Co-owner Sander can be found in Mallorca these days. Where the first few days were reserved for new ways and the classical drive to Cap de Formentor, today there was another beautiful route, via the Coll de Femenia and Sa Batalla that we don't want to keep from you. The weather made for beautiful, dramatic pictures!
Femenia and Sa Batalla
From Pollença, the Tramuntana Mountains are literally at your feet. North of this beautiful, still authentically Majorcan town, you'll find the MA-10. This road literally runs through the Serra de Tramuntana and hosts several beautiful climbs. Successively, you have the Femenia, the possibility for Sa Calobra, Puig Major, the road and climb to Deia and Valldemossa, Coll d'en Claret and the Coll de Sa Bastida. This is a monster ride and usually reserved for real enthusiasts. Today I ride a bit of this road myself. On that route, I climb the Femenia and then turn left to do the descent of Sa Batalla.
Piece of self-flagellation
While planning the route, I spot another pimple just east of Pollença that I haven't climbed yet. The Puig Santa Maria. On paper it doesn't amount to much. A few hundred metres up, some altitude metres, but on Komoot I see that it says: 19%. Oh well, I've cycled Stockeu before and also tackled other steep climbs, so not much fear.
Driving away from home, I see dark clouds gathering over the Mallorca mountains. Now I know from experience that those clouds usually drift away quickly. I am well rested and a little rain doesn't stop me. I keep the town on my left and at the sign Puig Santa Maria I turn into the little road. Immediately it goes up into the sky. In 1.4 kilometres, 142 altitude metres. Count your winnings. In the beginning it is also equal to 11-12% so good shifting gears and finding a bit of a rhythm. What makes this climb so cool is a section with very short hairpins, with only 50-60 metres between them too. Back down, I didn't like that at all, because you're at an angle of 15%. With the bit of wetness that had fallen I went down like Ilnur Zakarin. Fortunately, I did keep the bike upright.
The ascent between the houses is equally steep! 
small hairpins
The bit of climbing is very uneven and you just have to keep grinding to get to the top. The counter tops 20.5% so it is really quite steep. The views at the top are quite good and the short but tricky descent is not for cowards.
On to Femenia
After leaving Pollença behind, it's on to the MA-10 towards the top of the Coll de Femenia and Sa Batalla as the final summit. At 7.7 kilometres and 5.5% average ascent, the Femenia is a lovely training climb. The roads can be called perfect. Not super wide, but very well paved. There is enough overview to steer easily and well if you need to go downhill, and if you ride uphill there are few turns that cause much stress. The views of the valley towards Pollença and the sea at Port de Pollença are breathtaking. The mountains in between are very rugged and I really recommend stopping for a photo as well.
On my ride up, I face a small rain shower. Not very bad, but I still thought I would stay dry. I do have a good rhythm going and the last 1.5 kilometres, when the climb also goes down a bit, I even switch to outer leaf. A PR on Strava was not in the cards with all those photo stops.
Once at the top, I look back and enjoy the view for a while. The descent beckons. Or well, the descent is actually very short. Because pretty soon it flattens out and at the monastery of Lluc (at 13:15 in the afternoon the boys' choir sings here), it goes up a bit again. The last few hundred metres to the t-junction do involve another descent, but it's just not quite satisfying.
Sa Batalla, downhill
Fortunately, there is the Sa Batalla. The Coll de Femenia and the Sa Batalla actually follow each other. Driving up this climb from Camari is pure enjoyment. Not steep, nice tarmac and beautiful views. It's actually a maximum 7% up and generally between 5 and 6% with a bit of flat.
Downhill is perhaps more enjoyable. I have done this downhill a few times and especially the hairpin sections (there are several) are really enjoyable. You have to watch out for uphill traffic though, as they sometimes want to take an inside bend. Before you know it, you find yourself unintentionally on the bonnet.
Today the road surface is a bit damp due to the rain, therefore I take it easy. More time to take photos too. Actually, I don't know where the hell to click. There are so many beautiful places. That makes it seem a bit haphazard at times. But overall, it is pure enjoyment. The sun peeps in every now and then, creating beautiful, dramatic pictures. In terms of traffic, it is pretty quiet. That could also be due to the Mallorca 312, which also takes place today. This monster ride is not for everyone and leads you across the island's most beautiful spots in over 300 kilometres.
Rain is psychic
Once in Caimari, I ride along a back road towards Campanet. The tarmac there is top notch, there is nobody on the road and you can enjoy the scenery for a while. When I want to return to the normal road I am stopped. This is where 'la Cabeza de Carrera' will soon pass. I am not allowed to pass. My basic Spanish and my friendly Dutch smile do wonders. I am allowed to continue. But 2 kilometres later I am still the fall guy. The police are on to me and pull me off the road. Too bad, but not a nice ride through the Cami Vell de Campanet...but via a rough route along the motorway towards Sa Pobla. Oh well, what can go wrong.
Except, then, that it literally starts raining. Rain is psychological someone once said, but with sopping feet I tackle the last 10 kilometres towards Pollença. It waves up and down there for a while and then I can cross left at the golf course. To the back roads and on to a hot shower. Despite the rain, I thoroughly enjoyed today too!
