Mallorca Challenge Women, 2026 (Jan. 24-26)

[RedheadDane]

It's time for the first road races on European soil of the 2026 season! (Well, they won't be riding on the soil...)

The Mallorca Challenge; three one-day races held on Mallorca - hence the name - allowing teams to combine training camps with some early season racing.
Since they're one-day races, teams can swap out riders as they want, and if a rider doesn't finish one race, she can still start the next day.

Challenge Ciclista Mallorca – Prueba de ciclismo profesional en Mallorca

Prueba de ciclismo profesional en Mallorca

vueltamallorca.com

Info for each individual race - including startlists - in separate posts below.

 

[RedheadDane]

3rd Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx (1.1)
Marratxí › Felanitx (128.8km)

Startlist for Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx 2026

Competing teams and riders for Trofeo Marratxi-Felanitx 2026. Top competitors are , and .

www.procyclingstats.com

(Brilliant name for a climb!)

 

[RedheadDane]

3rd Trofeo Llucmajor (1.1)
Llucmajor › Llucmajor (134.8km)
(aka 'Trofeo Palma Femina?)

Startlist for Trofeo Palma Femina 2026

Competing teams and riders for Trofeo Palma Femina 2026. Top competitors are , and .

www.procyclingstats.com

Local Circuit

 

[RedheadDane]

3rd Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx (1.1)
Binissalem › Port d'Andratx (108.2km)

Startlist for Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx 2026

Competing teams and riders for Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx 2026. Top competitors are , and .

www.procyclingstats.com

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The Trofeo Felanitx has previously been the easiest of the Mallorcan races, ending up in bunch/group sprints in its first two editions, but with the inclusion of the Puig de Sant Salvador, which was used in the men's Trofeo Ses Salines in 2019 (won by Jesús Herrada), it's now a completely different race, although it probably still won't be decided before the last 5 km.

Lotta Henttala would obviously have had no chance to defend her title, but Noemi Rüegg could have been up there on a good day. However, EF aren't riding it this year so other teams will have to get it done this time around. Reusser, Lippert, Persico, Bjørndal Ottestad, Ostolaza, De Jong, Markus and Swinkels are some of the hottest names on paper.

The riders are currently approaching the roads from Algaida to Llucmajor, where they'll finish tomorrow. Hopefully they won't take a wrong turn around here and end up on private property where they'll almost get chased down by a crazy dog, which is something that did NOT happen to me when I visited the island in 2024.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hopefully they won't take a wrong turn around here and end up on private property where they'll almost get chased down by a crazy dog, which is something that did NOT happen to me when I visited the island in 2024.

Do you have other stories about things that did NOT happen to you?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Do you have other stories about things that did NOT happen to you?

Not from that area, no.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I should have named Squiban as one of the UAE riders instead. Big win for her. Not the biggest one she's ever got, but the first time she actually wins by being the strongest.

Great Uno-X debut for Ytterhus Haugset, and it's lovely to see Emond being able to show just how strong she really is when healthy. Now I regret not picking her for my CQ team.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The racing continues tomorrow with the new Trofeo Llucmajor which has replaced the harder Trofeo Palma. 4 laps of 33.5 km will bring the riders through the town of Randa with its sanctuaries on the way to Montuïri before they'll head south to Porreres and begin the last 15 km back towards Llucmajor.

The climb through Randa is the main obstacle of the day, but it could have been much harder, like LS displayed in the design thread last year. There is a couple of shorter lumps in the final, but I doubt they will be tough enough to keep it from being decided in a bunch sprint, but we'll see about that.

 

[RedheadDane]

@Armchair Cyclist or @Cookster15, could this be stickyfied?

 

[RedheadDane]

And we have images just as it appears there's some echelon-action.

 

[RedheadDane]

Ferguson wins.
First win for Movistar.

 

[Didinho]

Yes Cat! Good start of her season. Curious if she can take another step this year.

 

[awavey]

Go cat