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A CYCLING specialist has expressed concerns over safety in Mallorca, following a recent crash involving six German national cycling team members.
Last month, a driver aged 89 struck the cyclists near Palma Airport.
Gordon Neale is a veteran cyclist who has spent decades in the sport.
READ MORE A car hit six members of the German National Cycling Team near the airport in Mallorca
He published in 2023 Cycling 70 Years as a World ChampionHis career and his time in Mallorca are described.
Interview with Olive PressThe 86 year old Brit highlighted the growing dangers for cyclists on this island.
Mallorca has been a worldwide hotspot for cyclists, attracting about 400,000 riders each year. Neale warns, however, that the roads have become dangerously crowded.
He says that the roads are too crowded, and he points to large groups of cyclists who often lack experienced leadership.
Financial constraints make it difficult for many organizers to provide enough qualified guides.
Neale also notes that the types of cyclists have changed.
More triathletes now train in Mallorca, using ‘tri-bar’ bikes, which offer less control than standard road bikes.
They are highly competitive and often race to set the fastest time on open roads.
Neale warns that “being seriously competitive on the road can cause problems”.
Mallorca is a popular training location for cyclists in the United States and Europe.
This influx has brought many inexperienced riders who ‘follow the crowd’ without a solid cycling background, increasing the risk of accidents.
In Spain, the number of cyclists killed has risen from 49 in 2011 up to 90 in 2023.
It is hard to get exact accident numbers for Mallorca but data from Trends on the Road There have been 19 deaths of cyclists on the island in the past five year, and 150-200 accidents per annum.
In spite of these numbers, most cyclists consider Mallorca to be relatively safe.
Members of a Mallorca cycling Facebook group, such as Marco Laufenberg and Santi Brage, claim the island is ‘incredibly safe’ and ‘much safer than most parts of Europe’.
Neale, however, disagrees. He claims that the number of accidents reported is lower than what actually occurs. Local authorities are allegedly downplaying incidents in order to protect tourism.
“I’ve seen accidents that are never reported in the press,” says he. “They try and cover it because of tourism”.
He suggests tour operators may have a financial interest in minimizing the amount of discussion on cycling accidents.
Above all, Neale insists that ‘one accident is one too many’.
He advises cyclists to ride with people who are experienced, avoid dangerous weather conditions and do not cut corners when descending dangerous mountains.
He wants the authorities to move endurance events such as Ironman to months that are less busy, to reduce the pressure on Mallorca’s road.
As cycling tourism grows, the debate on safety on the island will likely not disappear anytime soon.
