Every year when the Vuelta rolls around, I find myself glued to the TV, watching in awe as the peloton snakes its way through Spain’s most dramatic landscapes. Long alpine climbs, blistering descents, and chaotic bunch sprints unfold across three weeks of racing — and if you look closely, there’s something to learn in almost every frame.
Now, most of us aren’t racing grand tours or sitting in team cars with race radios and soigneurs. We’re training around work, trying to fit in sessions before the kids wake up, or squeezing in a weekend long ride with mates before Sunday lunch. But here’s the thing — the gap between us and the pros isn’t as wide as it seems when it comes to technique, efficiency, and discipline.
Whether it’s how they fuel, how they corner, how they handle themselves on a long climb, or how they ride in a group, pro riders are full of habits that we can steal and apply to our own cycling. And it’s not about copying the pros for the sake of it. It’s about learning what works, what’s efficient, and what makes you a better rider.
This is something we talk about a lot at Velocamp Mallorca. Riders come here thinking they need to be fitter to enjoy big days in the mountains — but more often than not, what they really need is to ride smarter. To eat better. To climb more consistently. To descend with confidence. That’s where the real gains live.
So while the Vuelta is in full swing, here’s a deep dive into five lessons we can all learn from pro cyclists, inspired by what we’re watching play out on the roads of Spain right now. These are lessons that apply whether you're rolling out for a Sunday spin, tackling your first week in the mountains, or trying to level up for next season.
1. Climbing Like a Pro: Calm, Measured, Relentless
There’s something hypnotic about watching a pro rider on a mountain. The road ramps up to ten percent, the fans are screaming on the roadside, and yet the rider just sits there, calm, balanced, totally in control. There’s no panic in the body. No sudden surges. Just this steady rhythm, like a metronome. It’s a world away from the way most of us attack a climb, blowing up halfway and holding on for dear life.
One of the most important things to learn from pro cyclists — especially in the mountains — is how they manage their effort. It’s not about going fast, it’s about staying efficient.
Ride Your Tempo — Don’t Burn Matches Early
Pros don’t go into the red on every climb. If you watch riders like Jonas Vingegaard or Enric Mas on a mountain stage, they ride to a controlled effort. That might mean a certain number of watts on their power meter, or it might just mean a feeling — but the point is, they’re riding at a level they know they can sustain. They're not getting drawn into the early attacks if it doesn't suit them. They hold their pace, knowing others will crack.
For recreational riders, this is gold. It’s tempting to push hard at the bottom of the climb because your mates are. But if that effort puts you in the red in the first five minutes, the next fifteen are going to be horrible. Learning to back yourself and ride your own pace is one of the best things you can do.
Cadence and Body Position: Stillness Equals Efficiency
Most pros climb seated, with a high cadence. That’s not just preference — it’s biomechanics. A higher cadence (usually 85 to 95 RPM) means your muscles are under less strain each pedal stroke, which allows you to keep going longer. You’re also using more of your aerobic system, which is better for long climbs.
And take note of how still their upper body is. Riders like Pogačar barely move above the hips. No shoulder rocking, no swinging bars — just fluid, efficient motion. It’s all about saving energy, and that calmness in the body translates to control on the climb.
The takeaway? Try filming yourself climbing, even just a short hill. Look at your posture. Are your elbows flapping? Are your shoulders tense? Smooth it out. Stay light on the bars. Focus on the rhythm of your breathing and pedal stroke.
Get Your Gearing Right — Use the Tools Available
Pros tailor their gearing to the day. If it’s a mountain stage with long, steep climbs, they’ll ride a compact chainset (50/34) and maybe even a 34-tooth cassette on the back. That lets them stay seated, maintain cadence, and protect their legs for later efforts.
Yet a lot of amateur riders still turn up to Mallorca or the Alps with a 28-tooth cassette and a standard crankset, and they wonder why they’re cooked by day three. If you’re heading for the hills, fit the biggest cassette you can. It doesn’t matter if it looks “easier” — what matters is that it lets you ride smoother and recover better.
