8th Trofeo Ses Salines(1.1) »Ses Salines › Colònia de Sant Jordi (184.5km)
Sprint day
The pack is moving from the Northern to the Southern part of the Island for the second day of the Mallorca Challenge. This is a distinctively different region with much flatter terrain, and, except from Ronda (which is not part of this race), there aren’t no serious challenges; That is reflected in the course of this race,which is basically a circuit lap of 91km in length that needs to be completed twice.
The total distance of the race is 184.5 km, with an elevation gain of 1077 meters, averaging just 5.4 meters per kilometer. Needless to say, the organizers favor a race for the sprinters, and that’s typically what we see here in Ses Salines. Last year, Paul Magnier made a remarkable debut in his first-ever pro race, propelling himself to the forefront of Pro Cycling.
Previously, the race concluded in Felanitx, but this year the finish line is set in Colonia de Sant Jordi, near the coast. Felanitx is still part of the route, and about 23 km from the finish, the last climb appears on the course. This climb is hardly a challenge, being just about a kilometer long with an average gradient of 3.8%. It shouldn’t pose much of an issue to the sprinters and I doubt it’s hard enough to split the peloton.
From Felanitx to the finish, there are about 21 km remaining, slightly undulating but on those typical, nice Mallorcan roads that are wide and well-paved.”
The final 5 km begin with a descent just after passing through the village of Ses Salines, leading straight to the coast. It will be crucial to be at the front of the pack 7 km before the finish, just before entering the village of Ses Salinas, or it will be difficult to get to the front. The section through Ses Salinas, with its smaller streets, is quite tricky, featuring a couple of tight corners and narrow passages.
Immediately after Ses Salines, a short downhill stretch begins. The first hundred meters are quite tricky, with winding roads and a rapid sequence of corners, requiring energy to get back to the front.
At 1.3km from the finish, there’s a roundabout that will be taken at high speed, after which a straight line to the finish remains. The last 400 meters of progress in ascending fashion, with the last 200 meters averaging over 3%.
The Weather
Not too warm, not too cold with temperatures up to 14-15°C, and the wind is low in the first part of the race (12km/h) but evolves to moderate-strong in the second part (22km/h). The wind is coming from the West, which means that the run in to the finish spot is going to be a (cross)headwind.
The Race
This is a classic sprint stage and although the field of sprinters is not very deep, most teams will undoubtedly aim to bring their sprinter to the finish line in the best possible conditions. Additionally, the headwind in the final part of the circuit will make it difficult for any breakaway riders to stay ahead of a chasing peloton. I expect that especially Intermarché-Wanty, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, and XDS Astana Team will be focused on reining in any breakaways, as they have -on paper, the best contenders for the victory here.
The last 10 kilometers, just like last year, will be extremely nervous to ensure being the first through the passage at Ses Salines. This bottleneck, 5km from the finish, is not a place where you can win the race, but you can certainly lose it by being pushed too far back. The run-in to Colònia de Sant Jordi will also be hectic, as the road goes downhill. XDS Astana seems to have one of the strongest sprint trains, but Tudor and Intermarché-Wanty should also be able to hold their own.
The final few hundred meters are slightly uphill, and combined with the headwind, it will be crucial for the sprinters to position themselves well and time their effort perfectly.
Main Contenders
Biniam Girmay (Intermarché Wanty) ✨✨✨✨✨ By far the biggest name in this field. After a very successful 2024 season, he’s ready to focus on Milano San Remo, so the races here should primarily be considered part of the build-up phase. That said, he has enough qualities to compete for the win here as well. The slightly uphill finish definitely plays to his advantage. It will be a good test for IWG to fine-tune the lead-out for Bini, now that Mike Teunissen has moved to XDS Astana.
Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) ✨✨✨✨ Alberto turns 27 this year and should slowly but surely arrive at the apex of his potential. With victories in both the Vuelta a España and Giro d’Italia, and many other stage races, he’s a rider that should always be among the top favorites in this field. Last year, he finished 2nd here. 2024 wasn’t his best year, and there’s a feeling of pressure this year, as he’s in the last year of his contract with Tudor. That often brings out the best in riders, so I expect we’ll see him eager to prove himself immediately.
Marijn Van den Berg (EF Education Easy Post) ✨✨✨✨ EF Education Easy Post didn’t have the best start so far. The team appeared somewhat disorganized today in Calvia Trofeo, and their performance at the Tour Down Under was also less than stellar. Marijn has previously achieved success in the opening races in Mallorca and won this edition of the Trofeo Ses Salines in 2023, albeit at a different finish location. That race ended on a more significant uphill section, although this one should still suit him well.
Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana Team) ✨✨✨: Astana has brought a strong team of sprinters, including Gleb Syritsa, Malucelli, and Max Kanter ✨✨. With Malucelli and Kanter being new additions to the team, it will be interesting to see how they handle the chaos in the final kilometers. I suspect the team will use Gleb Syritsa as a lead-out. Malucelli ended his 2024 season on a high note in the Tour of Langkawi.
Antonio Morgado (UAE Team Emirates XRG) ✨✨Another day, another Morgado show? The transformation is real; Morgado has become a predator. Normally, he wouldn’t stand much of a chance, but with his immense power, I wouldn’t discount him finishing in the top 5 here.
Fernando Gaviria (Movistar):✨✨ This old warrior needs no introduction. Probably one of the most seasoned sprinters in the field. Given that the last kilometers can become quite chaotic, we shouldn’t be surprised to see Gaviria emerge.
Davide Bomboi (Unibet Tietema Rockets) ✨✨ In his third season as a pro, Bomboi, along with RKT, now has the experience needed to be competitive in sprints like these. A top 5 finish should be within reach.
Soren Waerenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) ✨✨ I’m not sure if the team will choose Soren over Erland Blikra, but I would favor Soren here. If his positioning is good, his raw power uphill should lead to a great result.
Milan Menten (Lotto): ✨✨The slight uphill in the last 200 meters should favor the pocket sprinter from the Lotto team. His start in the Ruta de la Ceramica was not as expected, which could indicate that his form still needs some improvement. This race doesn’t have a nasty climb in the final part, so let’s not read too much into the fact that he didn’t finish at the front of the peloton in Ruta.
Stanislaw Anialkowski (Cofidis) :✨✨ The Polish sprinter had a couple of nice results in 2024, underscored by the 609 UCI points that he gathered. In this field, a Top 5 is certainly with the realm of the possible.
Keep an eye on
✨ Enrico Zanoncello (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè), Vince Gerits (Team Flanders Baloise), Romet Pajur (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies), David Dekker (Euskatel-Euskadi), Jon Aberasturi (Euskatel-Euskadi)
The Outcome
A victory for Biniam Girmay, with Alberto Dainese 2nd and Marijn Van den Berg 3th.
