Majorca Helps British Cycling Hit Olympic Goldmine

The majority of Olympic athletes train their entire lives for a shot at competing in front of the world. Only the absolute best make it that far. Every little thing matters when you're going for the gold: diet, training, mindset, and support.

In the 2008 Summer Olympics, the British Cycling Team was more successful than even they could have hoped. The team that once didn't have enough money for proper uniforms took home an astonishing eight gold medals out of a total of 19 for Great Britain.

Under careful and constant leadership, the British Cycling Team worked very hard to shake off the team's humble history and climb to the top of their game in Beijing. Following their promising performance in Athens in the 2004 Olympics, the team was dedicated to training hard, improving every aspect of their performance, and taking home a pot of gold.

Part of their training equation was superior leadership and teamwork. The entire British Cycling Team, from the helpers in the pit to the team's performance director Dave Brailsford, worked tirelessly to hone the cyclists' abilities. Through training and the heartening results of the World Cup, the British team pushed themselves to a new level of greatness.

One of the highlights of the team's ascent was their performance in the 2007-2008 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics series. Over the course of the five rounds, the British team showed incredible skill. But even more than that, they showed admirable team cohesiveness.

In order to get where they were during the World Cup series, and where they are now after the Beijing Olympics, the British Cycling Team had to train like never before. Their routine consisted of up to seven hours on the road every day. The grueling schedule and merciless drive to succeed were somewhat tempered by the luxurious surroundings during part of their training.

The luxurious period of the team's Olympics training was spent in Majorca; a Balearic Island known for its hospitality and near-perfect weather.

For the British Cycling Team, though, it meant long days of grueling training. The team had a favourite area of tough hills where they would ride until they simply couldn't go any longer. This is a far cry from the vacations most people spend in Majorca. But if you have to push yourself to the edge of your physical endurance and strength, there's no lovelier place to do it.

The British Cycling Team isn't the only group of cyclists using Majorca as an idyllic backdrop to their training. Several other groups of amateur cyclists make their way to the island every winter and spring to train in the beautiful setting. They may not be headed to the Olympics right away, but among those amateur cyclists could be another great British Cycling Team in the making.

All of the elements present in the training of this record-breaking team came together to create something wonderful. Whether it was the brilliant leadership of Dave Brailsford, the tough but effective daily workouts or the overall positive chemistry of the team, one thing is certain. The British Cycling Team of the 2008 Summer Olympics will go down in the country's history as national heroes, and enthuses Britain to the London 2012 Olympics.