Think of it this way: you’re not training your ego, you’re training your endurance. And having the right gearing is part of that.
Pacing on the Long Climbs of Mallorca
Take a climb like the Coll de Sóller, one of the most beautiful ascents in Mallorca. It’s not brutally steep, but it’s long and winding, and it comes early in a lot of riders’ weeks. If you go too hard too soon, you’ll get to the top wrecked, and the rest of the day will suffer.
This is where pro pacing strategies really shine. Break the climb down mentally. Ride the first third at a conservative pace. Settle in on the second section. And if you’ve got something left, push a bit on the final few bends. Think long. Think smooth. Think economical.
We teach this a lot at camp. Riders often arrive wanting to “test themselves” on day one. But the real challenge is riding consistently every day. That only happens if you manage your climbs like a pro.
2. Descending Like a Pro: Flow, Focus, and Fearless Control
If climbing is where the pain lives, descending is where the magic happens. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of carving through mountain switchbacks, tucked low on the bars, the road rushing beneath your wheels. But descending fast is not just about bravery or chasing adrenaline. At the pro level, it’s an art form — one built on technique, precision, and total awareness of what’s happening around you and underneath you.
Watch any big mountain stage in the Vuelta, and you’ll spot riders who turn the descent into a tactical weapon. They gain time, close gaps, drop rivals — all without a single pedal stroke. Guys like Tom Pidcock, Matej Mohorič, and Julian Alaphilippe are masters of this. What looks instinctive is actually the result of thousands of hours of practice and razor-sharp decision-making.
So what can we learn from them? And how do we bring that level of control and confidence into our own rides, especially on the twisting roads of Mallorca where every descent feels like a film set?
Look Through the Corners — Your Eyes Guide the Bike
This is something almost every pro will tell you. The bike goes where your eyes go. If you stare at the patch of gravel on the edge of the road, your brain will steer you straight into it. If you fixate on the apex of the corner and then look through to the exit, your body and bike will naturally follow the line.
It sounds simple. But in the moment — especially if you’re feeling nervous — it’s easy to fall into the trap of looking straight ahead or worse, down at your front wheel. Train yourself to lift your chin, turn your head slightly into each bend, and scan as far through the corner as the road allows. It’ll give you more time to react, better lines, and more speed with less risk.
You’ll notice this if you follow someone who’s confident on descents. Their body language is calm, their line is smooth, and they’re always looking ahead. It’s no surprise that Pidcock, who also races mountain bikes and cyclocross, is so good at this. Off-road racing sharpens those instincts and forces you to read terrain quickly.
Brake Early, Not Late
One of the biggest mistakes you see amateur riders make is grabbing the brakes too hard and too late — especially mid-corner. Pros almost never do this. Instead, they do most of their braking before the turn, then ease off the brakes as they enter, and roll through on a controlled line.
This is what keeps the bike stable. If you panic-brake mid-turn, you load the front tyre, lose grip, and risk sliding out. That’s when crashes happen.
Practice braking in a straight line. Get your speed down before the bend. Then gently release the brakes, commit to your lean, and trust your tyres to do the rest. On dry roads with decent rubber, your grip is far stronger than you think.
Body Position: Low, Relaxed, and Centred
When you watch someone like Mohorič descend, the first thing you notice is how low and planted he looks. His chest is almost on the top tube, arms bent, knees in, pedals level. He’s not fighting the bike — he’s flowing with it.
This is the position you want to aim for. Lowering your centre of gravity gives you more control. Relaxed arms help absorb bumps and vibrations. Keeping your weight centred over the bottom bracket keeps your tyres glued to the road.
What you want to avoid is tensing up. Gripping the bars too tight, locking your elbows, or sitting bolt upright will all make the bike feel twitchy and unstable. Loosen up. Let the bike move underneath you a little. Trust it.
