should be the fastest rider in the bunch and he will be supported by most of the train that was once the best in the world, with only Greg Henderson missing. However, the German has not done his usual high-intensity training at this time of the year as he aims to be fresher later in the year. On his personal website, he has made it clear that he doesn’t expect too much from the Mallorca races and the team has even indicated that they may give Jens Debusschere his chance in the sprints.

 

This should open the door for Bouhanni who will be eager to prove his position as the undisputed leader of the Cofidis team right from the beginning. The Frenchman has pointed out that he wants to win as much as possible and he is usually in very good condition right from the start. He may not have worked with lead-out men Jonas Ahlstrand, Adrien Petit, Julien Simon and Louis Verhelst in the past but he knows Dominique Rollin from his time at the FDJ team. He is usually not reliant on a full lead-out and just needs a few riders to position him at the back of the Lotto train. The sprint which has a sharp turn just 500m suits his great technical skills pretty well and this makes him our favourite to win the race.

 

Of course Greipel cannot be ruled out as he is backed by one of the best trains in the world and even though he has not trained in his usual manner, he is usually unstoppable at this time of the year. Another big rival will be Elia Viviani who will make his Sky debut and can rely on strong support from Ben Swift, Bernhard Eisel and Andrew Fenn. The Italian is usually in very good form at this time of the year as he is a keen track rider and if he can overcome his positioning difficulties, he has the speed to win.

 

Another strong contender will be Theo Bos who is one of the fastest riders in the bunch and aims a strong start to his MTN-Qhubeka career. He has made it clear that he wants to put the team in the spotlight right from the beginning and on paper, he has lots of firepower to support him as Gerald Ciolek, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Kristian Sbaragli, Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg, Andreas Stauff and Youcef Reguigui could all be at the start. It remains to be seen whether he will be the preferred sprinter but in general he should be the man for the real bunch kicks. He is better suited to the flatter final race and the team still needs to learn their automatisms but if he can survive the climbing, he will be a contender.

 

The same can be said about Matteo Pelucchi who has an incredible top speed but may find the climbing a bit too tough at this time of the year. That won’t be the case for Bryan Coquard who should be in very good condition as he builds for the track worlds and has the speed to win if he can position himself well. Sam Bennett is another rider who has the speed to win this race and it would also be a good idea to watch out for Francesco Lasca, Danny van Poppel, Raymond Kreder, Ramunas Navardauskas and Debusschere if the Belgian champion gets the nod from Lotto Soudal

 

***** Nacer Bouhanni

**** André Greipel, Elia Viviani

*** Theo Bos, Bryan Coquard, Sam Bennett

** Matteo Pelucchi, Jens Debusschere, Danny van Poppel, Francesco Lasca

* Raymond Kreder, Ramunas Navardauskas, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Gerald Ciolek, Jose Joaquin Rojas, Francisco Ventoso, Gregorz Stepniak, Grega Bole, Russell Downing, Owain Doull

 

Friday, January 30: Trofeo Andratx – Mirador d’Es Colomer

The race heads into the mountains one day earlier than usual and already on the second day, it will be time for the climbers to come to the fore. Furthermore, the Trofeo Andratx is a new race that is usually not part of the series and offers a new summit finish which is unusual in a series that has usually never had that kind of finales.

 

The race brings the riders over 149km from Andratx to Port de Pollenca and will mostly be made up of a long run along the hilly northwestern coast of the island. Having tackled two smaller climbs in the first part, the riders will go up the famous Puig Major which summits 54.9km from the finish. From there, it’s mainly descending until the riders hit the final climb which is 3.4km long and include sections of up to 10%.

 

 

 

The race is loaded with good climbers that would usually excel in this kind of finish but don’t expect too much from many of the biggest names. At this time of the year, many of the stars are usually far from their best condition and not yet able to fight for the win in such a tough race. This opens the door for a surprise and you often see some pretty strange results in these races, with surprise riders featuring near the top.

 

One star is an exception though. Alejandro Valverde is probably the most consistent rider of the entire peloton and the Spaniard is almost always in contention for the win. At the start of the year, the talented Spaniard is always coming out with all guns blazing and he has usually won races right from the beginning. It is no wonder that he has won races in Mallorca in the past and very often he has been one of the most successful riders in February. This finale suits him down to the ground and as he is supported by a formidable team of climbers, he will be the man to beat.

 

Davide Formolo goes into his second year as a professional and he will try to build on his excellent debut that saw him stay with an in-form Vincenzo Nibali when the Astana rider won the Italian Championships. We have huge expectations for Formolo in 2015 and he could show himself right from the start. Last year he rode strongly in February until he was set back by a bout of chicken pox and this finale should suit him well.

