SUN, SEA AND SHODDY TRANSITIONS

For long-course aficionado Sean McFarlane, the short-distance Triathlon Portocolom in Majorca provided more than just his second post-Covid racing challenge…

WORDS Sean Mcfarlane IMAGES Rafa Babot

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The trees pull back and for all too brief a moment I get a very welcome cooling breeze on my back as I ascend. It spurs me on, but seems to have the same effect on those behind as I look back and see them chasing. For once I’ve done the smart thing, arriving a few days earlier and recceing this climb. I’d enjoyed that, taking it at my own pace and overtaking the heavy panting tourists while the odd lanky and lithe young whippet tore past me just to remind me of reality.

Fast forward to now, though, and it’s getting to the business end of a race. A very different experience for both the mind and legs. I’m on closed roads, but that doesn’t seem to reduce the fear factor. As those ahead descend, each oncoming rider seems to be heralded by the screech of carbon on rubber as they try their hardest to stay on their side of the road, with varying degrees of success.

I make a note of the hairpins, particularly those with a slight but noticeable dusting of gravel. If nothing else, it’s very welcome brain food and temporarily takes the focus off of my fast-tiring legs. Like I suspect for many others, I’d targeted this ascent, hoping to push hard to its summit in the knowledge that there was plenty of downhill to follow.

The only problem is a familiar one – I’m pretty cooked at the start of this section of prolonged rising tarmac, the well-known San Salvador climb. At 4.6km, it’s a steady but unrelenting gradient, making an otherwise pretty flat bike course definitely not.

A MULTISPORT MECCA

I’m on the bike leg of the Portocolom Triathlon (triathlonportocolom.net), an early-season race in April on the east coast of Majorca. There are two events here today and I’m doing the shorter one. A 500m swim and 5km run straddle a meaty 55km bike, with the longer event doing twice those distances. It’s only my second race in two and half years and my rustiness shows, both in terms of pure fitness and the vital extra bits and pieces that all add up to really matter in triathlon.

I’d very much tried to incorporate the race into a full four-day trip to this island. The road biking here, particularly at this time of year, is rightly world famous. I may now have been missing a proper and structured taper, but this isn’t a place for inactivity and the odd short burst of activity or two, assuming that statement isn’t too disrespectful to the taper gurus! I rode every day during my stay and had no regrets about doing so.

As luck would have it and many of you will know, April in Majorca is also a pretty good time for open-water swimming and running. I could see why this race has been gaining such rapid popularity over the years.

“It’s somewhat alarming to hear people talking about ‘efforts’ and ‘full gas’”

Whether it’s an early-season leg tester or part of a wider family holiday, there are plenty of reasons to do this. For me, the challenge of a shorter-course race than I was used to had enticed me.

Having spent now well over a decade enjoying much longerdistance events, where, for me, just ongoing forward progress suffices, it was somewhat alarming to hear people talking about such things as ‘efforts’ and ‘full gas’ here. I’m not sure where my personal switch is for those type of things and I feel it may be rusted shut now anyway.

Transitions these days, for me, are usually about taking one’s time with the main aim of getting as warm and comfortable as possible for the day’s remaining activities. It’s clear that that isn’t the script here.

PERCEPTION VS REALITY

Covid and its effects are still with us and that means a rolling start with five competitors each starting at five-second intervals. I have time to marvel from the off at the rather quick and well-known Mario Mola (triple ITU world champion). He seems to have a 50m lead after, well, not much more than 50m. My time duly comes, I dive in, just about manage to hold my googles as they come off, readjust things and immediately remember how I hadn’t swum with so many others for years. I bash, get bashed and do some form of front crawl to come out in a disappointingly slow 10 minutes, only to then spend almost half that time again in T1.

Eventually I clamber aboard my road bike with tri-bars. I’d brought it out here knowing it would fit in well with my plan to ride every day.

Of course, I was now envious of the surrounding aero steeds but it’s always far more about the pilot than the equipment. I try to remember that as I make my way through the field. As I overtake people, any thoughts of how good my biking is are more than countered by a realisation of how poor my swimming and transition skills are. I’m going past the backmarkers. The numbers I overtake slowly dwindles as I begin to get among stronger competitors.

