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The Col Collective at Col du Tourmalet

When the Tourmalet is still open in mid November naturally that means you ride it until the sun goes down.....right? 😉 @ Col du Tourmalet

#tourmalet #thecolcollective

Forming the backbone of the northwest of Mallorca, the Serra de Tramuntana mountains are an absolute must to explore if you're visiting the island. Approxima...

Forming the backbone of the northwest of Mallorca, the Serra de Tramuntana mountains are an absolute must to explore if you're visiting the island. Approximately 90 kilometres in length and running through more that 20 municipalities the Tramuntana are actually pretty hard to miss and being a UNESCO World Heritage Site only adds to their allure.

Starting in the picturesque Port de Pollença I was keen to find out more. The island is such a hotspot for professional and amateur cyclists seeking winter sun, continually growing in popularity since I first visited over 20 years ago.

To be honest I wasn't too sure where I'd end up, but then that's half the fun isn't it? What I did know is that we'd be tackling Mallorca's highest road pass, up to the Túnel de Monnàber that cuts through the famous Puig Major (Mallorca's highest peak at 1,445m) followed by the longest descent on the island, 14 kilometres of sweeping bends and smooth road all the way down to Soller. Anything more than that is a bonus, so let's ride!

Start: Port de Pollença

Length: 82.7 km

Highest point: 850m

Start Elevation: 0m

Elevation Gain: 1,536m

Max Gradient 10%

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Col du Tourmalet (Campan) - Cycling Inspiration & Education - The Col Collective

One of the most historic climbs in Tour de France history, the legendary Col du Tourmalet is the second climb rider's face in today's brutal Stage 19! Check out the video here.....

The Col du Tourmalet has a long and illustrious history with the Tour de France, first used in 1910 it immediately stamped its authority on the race with Frenchman Octave Lapize venting his displeasure and yelling 'Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins!' ('You are murderers! Yes, murderers!') to officials as he battled his way up little more than a goat track on his single-speed bike. Three years later and Eugène Christophe famously re-welded his fork in a forge at the bottom of the climb in Sainte Marie de Campan only to be given a time penalty for having outside assistance when he needed a second pair of hands to operate the bellows, now if that’s not a little harsh I don’t know what is?

To say that the Tourmalet is a regular in the race is an understatement having been featured over 80 times, and more than any other mountain, in the Tour’s history. From professional racers to amateur riders the Tourmalet is a book of stories a thousand pages long or more. The beauty of this mountain is knowing just how many tales it holds from old to new as you trace your way towards the 2,115 metre summit, making it the highest road pass in the Pyrénées. I’ve ridden the Tourmalet in the rain, shine and even under moonlight and every time I can feel a certain energy that’s unlike anything else. Maybe it’s the legends of the road in spirit riding with you? Maybe it’s my over active imagination dreaming of racing in the Tour? Or maybe it’s just the experience of the Tourmalet itself, something we all should have at least once in our lives.

Start: Sainte Marie de Campan

Length: 16.9km

Summit: 2,115m

Elevation gain: 1,275m

Average gradient: 7.4%

Max gradient: 13%

I hope this video helps you conquer the Tourmalet and add your own history to this truly memorable mountain.

#TDF2018 #tourmalet #thecolcollective

Pros Ride - Girona with Dan Craven / Mike Cotty rides a loop from cycling hotbed Girona with Dan Craven

Home to many of the best riders and teams, come to Girona and you're bound to bump into a pro or ten, which is exactly what happened during our latest visit! Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to find out what makes this region such a cycling paradise we're honoured to be joined by Israel Cycling Academy's Dan Craven on a classic loop taking in the climbs of Els Angles and Santa Pellaia (AKA Hincapie Hill), 64km with over 1,000m of climbing....what's not to love eh? Start: Girona Distance: 64km Highest point: 485m Elevation gain: 1,031m Max gradient: 8% Thank you to our partners Mavic, Cannondale, Exposure Lights, Lezyne, MyPower by InfoCrank, Muc Off, The Sufferfest, TORQ and USE for enabling us to bring these truly special mountains to life for you all. If you're in need of new bike kit in the future and you enjoyed this video then bear them in mind and help keep the wheels turning :-) Special thanks to our friends at Costa Brava and Girona Pyrenees tourism for helping us pull this ride together and the opportunity to experience such a beautiful area. Already can't wait to get back one day! For more help and advice visit our website at http://thecolcollective.com, become part of our col community and sign up for our free newsletter for monthly updates. And if you fancy riding with us then we'll be hosting a small number of cycling experiences in the French Pyrenees in the summer. Details available at http://thecolcollective.com/cycling-t.... Never miss a video, subscribe to our YouTube channel or get in touch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. We’d love to hear from you. Stay well, ride safe and thank you for watching. Mike Cotty The Col Collective Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheColCol... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheColCollec... Twitter: https://twitter.com/colcollective Instagram: http://instagram.com/thecolcollective Google+: https://plus.google.com/+TheColCollec...