It’s worth finding a safe descent and just practising this a few times. Even a short hill will do. Focus on getting low, looking through the corners, and staying smooth on the brakes.
Know Your Limits — and the Road
Pros have the advantage of closed roads, team briefings, recon rides, and radio updates. They know every hairpin, every pothole, every painted white line that turns slippery in the heat. Most of us don’t have that luxury.
So the lesson here is to descend at a pace that gives you time to react. Know your local routes. Learn where the hazards are. If you’re riding somewhere new — like here in Mallorca — take the first few days easy. Feel the tarmac. Learn the rhythm of the bends.
Mallorca’s descents are some of the best in the world. Smooth roads, sweeping bends, jaw-dropping views. But they still demand respect. A switchback like the ones on the descent from Coll de sa Batalla can catch you out if you’re too aggressive. It’s not about proving anything. It’s about finishing every descent with a smile, not a scar.
Tyre Choice and Pressure: Small Details, Big Impact
Pros get this dialled in to perfection. The right tyre and the right pressure make a huge difference when you’re descending fast.
Lower pressures improve grip and comfort. But too low, and you risk pinch flats or sluggish handling. In Mallorca, where road surfaces are generally good but corners come thick and fast, most riders do well with something around 70 to 80 psi, depending on weight and tyre volume.
A good quality tyre — like a Continental GP5000 or a Pirelli P Zero — will give you loads of grip without feeling slow. If you’re still on older tyres, or running hard plastic rubber to avoid punctures, you’re missing out. The tech in modern rubber makes descending safer and more fun.
Tubeless setups are even better if you’re confident setting them up properly. They let you run lower pressures without the risk of pinch flats, and the ride quality is superb. Just make sure they’re sealed, seated, and tested before heading out into the mountains.
Descending at Velocamp Mallorca: Learn With a Coach on Your Wheel
One of the things we do at Velocamp is actually follow riders down some of these iconic Mallorcan descents and give real-time feedback. It’s amazing what a difference a few small tweaks can make. A little adjustment in body position. A reminder to look further ahead. Choosing a better braking point. It can change your whole experience.
We’ve seen nervous descenders go from white-knuckled to grinning ear to ear by the end of the week — not because they suddenly became brave, but because they learned the technique.
And that’s what descending like a pro is all about. It’s not about risk. It’s about rhythm, vision, confidence, and control.
3. Fuel Like a Pro: Eat Before You’re Hungry, Drink Before You’re Thirsty
You’ll hear this mantra from just about every coach, nutritionist, or seasoned rider who knows the pain of bonking mid-ride. And the thing is, it’s not just a catchy phrase — it’s a rule that every pro lives by.
Watch any Grand Tour like the Vuelta, and you’ll see the soigneurs handing out musettes, riders stuffing bars into their jerseys, sipping from bidons even on descents. They’re not waiting until the hunger kicks in or the thirst becomes unbearable. They’re fuelling on a schedule. And that’s something recreational riders like us can (and should) take seriously if we want to ride stronger, recover quicker, and avoid hitting the wall halfway up a climb.
So let’s break down how pros do it — and how we can too.
Start Fuelled, Not Starving
One of the biggest mistakes amateur riders make is underestimating the importance of pre-ride nutrition. You see it all the time — someone rushing out the door with just a coffee and a banana, then wondering why they’ve blown up after an hour on the road.
Pros treat breakfast like a performance meal. It’s usually a well-balanced mix of slow-release carbs, a bit of fat, a bit of protein, and nothing that’ll spike blood sugar or sit heavy in the stomach.
You’ll often find oats at the heart of it. Porridge with banana, some berries, maybe a drizzle of honey or a spoon of nut butter. It’s the gold standard for a reason — easy to digest, loaded with complex carbs, and keeps you ticking along for hours.
Compare that to something like sugary cereal or white toast and jam. Quick energy, yes — but a fast spike followed by an even faster crash. And that crash always seems to hit right when you need your legs most.
