A new three-day series of women’s early season races will be held in Mallorca in late January, preceding the long-standing men’s Challenge Mallorca races.
Branded as the Garden Hotels Luxcom Challenge, the eight days of racing will run from Saturday January 20th to Sunday January 28th, offering some early season racing for those who do not travel to Australia for the women’s Tour Down Under between.
The three races constitute an important addition to the women’s racing in Spain. They are followed by the three-day Volta a Mallorca (January 30-February 2).
The Vuelta Feminina has become established as Spain’s leading women’s race and in its recently extended week-long format will once again take place in May 2024, making it the de facto Grand Tour in the women’s calendar, alongside the Giro Women and the Tour de France Femmes.
The 33rd edition of the Challenge Mallorca men’s race series follows on from the women’s races. Both the men’s and women’s races will be broadcast live on Eurosport, as well as Teledeporte in Spain.
Last year’s five races were won by Rui Costa (Trofeo Calvía), Marijn van de Berg (Trofeo Port d’Alcudia), Kobe Goossens (Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana and Trofeo Pollença-Port d'Andratx) and Ethan Vernon (Trofeo Playa de Palma).
At the press conference officially announcing the creation of the races, it was also confirmed that organisers Unisport Consulting would continue to run both the men’s and women’s races until 2027.
Teams and riders for both the men’s and women’s events have yet to be revealed.
The full list of 2024 races is as follows:
Women’s Series:
Saturday January 20th: Trofeo Felanitx-Colonia de Sant Jordi
Sunday January 21st: Trofeo Palma
Monday January 22nd: Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx
Men’s Series:
Wednesday January 24th: Trofeo Calvía
Thursday January 25th: Ses Salines - Felanitx
Friday January 26th: Serra de Tramuntana-Selva-Lluc
Saturday January 27th: Pollença-Port d’Andratx
Sunday January 28th: Trofeo Palma.