#thecolcollective #girona #catalonia #catalunya #dan craven #mike cotty #cycling #road cycling

The Col Collective

Ride, Relax & Explore with The Col Collective - Cycling Tours! We look forward to welcoming you to our mountains. For more information visit http://thecolcollective.com/cycling-tours. Ride safe and see you on the cols! Mike

#thecolcollective #cycling

Pico de las Nieves (Gran Canaria, Spain)

Cycling Inspiration & Education

Only 100km west of Morocco, Gran Canaria is often overlooked in favour of its big brother Tenerife, but dig a little deeper and you soon discover an island of diversity, wonder and pure magnificence. From golden sand dunes and endless beaches in the south to a complete diversity of landscapes, vegetation, intricate roads and breath taking views across the island. I first visited back in the late 90’s and immediately felt something special. The smell of pine and eucalyptus still brings back vivid memories of exploring every nook as a young pup on the bike, but don’t for a moment drop your guard. This is a hard island, one for the climbers and grinders for sure, so let’s get this party started! Although there are a multitude of routes up to Pico de las Nieves, the highest point on the island, many base themselves in and around Maspalomas. This is where it’s the sunniest so perfect for post ride recovery although (confession time) I’ve only had a fleeting glance at the beach in all my visits, my eyes are normally firmly fixed on the big peaks to the north. Often a climb in excess of 40km can be a daunting prospect. The trick here is to think of it as a journey, breaking it down into smaller sections. In that respect the climb up to Pico, (starting on the GC60) is kind, often giving you a short descent just when you need it to recover and enjoy the view. Use all of these opportunities wisely as no sooner have you had a breather then BOOM(!) the gradient kicks back in and it’s time to find your rhythm for another round of switchbacks. With around 11km to go you hook a sharp right hander at Ayacata to join the GC600. If you (or your bike) need a break then take five at one of many Free Motion Bike Stops on the island. You’re about to hit the hardest part of the climb as the gradient cruelly bites at your quads and calves like a wild dog (which in percentages translates to 15 on the wild dog bite-o-meter! Woof-woof!) It’s at this point that you really need to dig deep, the island’s most significant landmark is just around the corner and what a marvel it is. A 90 metre high monolith of volcanic rock formed over 4.5 million years ago, Roque Nublo (Rock in the Clouds) once served as a holy monument, a pillar of heaven and a ritual place for natives to sacrifice to the sun-god……and if that wasn’t enough it looks freakin’ cool so try not to pass out before this point ;-) As Pico’s dome shaped radar comes into view you’ve now got another landmark to lock your superman eye lasers onto all the way to the top. Suddenly, today, it turned into a race against the sun. Second confession of the ride, I spent waaaay too long gawping at the views on the way up that time was slipping on by un-noticed. Don’t make the same mistake if you have to get all the way back down as well! So my lack of time keeping actually worked in our favour. They say that Africa has the best sunsets in all of the world and being so close to the continent I’m not going to argue with that. As I climbed above the clouds and rounded the final bend up to 1,949 metres altitude the rich glow of the final light of the day reminded me exactly why I ride a bike. Silhouetted mountain peaks and Tenerife’s Mount Teide at peace in the distance. What a phenomenal ride, one that I will cherish for life. Start: Maspalomas Length: 44km Summit: 1,949m Elevation gain: 2,278m Average gradient: 4.7% Max gradient: 15% Ridden in February Special thanks to FREE MOTION for their help and support. These guys really know how to look after you offering top notch bike rental, guided rides and island expertise. If you’re planning a holiday to the Canary Islands then check them out at http://www.FREE-MOTION.com Thank you to our partners Mavic, Cannondale, Exposure Lights, Lezyne, MyPower by InfoCrank, Muc Off, The Sufferfest, TORQ and USE for enabling us to bring these truly special mountains to life for you all. If you're in need of new bike kit in the future and you enjoyed this video then bear them in mind and help keep the wheels turning :-) For more help and advice visit our website at http://thecolcollective.com, become part of our col community and sign up for our free newsletter for monthly updates. And if you fancy riding with us then we'll be hosting a small number of cycling experiences in the Pyrenees in the summer. Details coming soon on thecolcollective.com :-) Never miss a video, subscribe to our YouTube channel or get in touch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. We’d love to hear from you. Stay well, ride safe and thank you for watching. Mike Cotty The Col Collective Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheColCol... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheColCollec... Twitter: https://twitter.com/colcollective Instagram: http://instagram.com/thecolcollective Google+: https://plus.google.com/+TheColCollec...

