Palma de Mallorca, 25th Nov 08

SPORTING MALLORCA - NOW FAVOURITE TRAINING DESTINATION FOR MANY OLYMPIC STARS

Mallorca is well known as one of the favorite holiday destinations for the British public and it is now becoming known as a top destination for sports training by leading athletes. Some of which trained on the island prior to the Beijing Olympics this year including Britain’s own cycling, swimming and sailing teams. Visitors can now follow in their footsteps and here with a round-up of the island’s excellent sports facilities.

Cycling

The island’s diverse landscape makes it an ideal location for training and over the past 10 years the local government has invested in providing top facilities for visiting cyclists with 260 kms of dedicated cycling routes around the island. The success of these initiatives are now paying dividends and last year Mallorca attracted over 87,000 cyclists with predications of a further 10% increase over the next couple of years making the island one of the top cycling tourist destinations in Europe.

For further information on cycle routes, hotel suggestions and cycling facilities on the island: www.illesbalears.es or www.inestur.es.

Britain’s Olympic gold winning cycling team of Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Paul Manning and Geraint Thomas picked Mallorca as part of their training schedule prior to Beijing where they took full advantage of cycle routes along the island’s famous Tramuntana mountain range.

Olympic gold medallist, Rebecca Romero, has a special affection for Mallorca as she spent much of her childhood on the island with her Mallorcan father. She trains regularly on the island and won silver in the 2007 World Track Cycling Championships held in Palma Arena’s velodrome which was completed specifically for this event.

Not surprisingly, Mallorca is renowned for producing its own cycling talent including the Spanish Olympic medallist, Joan Llaneras, who officially “retired” from competition this month to take up his new position as the Sports Director for the Palma Arena. His Mallorcan successor, David Muntaner, recently won the World Cycling Track Championships in Melbourne and is tipped to win Olympic gold in 2012.

Golf

Mallorca has 21 golf courses, two of which are private, providing an excellent choice for the accomplished golfer. Most golf courses on Mallorca offer training and pro classes for further information: www.infomallorca.net.

The island has also become a popular destination for golf tournaments in 2009 some of these include the PGA Seniors Tour will be held at the Golf Son Gual (close to Palma) from the 8-10 May, 2009. The tournament will host 72 of the key players on the Seniors Tours. Further information: www.illesbalears.es & www.europeantour.com

The Mallorca Tourist Board’s third annual golf tournament for golf specialists will be held in the summer. Each year a different course is selected to highlight the excellent range Mallorca offers. Information: www.fomentmallorca.org.

Tennis

Mallorcan, Rafael Nadal, currently the world’s number one, trains from his home town of Manacor in the centre of the island. For visitors who wish to follow in his footsteps there are plenty of tennis facilities and tennis training on the island.

Some examples include: Jonathan Markson courses in Paguera (south west) Mallorca. Information: www.marksontennis.com and Master Tennis Coaching in Cala Millor on the east coast of the island directed by tennis professional, Steve Williams. Providing a full range of courses for all ages and all levels: www.mastertenniscoaching.com.

Swimming /Sailing

British Olympic swimming gold medallists, Eleanor Simmonds and Liz Johnson both trained on Mallorca prior to their record wins in Beijing. The athletes enjoyed the island’s top facilities and relaxed atmosphere. On the water triple Olympic gold medallist, Ben Anslie, has been competing in Spanish Royal Family sailing events for many years. Other members of the team who train and compete on the island are Nick Dempsey, Paul Goodison, Steve Morrison and Ben Rhodes. They all love Mallorca for its excellent racing conditions.

Various sailing schools operate around the island and here is a selection:
http://www.saracensailing.com/tuition.htm
http://www.mallorca-activities-121.com/Sail_and_Surf_MA121_en.html
http://www.vitesseyachts.com/training.html

Walking/Hiking

Visitors can enjoy all levels of walking and hiking throughout the island. Here are some specific examples:

New Nordic Walking Routes
Alcudia, in the north, has launched the first Nordic Walking Routes on the island. The new brochure features three different routes of varying levels taking in coastline and the mountain countryside. The brochure, which is available from the local tourist office and local hotels, gives full details on each route with maps. Further information: www.illesbalears.es

Walks Along Ancient Stone Paths

Walking along Mallorca’s ancient stone walled route is one of the best ways to see the countryside and take in historic relics and places of interest. The route is divided into 8 stages and each stage will have its own refuge when the restoration is complete. To date, two refuges are now open; Tossals Verds & Muleta. Further information: www.conselldemallorca.net/mediambient/pedra

Walking in Calvia

The south west region of Calvia takes in some of the island’s best known sea and sun resorts but also offers great countryside beyond the coastline. A book of 15 walks in this area has been compiled by walking specialist Valerie Green with easy to follow detail and advice, comprehensive maps and information on the local flora and fauna. It is available from all local tourist offices or: www.visitcalvia.com.

Guided Walks in Soller
In the west of the island two multi lingual, experienced guides are available throughout the winter and spring. They feature a variety of walks with different fitness level and can be contacted via their website: www.mallorcamuntanya.com.

Marathons

Calvia’s Annual Marathon and Half Marathon on December 14th, 2008, will start in the resort of Magaluf and take its 21 kms course through the resorts of Palma Nova and Santa Ponsa. This event becomes more popular each year and is expected to attract over 600 participants from all over the world. Further information: www.calvia.com or www.visitcalvia.com.

Tui Marathon
This annual marathon is now in its 5th year and takes place in and around Palma and this year attracted over 6000 runners from 50 countries. The 2009 marathon will take place on October 18th for information: www.tui-marathon.com

For further information, please contact:
Mallorca Tourist Board, Dominique Carroll / Anna Skidmore,
Tel:(+34) 971 725 396 Fax: (+34) 971 713 540
E-Mail: info@fomentmallorca.org

Further Press Releases:

GOOD NEWS FOR MALLORCA IN 2012 (09th Feb 12)

THREE KINGS - THE FESTIVITIES CONTINUE! (05th Jan 12)

FESTIVE SWEETS CAN BE HEAVENLY (05th Jan 12)