 

Another rider that is usually strong at this time of the year is Bauke Mollema who has the explosive skills to make a difference in this kind of finale. The hugely consistent Davide Rebellin should be another rider to watch on a course that suits him well even though his CCC team has played down expectations. In the past, Frank Schleck was always very consistent but since he came back from suspension, he has both been less reliable and far from his best level. At this time of the year, good condition could allow him to shine. Eduard Prades will ride his first race in Caja Rural colours and the Spaniard has often been among the best in the Volta ao Algarve at this time of the year, making him one to watch on this course. 2015 should be a big year for Tim Wellens but his condition is very uncertain. If he is riding well, this finale should suit him well

 

It remains to be seen whether Valverde will actually do the race. If he decides to skip it, Movistar have other cards to play. Ion Izagirre aims for Paris-Nice and he is usually strong at this time of the year. The course also suits Javier Moreno and Jesus Herrada who are often strong in the early season.

 

IAM have a few cards to play. Last year Thomas Degand was really impressive at the start of the year and he is likely to aim for a similarly strong start. Jerome Coppel has often started well too and in the autumn, he showed signs of getting back to his best. On the other hand, we don’t expect too much from team leader Mathias Frank who is probably aiming for a slower start to the year.

 

***** Alejandro Valverde

**** Davide Formolo, Bauke Mollema

*** Davide Rebellin, Frank Schleck, Eduard Prades

** Tim Wellens, Ion Izagirre, Javier Moreno, Thomas Degand, Julien Simon

* Jesus Herrada, Jerome Coppel, Louis Meintjes, Philip Deignan, Leopold König, Natnael Berhane, Stephen Cummings, Dominik Nerz, Louis Vervaeke, Bart De Clercq, Garikoitz Bravo, Andre Cardoso, Sergio Pardilla

 

Saturday, January 31: Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana

The Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana has usually been the hardest race of the four-day series and as usual it comes on the penultimate day. It may not have the same tough summit finish as the previous race but the total amount of climbing makes it the hardest race of the series. This year things could be made even harder by the fact that bad weather is forecasted which could force the organizers to skip the biggest climbs of the race.

 

The race will bring the riders over 165.7 from Valdemossa to Deia and includes an easier start as the riders roll along the hilly northwestern coast of the island, tackling three smaller climbs along the way. Having turned inlands, the riders head back to go up the first major ascent, the category 2 Coll d’Honor. In the finale, the riders head back to the coast to go up the Puig Major from the other side than in the previous race, meaning that the climbs is longer and split into two KOM sprints. The top comes 24.8km from the finish. After a long descent, the riders tackle a small category 3 climb with 5.2km to go before a descent leads to the slight ascent to the finish.

 

 

 

The race has changed a bit from year to year and this year the race has a different finale from what it has had for the past two years when the riders have gone up the Puig Major from the difficult side. Furthermore, the descent is longer but on the other hand, the inclusion of a category 3 climb close to the finish should provide a better launch pad for a late attack. Michal Kwiatkowski won last year’s race, Alejandro Valverde took the win in 2013, Lars Petter Nordhaug was the strongest in 2012, Jose Joaquin Rojas took a surprise sprint win in 2011 while Rui Costa won in 2010.

 

Again it is hard to look beyond Alejandro Valverde as the rider to beat. The Spaniard will be virtually impossible to drop on the climbs and he can count on probably the strongest team to control the race. The slightly uphill finale suits him perfectly as he is very hard to beat in that kind of sprint. In fact, it seems that the biggest threat to a Valverde win could be the fact that he may not be at the start. At the moment, it is known that he will be start at the first race and if he also decides to do the second one, he may choose to skip this one. As he is scheduled to ride in Dubai next week and bad weather is forecasted, there is a big chance that he decides to skip this race.

 

In general, the race suits the same riders who will have excelled in the previous race but the fact that the race doesn’t finish on a climb means that the door could be open to non-climbers who can survive the climbs and finish it off in a sprint. Furthermore, tactics will be more important as a select group may escape on the Puig Major and if Valverde is isolated at this point, a late attack could pay off for a brave rider.

 

Again Formolo stands out as a potential winner but he will have to escape on his own to win the race. Mollema has a fast sprint and should have a bigger chance while Wellens can also finish it off in a sprint. Schleck and Prades will also have to arrive at the finish on their own while Rebellin is not scheduled to do the race.

