Phase 1 · Warm-up
Outbound · Stop 1 of 4
Santa Fe, New Mexico
First altitude exposure · Drive day + 1 ride
Jun 22 – 24
3 days
Coach's note
This is the altitude wake-up call. Santa Fe sits at 7,000 ft and Hyde Park Road climbs to 10,300 ft. Don't be alarmed if the legs feel heavy — that's normal. The goal here is one quality climb and getting the body's acclimatization process started before the real training begins in Colorado.
Rides
Hyde Park Road — Santa Fe Ski Basin
30 mi out-and-back
3,260 ft gain
7,040 → 10,300 ft
Campground
Hyde Memorial State Park RV Campground
Rating 4.3 · Right on Hyde Park Rd — park at camp, ride from the door. Aspen and pine setting, 10 min to Santa Fe plaza. Electric + water hookups available.
Ride notes
Start from Fort Marcy Complex on Bishop's Lodge Rd. The steepest section is through Hyde Memorial State Park at the halfway point — a legitimate turnaround if it's a tough day. Aspen Vista Picnic Area near the top is a great rest stop. The descent is fast; keep speed in check on the winding sections. Pro move: stop for coffee at the Santa Fe Baking Company before heading up — 3rd St, downtown.
Phase 1 · Warm-up
Outbound · Stop 2 of 4
Taos, New Mexico
High Road + river canyon camping
Jun 24 – 27
3 days
Coach's note
The High Road is a sustained climb through some of the most beautiful high-desert terrain in the Southwest. Shuttle the car to Taos, ride the full 55-mile point-to-point. This is the kind of long, scenic, low-pressure ride that builds endurance without grinding them into the ground. Historic villages along the way make great rest stops.
Rides
High Road to Taos (Hwy 76)
55 mi point-to-point
2,500 ft gain
Santa Fe → Taos
Campground
Orilla Verde Recreation Area
Rating 4.5 · Rio Grande canyon setting, BLM managed. Bring cash for fees. Rio Pueblo and Gorge Bridge nearby. Fishing spots excellent. Very peaceful mid-week.
Route details
Begins north of Santa Fe in Pojoaque on US 285/84, picks up Hwy 503 through Nambé Pueblo, then climbs into the mountains via Hwy 76. Passes through Chimayó (El Santuario de Chimayó is worth stopping), Truchas, Las Trampas, and Peñasco before descending into Taos. The scenery shifts dramatically — high desert to alpine forest and back. Car shuttle is essential unless doing an out-and-back from Taos.
Phase 1 · Build
Outbound · Stop 3 of 4
Durango, Colorado
Outbound warmup spin — save the big ride for the return
Jun 27 – 29
2 days · 1 ride
Coach's note
On the outbound leg, save your legs. One easy spin in the Animas Valley to shake out the drive. The Durango to Silverton benchmark ride happens on the return — arriving here well-rested on July 17 is more important than squeezing in an extra big effort now. Explore the town instead; Durango is legitimately one of the best cycling towns in America and worth a longer stay.
Rides
Animas Valley Loop (Baker's Bridge)
27 mi loop
1,000 ft gain
Easy warmup · 1.5–2.5 hrs
Campground
Junction Creek Campground
Rating 4.7 · San Juan NF. You'll be back here in July too — same great base. Consistently rated cleanest bathrooms on the route. Colorado Trail access from camp. No cell service (considered a feature).
Phase 1 · Build
Outbound · Stop 4 of 4
Moab, Utah
Red rock plateau climbing before the SLC stop
Jun 29 – Jul 1
2 days · 1–2 rides
Coach's note
July heat in Moab is no joke. Wheels rolling by 6:30–7am, finished by noon. The Dead Horse Point climb is visually spectacular and a meaningful training effort — it's the kind of sustained plateau climb that directly translates to the Mallorca tour. Book the campground ahead; Moab fills up even mid-week in summer.
Rides
Dead Horse Point State Park Climb
35 mi round-trip
2,000 ft gain
Plateau climb · Canyonlands views
Upper Colorado Scenic Byway (Hwy 128)
~60 mi round-trip
Rolling terrain
River canyon · Recovery option
Campground
Moab RV & Glamping Resort
Rating 4.5 · Book well ahead — Moab fills fast in summer. South of town on Spanish Valley Dr. Full hookups, laundry on site. Early morning starts are easier from a camp than a hotel.
Recovery · Family Visit
★ Salt Lake City
The natural rest break right in the middle of the loop
📅 July 2–7
🏠 Home base — Roberto's place
6 days rest
No pressure to ride
Why this timing is perfect
This rest stop lands at exactly the right moment — the body has been adapting to altitude for 10 days, the warm-up rides are done, and now it gets 6 days to consolidate those gains before the hard training block begins. They'll leave SLC on July 7 feeling genuinely fresh and ready to work. The fitness from the first leg doesn't disappear — it gets locked in during rest.
