Women's Cycling Camps: Mallorca or Calpe?

At Sa Calobra Cycling Club, all of our cycling camps welcome women. Our mixed camps have always brought together riders from different countries, backgrounds and levels, all with the same objective: to train, improve and enjoy a challenging week on the bike.

But several times each year, we also organise dedicated Women's Editions in Mallorca and Calpe. The training is not easier. The routes are not shorter. The expectations do not change. It is the same SCCC experience, simply with an all-women group.

So why choose a Women's Edition, and should you pick Mallorca or Calpe?

Why organise women-only cycling camps?

Some women simply prefer the dynamic of training in an all-women group. For riders travelling alone, joining their first cycling camp or looking for a new challenge, that environment can make the experience particularly appealing.

But a Women's Edition at SCCC is not an introduction to cycling and it is not a softer version of our regular camps. You are still coming to train.

You will ride challenging routes, climb mountains, use power data, learn how to pace yourself, recover between demanding days and discover what you are capable of.

Same challenge. Same support. Same SCCC. All women.

Do women have to join a Women's Edition?

Absolutely not. Women are welcome on every SCCC camp in Mallorca, Calpe and the French Alps.

Many of our female riders choose mixed camps and return to them year after year. The Women's Editions simply provide another option for riders who would prefer an all-women group.

The choice is about the experience you want, not the level you ride at.

What is included in a Women's Edition?

The setup is the same professional environment we provide on our other camps:

• Small group training
• Premium carbon road bike with power meter
• Structured and challenging routes
• Coaching and performance testing
• Support vehicle on the road
• Mechanical support
• Daily sports massage
• On-bike nutrition
• Full-board meals
• Professional photography and video
• SCCC cycling kit

The objective is to remove as much unnecessary stress as possible so you can concentrate on training, recovering and enjoying the experience.

Do you need to be a strong cyclist?

You do not need to race and you do not need an enormous FTP, but you do need to arrive prepared.

Our Women's Editions follow the same philosophy as our mixed camps. They are designed for regular cyclists who enjoy training and want to challenge themselves.

As a general guideline, we recommend approximately 2.6 W/kg or above fr the Women's editions, combined with enough endurance to ride several hours and repeat demanding days throughout the week.

More important than one number is your ability to pace yourself, fuel properly, recover and ride consistently.

Mallorca Women's Cycling Camp

Mallorca is the home of SCCC and offers one of the most complete cycling experiences in Europe.

The island provides a huge variety of terrain. You can ride long mountain climbs in the Serra de Tramuntana, rolling roads through the centre of the island and spectacular coastal roads, all within the same week.

And, of course, there is Sa Calobra.

For many riders, climbing Sa Calobra for the first time is one of the highlights of their cycling life. Add Puig Major, Sa Batalla, Formentor and the countless smaller roads across the island, and Mallorca offers an extraordinary mix of training and scenery.

Who should choose Mallorca?

Mallorca is probably the best choice if:

• You have never ridden in Mallorca before
• You want the classic SCCC experience
• You want a wide variety of terrain
• You want to ride iconic climbs such as Sa Calobra and Puig Major
• You enjoy combining serious training with spectacular scenery

It is challenging, but the variety of terrain allows the week to develop progressively rather than feeling relentlessly mountainous every day.

Calpe Women's Cycling Camp

Calpe offers a very different experience.

Located on Spain's Costa Blanca, it has become one of Europe's most famous winter training destinations. Professional teams return every year because the combination of mild weather, excellent roads and constant climbing creates an ideal training environment.

The terrain around Calpe rarely gives you much time to switch off. Roads constantly rise and fall, and even relatively short rides can accumulate a surprising amount of elevation.

The famous Coll de Rates is only the beginning. The surrounding mountains are full of quieter climbs, steep gradients and roads used by professional cyclists throughout the winter.

Who should choose Calpe?

Calpe is probably the better choice if:

• You love climbing
• You want a winter cycling escape
• You enjoy constantly rolling and mountainous terrain
• You like the atmosphere of a professional training destination
• You have already ridden Mallorca and want a new challenge

For riders who enjoy repeated climbing and accumulating elevation, Calpe is difficult to beat.

Mallorca or Calpe: which is harder?

Both can be extremely challenging. The difference is how that difficulty feels.

Mallorca gives us more variety. Hard mountain days can be mixed with flatter or rolling terrain, and many of the major climbs are longer, clearly defined efforts.

Calpe is more relentless. You are often climbing, descending or preparing for the next climb. The elevation accumulates quickly and there are fewer truly flat sections.

In simple terms: Mallorca gives you variety. Calpe keeps coming at you.

What if you are coming alone?

You will not be the only one.

Many riders join SCCC without knowing anybody else before arriving. A cycling camp is actually one of the easiest trips to do alone because the group becomes part of the experience from the first day.

You train together, eat together, recover together and spend the week working towards the same objectives.

On a Women's Edition, that shared experience is often one of the reasons riders choose the camp in the first place.

What if you are in your 50s or 60s?

Age is not what determines whether you belong on one of our camps.

Preparation matters far more.

A rider in her 50s or 60s who trains consistently, understands pacing and has good endurance can be much better prepared than someone considerably younger who rides occasionally.

Our camps are about discovering what you can do with the fitness you have built, not comparing your age with somebody else's.

Why choose a Women's Edition instead of a mixed camp?

There is no performance reason why you need to.

The routes are the same type of routes. The training philosophy is the same. The support is the same. The expectations are the same.

But the group dynamic is different, and for some women that is exactly what they are looking for.

Others prefer mixed camps.

That is why we offer both.

Mallorca or Calpe: our verdict

If this is your first SCCC experience and you have never ridden Mallorca, we would probably start with Mallorca. The variety, scenery and iconic climbs make it an extraordinary introduction.

If you love climbing, want to escape the winter or have already experienced Mallorca and want something new, choose Calpe.

And if you cannot decide, there is always another answer: do one now and come back for the other.

Two destinations. Two very different weeks. The same SCCC philosophy.

Train hard. Recover properly. Challenge yourself. And do it surrounded by women who came for exactly the same reason. Discover our upcoming Women's Editions in Mallorca and Calpe and choose your next challenge.