The legendary Irish cyclist, Stephen Roche, who now runs cycling camps in Majorca and whose son Nicolas now races for Team Sky, yesterday called on the local institutions to pay the cycle tourism industry more attention.
In 1987, Roche became the second of only two cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia stage races, plus the World road race championship and has been involved with cycling camps here in Majorca, and more lately the South of France as well, for many years now.
Yesterday, he met with the eco nationalist party Mes’s candidate for the President of the Council of Majorca, Miguel Ensenyat, to discuss the current state of the island’s cycle tourism industry, the lack of support it is given by the local authorities and what more can de done to maximize the potential of this rapidly growing industry.
Both Roche and Ensenyat agreed that cycle tourism has become extremely important to Majorca and, apart from being eco friendly, generates a substantial amount of money for the local economy - 180,000 cyclists came to Majorca last year and they are spending big, especially when it comes to having to replace equipment or repair their bicycles.