The countryside is green and lush – testimony, I was told, to a relatively wet winter. The sandy terracotta colour of the buildings seems universal. I wonder if that’s an essential part of the planning application process? The village of Son Macia tests the bike-handling skills as we weave through it. Turning southwest, it’s clear that my earlier biking speed was wind-assisted as I try to tuck in as aero as possible. The surface has been great until now, but that wind combines with the broken tarmac to make this section a good old-fashioned slog. Same for everyone, I know, but that thought doesn’t really help.

SALVATION ON SAN SALVADOR

I can tell I’m struggling when I begin to look forward to the climb. As I turn onto it, the body does briefly enjoy the change. The San Salvador climb really does change the nature of the bike course, in my opinion for the better. Climbing prowess and technical descending skills are needed now. I certainly don’t have loads of either, but I’m confident that in a triathlon I can hold my own. That assertion is just about born out as I overtake more than others overtake me in both directions.

It’s still a decent 10 kilometres or so to T2. My previous steady overtaking is a distant memory as I check the body and start to think about running. I’m finding it difficult to pace things now, I’m really not sure how hard to push. Some riders I’d previously gone past overtake me.

“I can really feel the heat now and my no-nutrition-on-the-run strategy has me on the brink”

As I arrive at T2, my flying-leap dismount briefly gives onlookers the idea that I know what I’m doing. They soon think otherwise as I run out with my puncture repair kit in my back pockets, necessitating a quick return visit to T2. The run is an outand-back affair. I bin thoughts of targeting landmarks or even other competitors and instead try to run well while relaxing. It’s something I’m not good at but feel has merit, especially here where it’s hot and I’m pretty exhausted. Now there’s a very short incline which challenges the body way more than it should.

I’ve opted to not bother with any of the aid stations as I feel I can just about hang on nutrition-wise, but I’m on the edge even as I make the turnaround point. I try to remember the outward section but, like a goldfish in a bowl, I can’t. I can really feel the heat now and my no nutrition-on-the-run strategy has me on the brink. I see the finish arch but as I close in on it, other runners seem to assemble. Those ahead seem spent, but I can hear plenty of chasing feet closing in behind. The excitement is all too much, and at last onto the blue carpet I can’t resist a sprint finish. I’ve never been so glad to see a plastic chair and promptly sit down.

YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE

The race and whole experience were hard to fault. Very well organised, it was a truly international event with multiple nations’ flags shown on the competitors’ race numbers. It was still very early in the tourist season here, and there were few hotels in Portocolom itself but that should hopefully change as the race increases in popularity. It’s certainly a big and fast-growing event for the town. A great event for families as there’s also a well-attended kids’ race the day before.

KEY INFO

HOW TO GET THERE Several UK airlines fly direct to Majorca. An under-3hr flight time also gives you the opportunity to ride on your arrival and departure day. I flew with Ryanair from Edinburgh to Palma and then took a 1hr transfer to the hotel.

WHERE TO STAY I stayed at the 4-star Hotel THP Felip in Portocristo (thbhotels.com), 20km from the race venue. There are also a range of hotel options on the race website.

HOW TO MAKE A WEEK OF IT Many of you will want to ride on other days of your stay. Paul Carr and his son Michael run a longestablished guiding and rental company from Calla Millor (cyclingtoursmajorca. com).

I spoke to several Brits afterwards, many of whom had done the race before and return year on year. That says a lot. For me, it was great to be back taking part in an event and still learning. I finished 60th overall. My tardy transitions and lack of TT bike initially annoyed me, especially as there were so many competitors just ahead of me in the results.

Then again, time after time triathlon gives you exactly what you deserve. That honesty has always been at the heart of its appeal.

I did take some solace from the fact that if I’d been a year older, I’d have been second in my category. So thoughts are already turning to a return visit next year.

Many of those I chatted to afterwards felt the race gave their season focus and targets for improvement. I could see exactly what they meant and even I felt some vigour to train that bit smarter.

Then there were people like Glenda Goscomb from the UK. A seasoned triathlete, she was here with her daughter and son-in-law, who both raced, and her grandchildren. She’d had a horrendous accident back in October but was here, raced, and won her category. She did the San Salvador climb twice. Hats off to you, Glenda.

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