At night, in one of the tents that make up the Titan Camp In NEOM (Saudi Arabia), Julen Zubero always reviews the next day’s stage. Behind him lie thirteen participations in the Titan Desert. At his side, rests the Spanish cyclist with the most participation in the Tour de France, Haimar Zubeldia, who “learns a lot”. “He has experience in this type of race and I always say that he is a GPS wizard,” reveals the man from Usurbil, a chameleon since he left professional life. In his beginnings, he flirted with cyclocross, which is highly cultured in his area, or with track cycling. Now, he dares with everything. In the NEOM Titan Desert Saudi Arabia, after two stages, he is second overall, only behind the world number one MTB, David Valero. Behind him, third and winner of the second stage, his adventure partner, Julen Zubero. The double ‘Zu’.
Cycling unites them, present in their lives forever, but also a great friendship. Both race as members of the Krypteia team. Their paths in the desert, however, were not always linked. And it was hard for them to come together. “We like to make a competitive team and we were missing one. In the end, we convinced him and we managed well ”, reveals Zubeldia with a laugh, referring to his great moment in the race. “We have known each other forever and he is a person with whom it is easy to talk. The truth is that yes, it was difficult for him to sign me. I went with my store (Ciclos Zubero), running with my stories, but the truth is that it is much easier to go with people. You are calmer and in the relationship everything has added up ”, adds Zubero, son of Luis Zubero, also a professional, 15th in the 1970 Tour.
“In the professional world, you live in a bubble. On your bus, with the same people… This is different and I wanted it”
They understand each other well. As soon as they look at each other, they are able to know what each one needs while they compete. As professionals, they already coincided on the road. Haimar, with 19 years of experience, ran with the Euskaltel; Julen, in the elite between 2005 and 2007, with Orbea. “Julen is much younger than me (40 and 45 years old), but we were there for a few years. Later, he dedicated himself to going to these types of races and I also had that in mind. We met again on the Titan ”, he explains Zubeldia, who, whenever he goes to Bilbao (he lives near San Sebastián), visits his desert partner’s shop. “In the professional world, you live like in a bubble. On your bus, with the same people, in big laps… This is different and I wanted it ”, she analyzes.
a picture forever
These days, your WhatsApp “is on fire”. Óscar Romero, ideologue of the Krypteia, has been a father and has not attended the Saudi appointment. From a distance, he enjoys his colleagues, the only ones capable of following the Valero SUV. “We have both seen that he has one, two, three, four or five more points. Even if it is, at least, we will try to make him nervous ”, assesses Haimar before the queen stage, which he reaches with the same time as the Olympic medalist. “It is very difficult to get him out of the way. The only thing to do is wait for an error. Today he has committed it and, using class and strength, he has taken us very easily. It is better to have him as a friend than as an enemy and, if he emerges, we will try to unseat him. I, at least, would be very happy to reach the finish line with them and maintain the position I have”, wishes Zubero. It would be “a photo forever”.