Optional rides (no pressure)
Emigration Canyon
~20 mi out-and-back
1,800 ft gain
Classic SLC climb · Easy effort only
Big Cottonwood Canyon (lower section)
Easy spin only — 45–60 min
Keep effort low
Phase 2 · Return Build
Return leg · Stop 1 of 4
Scenic Byway 12, Utah
One of the great road rides in America · Re-entry week
Jul 7 – 11
4 days · 2 rides
Coach's note
Byway 12 is the perfect re-entry after SLC rest — spectacular enough to motivate even tired legs, manageable enough not to blow them up before Colorado. The Hogsback section between Escalante and Boulder is unforgettable: a narrow ridge with sheer drops on both sides. Stop at Kiva Koffeehouse mid-route — it's a genuine landmark and worth the calories.
Rides
Scenic Byway 12 — Bryce to Boulder
65 mi one-way
3,500 ft gain
Tops out 9,636 ft · Shuttle car
Torrey → Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
40 mi round-trip
1,500 ft return climb
Torrey sits at 6,800 ft
Campgrounds
Red Canyon Campground
Rating 4.6 · Dixie NF, right on Hwy 12. Red rock canyon setting. Flush toilets and showers. Some road noise. $30/night.
Fruita Campground — Capitol Reef NP
Rating 4.7 · Consistently described as the most beautiful campground in Utah. Book on recreation.gov immediately — it fills up. Orchard setting, dark skies, Fremont River nearby.
Phase 2 · Peak Training
Return leg · Stop 2 of 4 · Key week
Telluride, Colorado
San Juan Mountains · The hardest climbing of the trip
Jul 11 – 15
4 days · 2 rides + 1 rest
Coach's note — most important stop on the trip
This is the week that decides whether they're ready for Mallorca. By now they'll have 3+ weeks of altitude adaptation and the SLC rest in their legs. Build in one mandatory full rest day mid-week — Telluride has great food, a free gondola, and stunning walks. Back-to-back ride days here directly simulate the tour structure. The views from Last Dollar Road on a clear morning are among the best anywhere in America.
Rides
Last Dollar Road Climb
17 mi to pavement end
2,400 ft gain
Tops out ~10,500 ft · Mt. Sneffels views
Telluride → Lizard Head Pass (Hwy 145)
50 mi round-trip
3,100 ft gain
Wilson Peak views · Sustained paved climb
Campground
Sunshine Campground
Rating 4.5 · 10 min from Telluride gondola. Aspen grove setting, incredible sunset views from the overlook trail between sites 10–11. Hosts Jerry and Kathy described as exceptional. Dog friendly.
Last Dollar Road — important note for road bikes
The pavement ends where the jeep road begins. Turn around at the pavement end — there's a large open viewpoint lot there with unobstructed San Juan panoramas. This is a perfect turnaround point and it's the highlight of the climb anyway. The views of Mt. Sneffels are best on clear mornings before 10am cloudbuilding begins.
Phase 2 · Peak Training
Return leg · Stop 3 of 4
Ouray, Colorado
Million Dollar Highway · Red Mountain Pass · Hot springs recovery
Jul 15 – 17
2 days · 1 ride
Coach's note
Do this ride on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning — weekend traffic on the no-guardrail cliff sections is genuinely stressful. Southbound (Ouray → Silverton) gives you the dramatic Uncompahgre Gorge views on the way up. Red Mountain Pass at 11,018 ft is the high point. Ouray hot springs after the ride is mandatory recovery, not optional — the pool is directly in town.
Rides
Million Dollar Highway — Ouray → Silverton → Ouray
46 mi round-trip
4,000 ft gain
Red Mtn Pass 11,018 ft · No guardrails
Campground
Amphitheater Campground
Rating 4.7 · First-come, first-served only — no reservations. Arrive Wednesday or Thursday morning to secure a spot. Short drive above Ouray, walking distance to Via Ferrata. Hosts David and Nancy consistently praised.
Phase 2 · Benchmark Ride
Return leg · Stop 4 of 4 · The fitness test
Durango, Colorado
The ride that tells you if you're ready for Mallorca
Jul 17 – 21
4 days · 2 rides
The honest fitness test
If they do the Durango–Silverton ride and wake up the next morning with legs that feel manageable, they are genuinely ready for Mallorca. That is the benchmark. This is the same profile as Day 4 of the DuVine tour (The Tramuntana Classic) — two big passes, sustained climbing, 50+ miles. There's no better preparation. The Pagosa Springs ride the day after is the recovery ride that confirms how well they bounced back.