#thecolcollective #pico de las nieves #gran canaria

Monte Grappa (Semonzo) Italian Alps - Cycling Inspiration & Education

Few mountains carry as many accolades as Monte Grappa. No matter which of its ten ascents you choose to ride the sense that you are in a special place resonates from the start. Rising out of the Veneto plains much like Mont Ventoux's dominance over the Southern Provence, this mountain encapsulates you on a journey of wonder, not only by its beauty and magnitude but of the many reminders of darker days past when the Grappa's slopes became a ferocious battleground for thousands caught at war. The many sides of Monte Grappa begin from three main directions, each of which offer a very different journey on their way to the summit. It has to be said, every climb is a challenge in itself providing a cycling playground that caters for everyone. From the north, three sides feature a Dolomiti backdrop (Cismon, Caupo and Seren) five menacingly brutal adjoining climbs from the east (Alano di Piave, Pederobba, Cavaso, Possagno and Paderno, the latter two with long stretches well beyond 20% gradient putting them on the podium alongside the fearsome Zoncolan and Mortirolo as Italy's hardest) and two rise up from the Veneto plains from the south. The southern ascents can both be reached via the romantic city of Bassano del Grappa (where the digestivo Grappa originated) and despite the official starting points of Semonzo and Romano d'Ezzelino a visit to this medieval city is an absolute must if you're tackling the climb from the south. While Romano is the 'classic' side, probably because it's the easiest, it's not the prettiest on offer so on this occasion, after a morning in Bassano, we rolled out of town towards the ascent starting from Semonzo, a serious test and real showcase for the mountain along with being the host of the Stage 19 time-trial in the 2014 Giro d’Italia. Semonzo is a tiny commune of Borso del Grappa, it's here where the ascent officially starts, pitching straight up to 9% and holding that for not far off the first 9km. Rising up from the Veneto plains on the poplar tree lined road, the gradient and stifling heat mean thoughtful pacing and plenty of fluids are an absolute essential if you're going to survive the 20 switchbacks that come in quick succession over the first half of the ascent. Rolling vistas, rock carved tunnels, paragliders and an abundance of wildlife keep you well entertained until the climb opens out towards mid distance, weaving through lush meadows whilst clinging to the edge of a cliff face. Enjoy the last moment of respite before the gradient starts to turn the screw once more, regularly tipping double figures the higher you climb. It's here where we started to really feel the spirit of the Grappa. Looking out over the vast peaceful slopes it's hard to imagine a time when the very place that was bringing us so much pleasure were scenes of war and unthinkable acts just a few decades ago. Knowing the history of the Grappa only adds to the respect and sheer blessing we have to be able to enjoy this mountain in times of peace. Numerous memorials serve as a reminder that this was not always the case. Brutal, bloody battles in WW1 and WW2 between Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops saw the Italians fend off invasion but not without an immense loss of life. The Sacrario Militare del Monte Grappa at the summit is a guarded monumental burial site, in which 22,910 identified and unidentified soldiers rest. There is an overwhelming sense of spirituality throughout the Grappa, somehow with the reminders of war within your tired gaze the challenge of the mountain and testing gradient pail into insignificance, eclipsed by thought and moments of reflection. Monte Grappa is an Italian national treasure one to be enjoyed, respected and visited every once in a while. Peace. Start: Semonzo Length: 18.5km Summit: 1,745m Elevation gain: 1,530m Average gradient: 8.3% Max gradient: 14% Ridden in July Thank you to our partners Mavic, Cannondale, Exposure Lights, Fi’zi:k, Haute Route, Lezyne, Map My Tracks, Muc Off, Scicon, The Sufferfest, TORQ and USE for enabling us to bring these truly special mountains to life for you all. If you're in need of new bike kit in the future and you enjoyed this video then bear them in mind and help keep the wheels turning :-) For more information on cycling Monte Grappa visit our website at http://thecolcollective.com, become part of our col community and sign up for our free newsletter for monthly updates. Never miss a video, subscribe to our YouTube channel or get in touch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. We’d love to hear from you. Stay well, ride safe and thank you for watching. Mike Cotty The Col Collective

#monte grappa #italian alps #thecolcollective #The col collective