A titan desert that celebrates 17 editions, which will take place once again for Moroccobut that will have a almost entirely new route is the one that will run between April 30 and May 5, and which was presented this Wednesday at the Skoda building in Barcelona. “After so many years, since 2006, It’s going to be an unpublished Titan. There will be 80 percent of the kilometers that are newof tracks, that the titans had not traveled before ”, revealed manu tajadatest director.
“We have gone further east in the mountains, new dune areas have opened up with the passage of vehicles, and we have been lucky enough to link all these new areas,” said Tajada, who considered that with so much novelty in the tour “what we do is match the odds with new entrants. We hope to announce elite people soon. At the sporting level, there will be more equality”.
The tour, of 627 kilometers and with more than 7,700 meters of positive slopeIt starts in the mountains, at Boulmane Dadas. The third stage will be the queen, with a mountainous part, a stony track with a navigation section and a slow finish. Later, desert, the dunes of Merzouga in the fifth stage, adventure, more mountains and excitement until the last section, “which will not be a walk like the Tour”. “There are two very long stages, which are together. We will have to win the ‘finisher’ jersey. We place a lot of value on navigation”, Tajada shelled.
Induráin: “I hope to step on the sand a little”
One of the great claims of this edition will be nothing less than the five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain. I like the heat and I have gotten involved, because I have never set foot in Morocco. I like the road better, so I will have to train. They have sent me training lists but I am not following it… It is very cold in Pamplona”, explained the ex-cyclist very matter-of-factly, who in 2020 already participated in the Titan de Almería.
“I go with road shoes, I hope to step on the sand a little. They are hobbies, I have done well, and I will not change now that I am in the last kilometers ”, released Induráin, a member of the team Kosner-Saltoki homewho added: “I will never win but the spirit of competition is always there. It is a medium that I do not master, the first days it will be to see them coming and then, if possible, give gas ”.
The best chocolatier in the world
Another of the participants comes from the world of pastry, to the point that he conquered the World Chocolate Master 2022 as the best master chocolatier in the world. Lluc Crusellas acknowledged that “As a child I saw the Titan Desert as a dream. And this year she will have the opportunity to go and enjoy it ”. “What will remain will be the experience, the good memories, and not if I finished 20th or in what position”, he highlighted.
“Every test is something different, better, superior, so we’re really looking forward to it.”, was meant jesus garcia, CEO of Titan World Series, who stressed that “this test is a spider web that everyone who touches it gets stuck.” “The last one to reach the finish line is as happy as the first,” he said, alluding to an original phrase from Juan Porcarthe creator of the test.
Titan on five continents
“The most relevant thing is the experience you live, the coexistence between the best cyclists in the world and people who stand out in other professions, because success is that not only those who win are rewarded, but all who come”, summarized Garcia. And he sentenced: “We aspire to have Titan in the five continentsin forests and deserts. What we have so good we must take outside.
Almost by way of allusions, Porcar took the podium to pronounce himself: “Our philosophy was always preserve emotions and adventure over the competition. In that regard, the Titan has changed little. The change has been in the structure and the dimension of the event, ”she highlighted. “I will never be able to sentimentally disassociate myself from the Titan,” said its creator, who no longer holds a position in the organization. Yes you are currently joined Joan MassalleSkoda sponsoring manager, who pointed out: “We do not like to say that we are sponsors, that we are also, because we are fully involved. We are fellow travelers.”
The stages of the Titan Desert 2023
April 30, stage 1: Boulmane Dades – Boulmane Dades. 89km, +2,131m ascent, difficulty 4.
May 1, stage 2: Boulmane Dades-Nkob, 106km, +1,830m elevation gain, difficulty 4
May 2, stage 3: Nkob-Fezzou, 132km, +1,110m elevation gain, difficulty 5
May 3, stage 4: Fezzou-Merzouga, 131km, +1,146m elevation gain, difficulty 5
May 4, stage 5: Merzouga-Merzouga, 98km, +933m elevation gain, difficulty 4
May 5, stage 6: Mezouga-Maadid, 70km, +575m elevation gain, difficulty 3