Even a bagel with peanut butter and a banana is a better bet. The carbs keep the engine running and the fats help slow digestion so you don’t burn through it all in the first 30k.
At Velocamp Mallorca, we always start the day with a chef-prepared breakfast focused around these principles. Not gourmet fluff. Just real food that fuels real rides.
Set a Fueling Schedule on the Bike
Here’s where things start to look a bit more like the pros.
They eat every 20 to 30 minutes. It’s automatic. They don’t wait to feel empty — they stick to a schedule based on duration and intensity. And that’s exactly what you should be doing too, especially if the ride’s over 90 minutes or includes any serious climbing.
You don’t need to overthink it, but a simple trick is to use your cycling computer or watch to set a recurring alert every 30 minutes. When it beeps, you eat. Doesn’t matter if you’re not hungry. That beep is your cue.
If you’re riding with a group or you know the terrain, time your snacks to come just before a big effort. Eat at the bottom of the climb, not the top. Fuel before you need it.
What Should You Eat?
The options are endless, but there’s a reason why pros tend to favour simple, carb-rich, and easily digestible foods.
You’ve got the usual suspects — gels, energy bars, rice cakes, bananas, chews — all designed to deliver quick energy without upsetting the stomach. But not all products are created equal.
Some riders get on well with SIS gels because they’re more watery and easier to swallow. Others swear by Maurten for their high-carb content without the gut issues. For chews, Clif Bloks or Torq Chews are great — tasty, manageable, and easy to dose.
Bars are a bit trickier. Many shop-bought bars are too dense or too dry. There’s nothing worse than trying to chew your way through a peanut brick halfway up Coll de Sóller.
At Velocamp, we always encourage people to make their own flapjacks or oat bars — oats, honey, peanut butter, raisins, maybe a few dark chocolate chips. You control the ingredients, the texture, and the taste. And you save a fortune compared to pre-packaged stuff.
If you do go store-bought, Veloforte and OTE make great natural-tasting bars. Just avoid anything that leans too heavily into protein — save those for post-ride recovery.
Hydration: Sip Early, Sip Often
This is just as critical as food. In the heat of Mallorca or under race intensity, you’re losing litres of fluid and with it, critical minerals like sodium and potassium.
Again, pros don’t wait to feel thirsty. They sip regularly — often every 10 to 15 minutes — and their bottles are carefully mixed with the right ratio of electrolytes and carbs.
You don’t need a sports scientist to follow their lead. Start simple. One bottle with just water, one with electrolytes. If it’s a hard ride or longer than two hours, consider a carb drink mix like Precision Hydration, SIS Beta Fuel, or Torq Energy. They’re not just sugary water — they’re designed to deliver calories and minerals efficiently.
If you’re on a budget or just want to keep things natural, even a pinch of sea salt and a spoon of honey in your bottle can do the job.
But whatever you use, drink it before you feel parched. Once you’re dehydrated, performance drops and digestion slows, which means even if you eat, your body struggles to absorb it.
Practice in Training, Not on Event Day
One of the biggest lessons we pass on at Velocamp is never try something new on the day it matters. You see it time and again. Someone tries a new gel on the day of a big ride, gets stomach cramps or ends up running for the bushes.
Use your training rides to test everything. Different gels. Different bars. How much you can eat. What your stomach tolerates. What flavours you actually like after three hours in the heat.
Build your fuelling strategy like you build your fitness — with consistency and feedback. When you find what works, make it a habit.
And don’t just wing it. The pros don’t. You shouldn’t either.
4. How to Ride Safely in a Peloton
Riding in a peloton looks effortless when the pros do it. You see the front of the bunch slicing through the wind, riders tucked just inches from one another, flowing around corners in unison like a shoal of fish. It’s a beautiful thing to watch. But riding in a group at high speed is a skill. A skill that takes practice, focus, and more than anything — respect.
For those of us who spend most of our time riding solo or in smaller club groups, it’s easy to underestimate just how much there is to learn about riding in a peloton. It’s not just about speed. It’s about awareness, body language, communication, and being smart. Because when it goes wrong, it goes wrong fast.
