Challenge Mallorca Recap

Project Echelon Racing started the 2025 season in Spain for the third consecutive year racing against the best teams on the UCI professional circuit.

"Mallorca is always an incredible setting and race to start the season. It's unique set up of five consecutive one-day races allows us to switch up rosters and take some gambles that stage racing doesn't allow." PER President Eric Hill said.

Heres a day by day breakdown of the action at the Challenge Mallorca.

Day 1: Trofeo Calvia

The opening day of the Challenge Mallorca kicked off with the Trofeo Calvia. The race started from Peguera and as anticipated, was one of the most challenging races of the season.
Cole Davis and Hugo Scala Jr. led the Project Echelon push but unfortunately nothing materialized from it as the break never truly formed.
Despite the disappointment of not tasting the podium on Day 1, Hill found some nuggets of gold in the seasons first outing Spain.
"The performances they (Cole and Hugo) put down, with their ability to navigate the front of the race against some of the words best in grippy conditions is a clear sign that our guys are up to whatever task we put in front of them this year."


Day 2: Trofeo Ses Salines

It was a much better day for the team as Colby Lange and Ethan Craine both hoisted hardware celebrating Sprint and King of the Mountain accolades. For Craine, this is the second consecutive podium as KOM (2024, 2025).

Stage 2 was a relatively flat finish that culminated in a crash heavy finale, ending the hopes of Cade Bickmore who was well positioned at the time.


Day 3: Serra Tramuntana

It was a tough day for the squad and the entire field with only Hugo Scala Jr. finishing the 151.3km race for PER that was full of geographical challenges of hilly climbs and descents as well as Mother Nature's touch of heavy rain.


Day 4: Trofeo Andratx – Mirador des Colomer.

The day's racing was cancelled due to weather and dangerous road conditions. This cancelation upset many on the Mallorca Challenge organizing committee but was rider-led as the majority felt the circuit too dangerous after continuous rain made the trek treacherous.


Day 5: Trofeo Playa de Palma

After resting the previous day, PER riders saw much more favorable conditions on Sunday's final day of racing.
It took some time for a break to happen, but at the 37km mark, Colby Lange took off. He along with Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) formed a two-man break away staying out front until 100km's to go in the race (149km race in total) when a punctured tire slowed the speedy Lange costing him valuable time and distance - a deficit he could not recover from.

"For Colby, Mallorca was his return to top form and confidence on the road after putting a heavy focus on the track for the past two seasons in pursuit of the Olympics."

While the overall results for the team weren't there, Challenge Mallorca laid a solid foundation to build from for the remainder of the season. It's difficulty, competing against the best in the world and oh yeah... the rain and wind sets Project Echelon up for success moving forward in Europe and domestically.

"We also saw gritty performances from newcomer Cole Davis and Hugo Scala during some of the races most demanding days in Mallorca," Hill reflected. "For our other riders, there are so many small wins, things that bring a team together, elevate a rider's belief in ones self, that will lead to success down the road at their target races. We may not have set the world on fire this week, but we set a solid bed of coals that will burn long into the season. The team showed great cohesion and promise for races to come, especially hitting the front of the race as a unit inside the closing 5 kilometers."