Today’s 12km loop from the beautiful Read’s Hotel out around the foothills of Majorca’s Sierra Tramuntana is the first opportunity we are getting to test ride machines from Giant’s all-new 2012 On-Road Performance range.

There are three bikes for each journo: a Defy Advanced, a TCR Advanced and a TCR Advanced SL. They are not ‘production’ bikes; production frames and components, yes, but assembled so we can directly compare frame performance uninfluenced by parts differences. So we get mechanical Dura-Ace and Giant’s new P-SLR1 wheel system complete with matching tyres.

The morning has been spent soaking up talk after talk from Giant’s tech and marketing people and, primed by the wonderful things we are hearing about ‘Dynamic presence’, OverDrive 2, the TCR Advanced SL’s 820g frame weight including integrated seat mast and the carbon nanotube-impregnated resin mixed by Giant at their own factory, we are keen to get going. Especially as the sun is blazing and it’s 30 degrees in the shade.

Time for the ride.