So here’s what we can learn from the pros — and how to ride smarter, safer, and more confidently in a bunch.
Hold Your Line. Always.
This might be the number one golden rule in the bunch. Hold your line.
Watch any WorldTour race — even at 50kph on a narrow descent — and the pros hold their line with total precision. It’s not about being rigid. It’s about being predictable. If everyone in the group knows where you’re going, they can position themselves accordingly. It reduces the risk of overlap, wheel touches, and crashes.
Swerving, drifting, or constantly adjusting your line — even just a few inches — creates a ripple effect behind you. In a tight peloton, that ripple can become a wave. And that wave can take out half the group.
Get used to riding straight. If you need to avoid something, look, signal, and move smoothly. No sudden changes, no panic reactions. The pros make it look smooth because it is smooth.
Eyes Forward, Not Down
Newer riders often stare at the wheel in front of them, thinking that’s the key to not overlapping. But in truth, it narrows your field of vision and makes you reactive rather than proactive.
Pros ride by scanning a few riders ahead. They’re watching the flow of the bunch, picking up on shifts in pace, body movement, changes in road surface, upcoming corners. It’s like reading the road two steps ahead — not just reacting to the next metre.
Try this next time you’re in a group. Keep your head up, your eyes soft, and scan the group ahead. You’ll notice you brake less, react earlier, and feel more in control.
Stay Light on the Bars
A tight grip on the handlebars means tension. And tension means jerky, erratic movements. Watch the pros — their hands are relaxed, their arms are slightly bent, and they ride light. This isn’t just about comfort. It’s about absorbing the little movements and micro-adjustments that happen in a peloton.
If you ride stiff, every bump travels straight through your arms. If you ride relaxed, you can float with the bunch. You become part of the rhythm, not fighting against it.
This matters in Mallorca too. On the narrow inland roads or in a mixed group of tourists and locals, a relaxed posture can be the difference between a near miss and a tangle of wheels.
Use Body Language and Small Signals
Pros don’t talk much in a peloton. They don’t need to. They speak with their bodies.
A flick of the elbow, a shift in weight, a glance over the shoulder — these are all cues. Want someone to come through and take a turn on the front? Flick your elbow. Need to move out slightly for a pothole? Gently drift and hold your line. Need to stop or slow down? Sit up slightly and feather your brakes.
In amateur groups, people often overdo the communication. Shouting at every obstacle, waving arms, calling out everything. It’s well-intentioned but often causes more panic than clarity. Learn the simple cues. Use them early. Use them consistently.
And always, always point out hazards. Potholes, parked cars, gravel, even rogue goats if you're in the Mallorcan hills. A simple point down is enough. The message ripples back through the group.
Respect the Bubble
Every rider has a bubble — a space around them where they feel comfortable. Some riders like things tight. Others need more room. In a pro peloton, the riders know each other. They trust each other. They know who drifts, who holds their line, who fidgets. That trust takes time.
When you’re in a new group or riding with people you don’t know well, respect the space. Don’t half-wheel. Don’t squeeze into tight gaps. Don’t lean unless you’re absolutely confident in the rider next to you.
And don’t be the rider who overlaps wheels. That’s how crashes happen. Front wheel touches back wheel, front wheel loses control, game over.
Ride just off-centre. Not overlapping. Not half-wheeling. Just enough to see ahead and still stay tucked in.
Don’t Surge. Don’t Slam the Brakes.
Group riding is about flow. Surging ahead and then sitting up kills the rhythm. So does braking too hard.
Pros know how to control pace with their body. They soft-pedal. They freewheel just enough. They keep things smooth.
When you’re on the front, ride steady. When you’re rotating through, keep the pace consistent. When you’re following, anticipate — not react.
On climbs, be mindful of the elastic effect. Riders at the back will have to surge every time there’s a small increase in pace. If you’re on the front, don’t attack every bend. Ride tempo. Keep the group together. Save the fireworks for the final kilometre if you’re in a race.
