Sant Salvador and Puig de Bonany climbs

Today, the Mallorca 312 cycling event takes over the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, with over 9,000 cyclists participating on closed roads, so we took this opportunity to head South to complete two climbs on our list of must do's.

A quick 5km spin into Inca, to catch the train to Manacor, located south east of the Island.  Very different feel down this way, industrial with wide busy roads. 


Beautiful steel art sculptures adorn the middle of this round about, just had to stop.  Heading towards our first climb of the day, the roads are busy.  Head down, keep going

Sant Salvador is hard to miss, seen from any direction, a large lump of rock jutting out of paddocks of hay bales, Olive groves and the like.  

The climb itself, if 4.7km long with an average gradient of 7%.  Tight sweeping bends with pitches up near 10% is common, but it's the views at the top which are simply amazing, 360 degrees, stunning. There are lots of riders joining us (with the same idea we had :)) 

A few switchbacks from the top, there is a walk over to another peak and we see many people climbing the stairs to the peak.  Stunning.  


I really loved this climb.  Legs felt good, smooth road, felt right at home. 👌




Riding down was a little tricky to say the least.  Slow cars causes riders to break hard, someone's breaks are screeching loudly behind me.  I end up pulling over, waiting till the hordes pass and then its a much calmer ride down.
The ride to the next climb, Puig de Bonany is gorgeous, small roads, no traffic, flat, lots of riders out and close to a town called, Petra........
A tough little climb to say the least, 3.7km in length with an average grade of 5%.  But it's the last 2km that really kick up, muscles burn while grind you way to the top, on which sits yet, another monastery.

We don't wait around too long, threatening rain clouds in the mountains.  It's a pretty dull ride back to Manacor, once we leave the gorgeous Petra town, its onto the main road, with a good verge though and best of all, the strong wind was behind us.  So smooth sailing. 

While we waited for the train back home, a Fanta and coke was very much enjoyed.  It was hot today.
Had to post this image.  Manacor had street after street lined with Australian Native Bottle brush trees, just gorgeous.











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