I'm really interested in a week at Velocamp, but I'm concerned I'm not fit enough. This, alongside "what's the average age of your visitors," is definitely the most common question that I receive. And again, for good reason. Nobody wants to spend the week getting dragged around, hanging on for dear life. However, I think as humans we all inherently have that thing inside of us that thinks we're not good enough and we're going to be the odd one out, even if it's far from the truth.
When I designed Velocamp Mallorca, I wanted to build a camp that I would want to go to myself. But there was nothing really I could find that fit the bill. I'm by no means a professional rider. I've never raced and I've never really wanted to. I'm a semi decent climber and I can hold my own on the group rides here in Mallorca. But I also know the groups I have no intention of riding with. There's nothing worse than being out on a ride and spending the whole time with your head down, wishing for it to be over.
So I designed Velocamp more around support and comfort than the performance element. There are other options in Mallorca if you want to come and get absolutely beaten to death, with the main aim of going home being able to shave a few seconds off your PR on your local climb. For me, I wanted to create something more service orientated. Still a challenging week, still able to tick off all of the must-see climbs and the most famous routes on the island, but done in a more supportive way, without time limits, without stress, and without being pushed to your absolute breaking limit.
That being said, it is a fine line. We do ride 520 kilometers and over 8,300 meters of climbing over the six days. So you do definitely need to have a good base level of fitness and be a regular rider, prepared for the week. We have welcomed riders from 15 all the way up to 75, and every single one of our guests has completed the week with a smile on their face.
We've been able to achieve this for a few different reasons. One, we always have multiple guides on every ride. That means that if there is a bit of a split in the group, we can always facilitate it without asking anybody to hold back. Second, we always have plenty of time to converse with our clients leading up to the beginning of their camp, to work out the best fit for them. And if they've got concerns about whether or not they're going to be 100% ready for the camp, we simply suggest that they take one of our top of the range e-bikes.
These bikes look, ride and feel exactly the same as a normal road bike these days. The technology has advanced massively, they're incredible. The assistance is optional, so you can still do the work if you want, it just means you have the optional assistance in your back pocket if you need it on some of the bigger climbing days. It's really transformed cycling, and everybody who's opted to take an e-bike has said it absolutely made their week.
And then lastly, I think it's just the level of personal support that we pride ourselves on at camp. Everybody is, of course, expected to arrive in their best shape possible and be ready to spend up to four to five hours a day in the saddle. But when we break those rides down into regular feed stops via the Velocamp support van, the daily top level nutrition back at the villa prepared by our private chef, all of the recovery facilities like the premium Reboots compression trousers, all the stretching and mobility equipment, and most importantly the daily massage sessions delivered by a professional sports physio, when you combine all that, we always get you through the week with a smile on your face.
And I can absolutely guarantee, you will achieve more than you ever dreamed possible once you're around other like minded people, all pushing themselves while taking in some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in Europe. The kilometers just tick by.
I hope that puts your mind at rest. But if you still have concerns, just drop me a message and we'll jump on a call and talk things through, no problem. I'm always available.
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