And if you’re struggling, signal and slide to the back. Don’t just sit up mid-pack.
Practice Makes Peaceful
Like anything in cycling, group riding gets better with practice. You get used to the sounds, the movements, the trust.
At Velocamp Mallorca, we spend a lot of time riding together in close formation — especially on flatter days where the group dynamic really matters. We teach riders how to rotate, how to sit on a wheel, how to communicate without shouting.
Because the better you get at riding in a bunch, the safer you’ll be. And the more efficient. Sitting in the wheels on a windy day can save you up to 40 percent of your energy. That’s not a myth. That’s a real number.
And on a long ride across Mallorca, with the sun on your back and the Coll d’Honor still to come, saving energy is everything.
5. Sprint Like a Pro
There’s something about a sprint finish that gets every cyclist’s heart racing. The chaos, the elbows, the sheer force of will — it’s the part of the race where everything explodes. It’s also the bit most of us try to replicate, whether we’re hitting the final hundred metres of a club ride or just chasing our mates to the café stop sign.
But while pro sprinters like Jasper Philipsen, Caleb Ewan or Mark Cavendish make it look like a fight, real sprinting is a calculated, technical, and highly disciplined part of cycling. It’s not just raw power. It’s timing, positioning, aerodynamics, and decision-making under pressure. And when done well, it’s one of the most thrilling parts of the sport.
For the rest of us, understanding how the pros do it can help us sprint smarter and safer — whether we’re riding competitively or just want to put in a solid dig at the end of the ride.
Positioning Is Everything
You could have legs like a track sprinter and still lose every sprint if you’re in the wrong place. Watch the pros and you’ll notice that the best sprinters rarely start their effort from too far back. They’re always right up there, somewhere in the top ten wheels, riding in the draft and waiting to launch.
It’s the same for amateur riding. If you’re going to sprint — whether it’s for a town sign, a training marker, or a local race finish — you need to get yourself into position well before the line.
That means knowing when to move up. Doing it gradually. Staying relaxed. Avoiding the wind. And above all, avoiding panic moves. You don’t want to be surging from twenty riders back with 200 metres to go. It never ends well.
In the pro bunch, positioning starts kilometres before the line. Riders fight for the front, not because they want to show off, but because they want to stay safe and in control. In an amateur group, the same rules apply. Get up front early, hold your line, and commit when it’s time to go.
Timing Beats Raw Power
We’ve all been there. You go too early, run out of gears, and get passed with ten metres to go. Or you wait too long, get boxed in, and never even get the chance to open it up.
Sprinting is about timing. Watch how the best sprinters launch their efforts. It’s usually in the final 200 to 250 metres. They wait for the leadout, feel the wind, see the road open, and then hit it full gas.
You don’t need to be doing 1,500 watts to win a sprint in your club ride. What you need is the right gear, a clear road, and the ability to hold your speed for fifteen to twenty seconds.
If you go too soon, you’ll fade. If you go too late, you’ll never get up to speed. Practice sprinting at different distances. Learn what works for your legs. Learn to sense when the moment is right — not just because of what the others are doing, but because you feel it in your legs and lungs.
Keep It Straight, Keep It Safe
This is where things can get dangerous. Sprinting is not the time to start weaving across the road. Hold your line. Stay straight. Look where you’re going.
Pros get disqualified all the time for deviating from their line and endangering others. In local riding, there’s no referee. But the same principle applies. If you sprint in a way that causes someone to crash or brake sharply, you’ve got it wrong.
The power you produce needs to go forward, not sideways. And your responsibility is not just to win the sprint, but to keep everyone upright.
If you’re sprinting with others, call out your moves if needed. Don’t swing out last minute. Don’t cut across wheels. And always check that the road ahead is clear. On narrow roads like some of the lanes in Mallorca, a pothole or loose patch of gravel can throw everything off if you’re not watching.
