Meet the Ciclos Major Team
Darryl Leese
The Founder of Ciclos Major, who can normally be found on or near the front of our Cappuccino group, perhaps our most popular group, especially as the season moves on into March & April. An absolute master of the lanes of the island, Darryl has undiscovered and little used roads and routes to most destinations on the island. With 15 years’ experience, Darryl is also fully versed in ride and group management and will ensure every day out is a day to remember! When he’s not riding Darryl is hard at work on his computer pulling the whole operation together, handling the admin of bookings, transfers and looking after client requests. He’s the conduit to our superb accommodation with the Zafiro hotels group, and his contacts on the island mean we have access to great local partners to help us offer that special experience.
Liz Rooney
Although Liz first cycled in Mallorca only three years ago, she is similar to Victor Kiam (‘I liked the shaver so much, I bought the company’), as soon as Liz started riding on the island she was hooked and liked it so much she’s rarely been off the island since that time! When she’s not on the bike you’ll find Liz working hard at our meet and greet functions, assisting with the admin, bookings and looking after the welfare and general needs of our clients. Not being a traditionalist means Liz fully understands the needs and requirements of the modern cyclist and athlete and is key to driving our fresh approach to all things Mallorca. During the day and on the road, you’ll find her either working in our Cappuccino group or hosting our Ladies Only rides!
Antony Stapleton
Whilst Antony has been an active time triallist and road racing rider for some 30 years, in recent times he has shifted his focus to riding in Mallorca, and to enable others to enjoy the lanes and small roads that he has been riding since he first trained on the island in the spring of 1986! Usually found guiding one of our Espresso groups, Antony not only knows the roads of the island to a fine detail, he prides himself on taking our guests to the very best cafés and very occasionally after the rides, to the best bars in town! Antony is responsible for organising the practical needs of our clients, which includes kitting them out in our stylish and highly acclaimed Ciclos Major cycling outfits and supplying their nutrition and practical needs over the course of their stay. A qualified mechanic, he will always try to sort out minor bike and kit issues, and if he can’t sort it, he’ll generally know who can!
Andrew ‘Yeomo’ Yeoman
An experienced and tough racing cyclist who guides our Espresso groups safely at speed around the roads of Mallorca. Yeomo is relatively new to guiding on the island but has quickly honed his craft to have become a master of the art in a very short time. Leading a big group at 30+ km/h takes a high level of concentration, and Andrew manages to do this whilst doing a lot of the pace work at the same time. He loves the mountains and likes to test his fitness against our keenest clients! Also, he is our resident raconteur, not only specialising in lively conversation, but in his role as our entertainments manager you’ll occasionally find him entertaining our guests with a microphone, knocking out a great Otis Redding or Bill Withers number!!
Ben & Karen Dennett
This ‘golden couple’ of Mallorquin cycling know the island top to bottom, and side to side! B&K have been cruising the lanes of Mallorca for over twenty years and they ably manage our Americano group. Both have a background of racing, and Karen is currently enjoying a renaissance in her time trialling form! Ben is the diesel of the duo leading this group to the base of the climbs, whereupon Karen takes over in the mountains, marshalling their group smoothly to the high summits. B&K love to head south and to take their clients to the ‘other’ little visited chain of mountains that Mallorca has to offer.
Robbie Harcourt
If Ben is the diesel of our Americano group, then Robbie is the turbodiesel! Robbie has worked with Ben and Karen for several seasons now and like any sorcerer’s apprentice, he now professes to know the lanes even better than his masters! Ben may just question that as he glances despairingly at Robbie’s Garmin!! Seriously though, Robbie is a tough and resourceful rider, and a very experienced mechanic to boot. Providing some ‘Northern grit’ to compliment the other two ‘smooth Southerners’ on the odd occasion the wind does blow on the island, Ben and Robbie set to work and pull the group home at speed. Robbie is fully versed in ride management and leads rides in the UK for the rest of the year is a mainstay of his local cycling club.
Tim Ball
An expert when on the roads of Mallorca and owner of Audlum Cyclesport in South Cheshire, Tim brings a wealth of experience to our team. Usually guiding alongside Darryl with our Cappuccino riders, and being from the rugged North of England, Tim is equally at home on the flat, or in the Mountains. His mountain biking background means his bike handling skills are second to none, and he can impart that knowledge, and the tips and tricks of that trade, onto our clients. With some of our Cappuccino riders being relatively new to cycling, That’s the kind of benefits attending an organised cycling holiday can bring to the improving rider. Tim is also a fully qualified mechanic and has a passion for all things tractors!