 

The slightly different nature of the race means that the door could be open to Edvald Boasson Hagen who has done well in this race in the past. The Norwegian finished second one year ago and after a disastrous 2014 season, he showed great form at the end of the year. Julien Simon is another fast finisher who is likely to have found the previous finale too tough but who could use his fast sprint to win this race. If Valverde is not at the start, it could be a good chance for Jose Joaquin Rojas, Ion Izagirre, Jesus Herrada, Giovanni Visconti and maybe even Francisco Ventoso if he has found his best climbing legs. Finally, the race could be a good one for Fabio Felline but like Visconti he is rarely too strong at this early point of the year.

 

***** Alejandro Valverde

**** Julien Simon, Davide Formolo

*** Edvald Boasson Hagen, Bauke Mollema, Tim Wellens

** Frank Schleck, Eduard Prades, Ion Izagirre, Jesus Herrada, Giovanni Visconti

* Romain Hardy, Jose Joaquin Rojas, Javier Moreno, Thomas Degand, Jerome Coppel, Louis Meintjes, Philip Deignan, Leopold König, Natnael Berhane, Fabio Felline, Stephen Cummings, Dominik Nerz, Louis Vervaeke, Bart De Clercq, Garikoitz Bravo, Andre Cardoso, Sergio Pardilla, Bartosz Huzarski, Egoitz Garcia, David Belda, Francisco Ventoso

 

Sunday, February 1: Trofeo Playa de Palma – Palma

After two tough days in the mountains, the riders will end the race series with the traditional opener in the biggest city of Mallorca, Palma. In the past, the race has been held on the opening day and has been a flat criterium along the seafront but this year, the race has not only been moved to the end of the four days of racing, the course has also been slightly changed. Nonetheless, it still ends with laps of a flat circuit in Palma, meaning that it should still be a day for the pure sprinters.

 

The race brings the riders over 168.2km from Playa de Palma to the centre of Palma and the main part of the race will see the riders tackle a mostly flat loop around the main city that includes a small category 3 climb with 50.4km to go. From there, the riders head to Palma where they finish the race by doing two laps of a flat 11.2km circuit along the seafront.

 

 

 

The race may be longer and more undulating than it has been in past editions but with a flat finish, it is destined to end in a very fast bunch sprint that suits the pure sprinters. With Sacha Modolo, Kenny Dehaes, Andrew Fenn, Tyler Farrar and Robbie McEwen being the most recent winners, it is clear that this is a race for the fastmen.

 

As it was the case in the first race, it is hard not to see this race as a battle between André Greipel and Nacer Bouhanni but the outcome may not necessarily be the same. The hotdog shaped course along the seafront in Palma makes the race much easier and the long finishing straight turns it into a sprint for the real power sprinters. A strong wind is forecasted which could cause some concern in the first part and make the race a bit harder but otherwise the sprinters should be pretty fresh when they arrive for the high-speed finish in Palma.

 

This should suit Greipel pretty well. As said, the German is not at his best and he will probably need a few days of racing to get going. As he is far from his best form, he will benefit from the easier race and the power sprint suits him perfectly. On paper, he is the fastest rider in the bunch and with the best lead-out, he will be hard to beat if he decides to give it a go in the sprint.

 

This does not mean that Bouhanni will be without a chance. This kind of power sprint may not suit him perfectly but in 2014 he proved that he is fast enough to compete with the very best in this kind of finishes. It remains to be seen how well his lead-out train will be working but he is usually very good at positioning himself. When it comes to pure speed, only Greipel is faster and this makes the Frenchman a danger man.

 

Again we will point to Elia Viviani as a strong contender. The Italian should be in very good condition and if he has the legs he had in Turkey last year, he has the speed to win. He usually struggles a bit when it comes to positioning but on a big boulevard along the seafront, it may be more about speed than position.

 

This kind of pure sprint should also suit Theo Bos and Matteo Pelucchi very well. As said, Bos will be supported by lots of firepower but it remains to be seen how well the MTN-Qhubeka train is working. Pelucchi will be mostly on his own but as said, positioning may not be that vital on the wide avenue in Palma. Bryan Coquard is usually very strong at this time of the year and as with his track ambitions, he should be close to 100%. He is not very good at positioning but this may be no major handicap in this sprint. Finally, we will point to Sam Bennett, Danny van Poppel and Francesco Lasca who could all do well in this kind of sprint while Jens Debusschere will be a contender if he takes over the leadership role at Lotto Soudal from Greipel.

 

***** André Greipel

**** Nacer Bouhanni, Elia Viviani

*** Theo Bos, Matteo Pelucchi, Bryan Coquard, Giacomo Nizzolo

** Sam Bennett, Jens Debusschere, Danny van Poppel, Francesco Lasca

* Raymond Kreder, Ramunas Navardauskas, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Gerald Ciolek, Jose Joaquin Rojas, Francisco Ventoso, Gregorz Stepniak, Grega Bole, Russell Downing, Owain Doull