Work on Your Technique
Sprinting is a skill. Just like cornering or descending. You don’t become fast overnight. You build it.
The best sprinters have explosive acceleration. But they also have great technique. They ride low and aero. They rock the bike beneath them without throwing their weight around. Their hands are on the drops, their elbows are in, and their body is tight.
If you sprint upright with your hands on the hoods, not only are you losing watts — you’re risking control. Get in the habit of moving into the drops when you sprint. Lower your head slightly. Keep your chest tight. Pull the bike under you, rather than just swinging your body from side to side.
And practice. Find a quiet road or a safe bit of tarmac and practice ten or fifteen-second efforts from different speeds. Work on smooth gear changes. Work on explosive starts. If you’ve got a power meter, use it to track progress. If you don’t, use a road sign or a hedge as a marker. Sprint to it. Recover. Go again.
It’s not about turning yourself into Cavendish. It’s about becoming confident, controlled, and sharp when you decide to go full gas.
Leadouts Aren’t Just for the Pros
One of the big differences between pro and amateur sprinting is the presence of a leadout. In the pro peloton, a sprinter will often have two or three teammates dedicated to getting them into the perfect position at the perfect time. It’s a well-rehearsed choreography.
But leadouts don’t have to be that serious. If you ride with a group regularly, you can start to experiment. Maybe you rotate turns on the front until 500 metres to go. Maybe one of you opens it up and the rest try to jump onto the wheel. It doesn’t have to be race-legal. It just has to be fun, safe, and agreed upon in advance.
Practising sprint finishes with mates is a great way to learn positioning, timing, and the feeling of launching an effort under pressure.
It also makes the post-ride coffee stop a bit more satisfying.
You Don’t Need to Be a Sprinter to Sprint
You don’t have to be a sprinter to learn how to sprint well. Even if you never contest a finish line, learning how to sprint makes you a better rider.
It teaches you how to control your bike at speed. It teaches you how to judge your effort. It teaches you how to ride with confidence and awareness.
And who knows — one day you might surprise yourself. You might time it just right, get the jump, and take the town sign with a smile. That’s what cycling’s about.
At Velocamp Mallorca, we encourage every rider to explore all aspects of their riding — not just climbing and endurance. We build sessions into the week that include sprint technique, bike handling, and even playful efforts along the flat roads of the island.
Because cycling isn’t just about surviving the climbs. It’s about enjoying the ride, testing yourself, and learning new skills.
And when the sprint comes? Be ready.
Conclusion: Ride Smarter, Not Just Harder
There’s a reason the pros make it all look so effortless. It’s not just about talent or genetics. It’s about years of refining every detail — from the way they sit in the peloton to how they take a bottle from the team car. But what’s amazing is how much of that knowledge is available to us too. You don’t have to be racing Grand Tours to learn from them. You just have to be watching closely and willing to try things out.
Whether it’s pacing a climb more efficiently, descending with control and confidence, fuelling your ride like a proper athlete, positioning better in a group, or learning how to sprint safely and with purpose — all of these skills are transferable to everyday riders. They’re the difference between just riding your bike and riding well.
And when you start putting these pieces together, the entire experience changes. Rides feel smoother. You start to feel stronger. Your confidence builds. You understand the rhythm of the road. You find that flow that the pros talk about — not just surviving the day, but riding through it with purpose and poise.
At Velocamp Mallorca, we’ve designed our weeks around these exact lessons. Not just the big climbs and the iconic views — although there’s plenty of that — but the subtle skills that help you ride better. We help you build habits that last far beyond the week itself.
So if you’ve been watching the Vuelta and wondering what it must feel like to ride with that kind of precision and purpose — the good news is, you can start now. You don’t need a pro contract or a team bus. Just a bike, a bit of curiosity, and the willingness to keep learning.
We’d love to help you do that.
👉 Click here to learn more and join us for a week in Mallorca.
See you out there — riding smart, riding strong, and maybe even surprising yourself a little.
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