FORMER Glendene Cyle Club member Alex Dowsett started his 2013 season in the colours of the Spanish outfit Movistar Team at the Mallorca Challenge and topped his opening three races with a 13th place finish at the Trofeo Alcudia.
The Mallorca Challenge is made up of four individual races but riders can do as many of those races as they want.
Riding in the first and second of the four races in the Challenge Dowsett knew his role would be to protect the team's sprinters and the opening race, a 116km circuit race around the streets of the Majorcan capital, proved to be a tough reminder of the exertions that would be required in the coming months.
"The tight circuit was made all the more difficult by a strong wind" he explained. "But it wasn't too bad. I got stuck in and it was nice to be back in the bunch but as we got to the business end of the race there was a stark reminder of how hectic finales are. I helped out there as much as I could".
And Alex's efforts were well rewarded with the team's sprinters, Jose Ventoso and Jose Joaquin Rojas, finishing in fifth and sixth places respectively.
But those frustrations proved to be only short lived as in the third race of the week, the 153km Trofeo Deia, Dowsett's team leader Alejandro Valverde sprinted out of a lead group of four to win his and the team's first race victory of 2013. Alex was then pitched into the longest race of the week, the 170km Trofeo Alcudia that featured another four serious climbs but that again proved to be another race where he put his talents at the service of sprinter Jose Joaquin Rojas.
Alex has an opportunity to ride to his key strength this week in the Volta ao Algarve that starts tomorrow (Thursday).
The four stage race finishes on Sunday with a 35km time trial where Dowsett will be riding in his National Time Trial champion's jersey.
