Titan Desert ended up being clarified as one of the toughest races in the world

The new edition of Škoda Titan Desert Morocco 2022 sees the achievements of Konny Looser, in the men’s category, and Anna Ramírez, in the women’s category. Congratulations should be extended to all participants in this edition who, with their effort and desire, heighten the sense of epicness that surrounds this seventeenth edition.

As expected, the test offered a major challenge for the participants ’resistance. To reach the end, they had to act like real titans, the creatures which took the name of trial and whose power was only inferior to the Olympian gods themselves.

The victory for Pablo Guerrero

The final stage between Erg Chebbi and Maadid met expectations. The tour began in the Sahara and ended at the peaks of the Atlas — the titanium that carried the vault of heaven on its shoulders—. There Konny Looser and Anna Ramírez established themselves as two great test winners.

The victory of the day went to Pablo Guerrero, but the Swiss cyclist prevailed by just 12 seconds in his particular duel with Francisco Herrero. The close struggle between the two marked this edition.

Francisco Herrero has shown from day one that he will be a key player in this edition of Titan Desert. He got the first stage of victory, in one day with a circular route of 119 kilometers. The favorites showed off their proficiency in navigating between sand and gravel. The show is seasoned with ongoing challenges between them in the form of a continuous escape. The series of duel ended in a final sprint in which Herrero prevailed.

For her part, Anna Ramírez, winner of four Titan Deserts, also showed her credentials for the final victory since the start of the competition. On this first day he showed that he was serious by having a four -minute lead in the overall classification.

The second day brought the first part of the marathon. Not because expectations are less exciting. Konny Looser showed his great status as a favorite by showing technique during the descent, worthy of a champion and a king of inequality as he is. His efforts did not serve him for success on stage – which went to Julen Zubero and the Swiss were again second. But Looser earned the respect of his rivals by showing consistency and strength that confirmed him as a candidate to repeat the final victory in Morocco’s Škoda Titan Desert.

The same equality was seen in the female category. Vera Looser dared to challenge the dominance Ramírez showed on the first day. The two bikers clarified that they will both be on stage and until the end. The first part of the Titan marathon was decided on a rigorous sprint. Success on stage went to the Namibian, but the Catalan retained the overall lead.

In the queen stage… heat and sand reigned

The half point of the test came at the queen stage of this edition, with a plan of 125 kilometers and 1,442 meters of inequality, though intense heat and sandstorms were forced to shorten it to 106 km.

The race was preceded by a “very difficult night, with a lot of wind and little sleep”, confirmed Tomi Misser, Škoda’s ambassador and competitor in this edition. In his video, the experienced cyclist demonstrates the brutality of the competition by riding alone on almost part of the stage, and where he almost throws the towel. Of course, Tomi Misser clarified that in Titan Desert you suffer as long as you enjoy it.

The men’s overall competition confirmed what had been experienced over the past two days in a close bout between Herrero and Looser, in which the former maintained the lead by a margin of seconds.

The winner on stage went to Robert Bou, who gave a lesson in navigation by choosing an alternative route. Heterodoxy paid off and he was able to destroy the equality that marks the day. Guillem Muñoz and Sergio Mantecón followed him on this adventure where he ended up arguing for victory in the sprint. Mantecón finished second and Muñoz lost to third place on the last breath in favor of Pau Marzá.

This time Ramírez did not give up on stage and won again. Success on stage got him to combine his dominance with the general: a five -minute lead proved this primacy. Since then, no one has doubted Vic’s runner’s final success.

After the intense emotions accompanied by the queen’s stage, the fourth was a new day decided to sprint between the sands of Erg Chebbi, a stage where kilometers were traveled and fatigue was noticeable to the participants, which has not yet had an easy time because of the complexity of the navigation strategy, and for having more “rows” due to the headwind. The pattern of what has been seen so far has been preserved: victory for Herrero in the final sprint, but Looser followed him closely to give up a slight advantage in favor of Titan’s emotion and epicness.

In the women’s category, Anna Ramírez added her third career victory and proved her status as the absolute favorite for the final victory. Only Vera Looser seems to keep up with him, albeit with limited overall hope. Upon completion of the stage, Misser was clear: “this Titan is tough on his nose.”

Feelings until the last dune

In the last two days, the competition in the men’s category has warned that it will not decide until the last moment. A real joy for thrill seekers. The fifth day was the stage where Sergio Mantecón took the victory on stage and the bonus section of the Škoda Challenge. While the controversy for the classification is in a fist: Herrero with just three seconds ahead of Looser.

For his part, Ramírez almost condemned the overall classification (if he hadn’t already done so) thanks to a bonus from the Škoda Challenge. Vera Looser achieved success on stage but did not achieve any lead in the overall women’s classification.

In the final stage, the Swiss made the final blow. The victory on stage went to Pablo Guerrero and third to Looser. Although he got a 15 -second advantage over Herrero, it was enough to win his second straight victory in a Titan Desert.

In the women’s category, the script is as expected. Anna Ramírez was crowned the absolute winner, her six-minute lead in the overall classification being the best argument to prove her dominance in the exam. Success on stage went to Amanda Bohlin, a member of the Škoda We Love Cycling Team.

titanic values

The demonstration of the efforts of the participants at Titan Desert is fully consistent with the values ​​of this brand. The Škoda vehicles used by the organization survived to the test. Its reliability has been proven in difficult stages by Morocco pushing bikers, bicycles and cars to the limit.

In particular, the Škoda Enyaq model, chosen by the Titan Desert organization, has garnered attention. This is the 100% electric SUV that guarantees the maintenance of the Sahara and Atlas Mountains. A sample of how the company proposes solutions for the future of the planet’s health.

Furthermore, Škoda also has a strong commitment to people’s health, through the promotion of the sport. The brand has its own team, WeLoveCycling, whose name also matches its digital cycling magazine. Here, all fans of this sport (you don’t have to be a fan of ultra-endurance tests) will find routes and tips to enjoy their hobby.

This promotion of sustainability and sport is another reflection of Škoda’s social sensitivity and its Always Move philosophy, where, throughout the confinement, they place a fleet of their vehicles in the service of Doctors Without Borders to assist first month fighting covid -19.