Mary Bower
A keen road rider and time triallist, Mary has ridden at a high level in the UK and will be on hand to offer support to all our groups and particularly to help our lady riders. Mary had been riding regularly on Mallorca for ten years and whilst she loves to visit the Caves of Campanet, her knowledge of the island is now fully comprehensive. Quick in the hills and smooth on the flats, Mary is equally at home working with any of our established guides or leading out groups into the varied terrain Mallorca has to offer!
Nick Cooper
An adopted Mallorquin who has called this island his retreat for almost 5 years now preparing for his summer of road-racing. Nick is most at home on the boards of the velodrome having raced at both the Ghent and London 6 day events in the under-23 category but it is his love of the road that always comes to the fore. He can be found leading at the front of the Espresso and Double Espresso groups through the secluded lanes and up beautiful climbs. His years of riding in the bunch on the road comes through when leading, always keen to keep a nice tight group; making sure everyone is together and safe is always at the top of Nick’s priorities. Nick is always keen to talk about all things cycling but once you get him going he may not stop!
Melissa Dowell
Melissa started competing in triathlon in 2007, previously from a swimming background. She has ridden the Mallorca 312 and completed over a dozen Ironman races, including Ironman Mallorca and has qualified for The World Championship Kona Ironman five times. She competed in this event three times gaining two Age Group top 10 finishes. Melissa has also competed widely for Great Britain throughout Europe and further afield, racing both World ITU and European ETU long distance and middle distance age group championships.
In 2016 she won gold in the age group world championships long course triathlon in Oklahoma and more recently a silver medal in Pontevedra Spain in May 2019. She also has four golds, a silver and two bronze medals from racing for Great Britain in European age group championships. Melissa has wide experience from attending training camps around the world and has delivered training sessions to a youth triathlon squad for several years.
Toni Saunders
A Triathlete for more than a decade, building up through all the distances as a beginner, Toni knows what it’s like to progress from newbie through to full age group racing. Her preferred choice is long distance endurance and Toni has completed 3 full Ironman races – UK, Austria and Copenhagen. Toni has also completed many 70.3 races, fittingly including the Mallorca Ironman 70.3!
An age group qualifier for GB ETU Championships at both Middle and Standard Distance, and an UCI cycling age group qualifier competing in both Perth and Albi world championships.
With the last 17 years spent holidaying in Alcudia and Puerto Pollensa Toni has developed a love for Cycling in the mountains, running along the coastline and swimming in the clear waters of Pollensa and Alcudia bays. She’s convinced it’s the perfect place to train, and equally importantly, to relax.
Toni’s passion has led her into many formal coaching qualifications which include:
- British Triathlon Federation level 2
- BTF Diploma 1-2-1 online coaching
- BTF open water coaching
- ASA swimming Instructor
- Swim smooth Certification, plus the 1-2-1 video analysis under Swimsmooth specific coaching system
- NRASTC light ( Teachers rescue Test ) Training peaks Summit University – for online 1-2-1 Triathlon , marathon, and swim coaching
This impressive array combined with an extensive knowledge of the island means Toni is ready to welcome our Triathlon focused clients and to guide them through the ultimate training experience from start to finish.
Debra Peck
An experienced timetrialist from the UK, now living in Mallorca for the last 4 years. Debra has built up her knowledge of the roads here on this beautiful island to enable her to guide, encourage and support you enhancing your “Ultimate Mallorquin Cycling Experience”. Her focus is on the Cappuccino level rides and the Ladies only rides.
Al Spurden
A former runner and relative late-comer to cycling, Alan is a new addition to the Ciclos Major Guide Team and is currently building up his knowledge of our routes by shadowing Antony in the Espresso groups. Most comfortable when climbing or on the front of the group into a headwind where his experience in time-trialling and even pacing comes to the fore.
David Hunter
David commuted in London traffic since the '80s, finally joined a cycle club -Brixton Cycle Club -in 2016 and has ridden LEJOG, Ventoux, Atlas Mountains. Since retiring as an anaesthetist & intensive care doctor he has moved to South Coast, becoming a member of Christchurch Bicycle Club and Lymington Triathlon Club and has made annual pilgrimages to cycle in Mallorca over the years. He enjoys traffic free cycling and happy on long steady rides. David joined as Ciclos Major Guide October 2022 and is building his knowledge of the many lanes and roads around Mallorca, he admits he is excellent at drafting and loitering at the back when not guiding the rides!