Rides
⭐ Durango → Silverton — The Benchmark
50 mi one-way
6,000 ft gain
Coal Bank 10,660 ft · Molas 10,900 ft
Durango → Pagosa Springs (Hwy 160)
60 mi round-trip
3,000 ft gain
Day-after recovery · Hot springs reward
Campground
Junction Creek Campground (again)
Rating 4.7 · Same great base as the outbound leg. Full shade, quiet, Colorado Trail access. Shuttle car to Silverton from downtown Durango — park at visitor center. Or book the narrow gauge train to Silverton, ride back downhill.
💡 Train tip: Book the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to shuttle up — then ride down. The descent from Molas Pass to Durango with tired legs is much more enjoyable than the climb. durangosilvertontrain.com
Phase 3 · Taper
Return leg · Final stretch
Drive Home to Las Cruces
Taper begins · 10 days to Mallorca
Jul 21 – 25
4 days drive · 1 optional easy ride
Taper rules — non-negotiable
Home by July 25. Flight to Mallorca is August 4 — that's 10 days. Two easy 45-minute spins max in that window, no climbing. The fitness is fully banked at this point. Nothing they do in the final 10 days will add to their fitness, but they can absolutely subtract from it by overdoing it. Sleep as much as possible. Drink more water than feels necessary. Arrive in Palma with legs that feel springy, not spent.
Optional — easy spin only
One flat or rolling 25-mile ride near Santa Fe or Taos
Easy pace only
No climbs
Just keep legs turning
Final checklist before Mallorca
✅ Download Komoot + RideWithGPS for offline navigation
✅ Get bike serviced before the flight
✅ Pack chamois cream — use it every day on tour
✅ European plug adapter (Spain is 220V)
✅ Notify bank of Spain travel
✅ Passport valid 6+ months past return date
✅ Get bike serviced before the flight
✅ Pack chamois cream — use it every day on tour
✅ European plug adapter (Spain is 220V)
✅ Notify bank of Spain travel
✅ Passport valid 6+ months past return date
Full Ride Summary
All 12 key training rides with distances, elevation, difficulty, campsite, and direct links
| # | Ride | Location | Date | Miles | Elevation | Difficulty | Campsite | Route + Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Hyde Park Road — Santa Fe Ski Basin | Santa Fe, NM | Jun 24 | 30 mi | 3,260 ft | Moderate | Hyde Memorial State Park | |
| 02 | High Road to Taos (Hwy 76) | Santa Fe → Taos, NM | Jun 25 | 55 mi | 2,500 ft | Moderate | Orilla Verde Recreation Area | |
| 03 | Animas Valley Loop (Baker's Bridge) | Durango, CO | Jun 28 | 27 mi | 1,000 ft | Easy | Junction Creek Campground | |
| 04 | Dead Horse Point Climb | Moab, UT | Jun 30 | 35 mi | 2,000 ft | Moderate | Moab RV & Glamping Resort | |
| — | Salt Lake City — Rest & Recovery | Salt Lake City, UT | Jul 2–7 | — | — | Rest | Home base | — |
| 05 | Scenic Byway 12 — Bryce to Boulder | Bryce → Boulder, UT | Jul 8 | 65 mi | 3,500 ft | Hard | Red Canyon Campground | |
| 06 | Torrey → Capitol Reef Scenic Drive | Torrey, UT | Jul 10 | 40 mi | 1,500 ft | Moderate | Fruita Campground, Capitol Reef NP | |
| 07 | Last Dollar Road — Telluride | Telluride, CO | Jul 12 | 34 mi | 2,400 ft | Hard | Sunshine Campground, Telluride | |
| 08 | Telluride → Lizard Head Pass (Hwy 145) | Telluride, CO | Jul 14 | 50 mi | 3,100 ft | Hard | Sunshine Campground, Telluride | |
| 09 | Million Dollar Highway — Ouray ↔ Silverton | Ouray, CO | Jul 16 | 46 mi | 4,000 ft | Hard | Amphitheater Campground, Ouray | |
| 10⭐ | Durango → Silverton — THE BENCHMARK | Durango, CO | Jul 18 | 50 mi | 6,000 ft | Benchmark | Junction Creek Campground | |
| 11 | Durango → Pagosa Springs (Hwy 160) | Durango, CO | Jul 19 | 60 mi | 3,000 ft | Moderate | Junction Creek Campground | |
| 12 | Optional easy spin — Santa Fe area (taper) | NM (drive home) | Jul 22–23 | ~25 mi | Flat only | Taper | En route — motel/camp | — |
| Total training miles | ~517 mi | ~32,260 ft | + unlimited bragging rights | |||||
Essential apps — download before leaving Las Cruces
Komoot and RideWithGPS — both allow offline route download so GPS works without cell service. Critical for the San Juans and southern Utah where signal disappears. Strava is fine for tracking but not navigation. Download routes the night before each ride while you have wifi at camp.