Mussara: a decade of bicycle love

“That any beginner can feel like a professional in a day.” It is a simple idea in its creation, but complex in its execution. A phrase that led, 10 years ago, to the creation of an event that is now a cycling brand recognized throughout the country: Mussara.

It was born as a cycling event and became, a decade later, a whole family of events. At the origin of that first march was Mauro Llorens, director of Mussara, then, and director of events at RPM Sports, Mussara’s organizing company, now.

“In 2014 there were already marches, but they were few and focused on clubs,” he explained. “We felt that everything around the event itself did not work. So we decided to create an event that would maintain the passion for cycling, but that would also focus on services and have a more careful image.”

In this way, an avant-garde test began with its proposal, but with that idea still maintained, the ‘Professionally amateurs’: “As beginners, it did not give us the level to run the Tour de France. We want people who come to our trials to feel what it’s like to be on a stage of a World Tour race. Become a professional for a day.”

The first edition of the ride, in the center of the Baix Camp, marked the differences from the others: a fair the day before the event, the presence of brands linked to professional cycling and, of course, the unmistakable event jersey, which is mandatory to participate. “For us this is a way of saying that this is not a race, here everyone does not include the colors of their club. This is a march and we are all the same team,” emphasized Llorens.

Growth

Since then, Mussara has grown, both in its involvement and in the number of trials. Now, instead of one, there are four events.

Mussara Donostia – San Sebastián “is the most classic event.” “Every fan needs to film in the Basque Country at least once. This is the birthplace of the bicycle in Spain. Our march combines toughness, beauty, short and difficult climbs, sometimes bad weather, but accompanied by the heat of the fan.”

It succeeds the calendar of Mussara Salou, the “flagship” of the brand, which this year moved from Reus to Salou. “After 10 good years in Reus we need a change. The fan is asking us different things. Salou is a town dedicated to the tourism cycle and also added tourist value for those with tourist round: for its hotels, its coast and the number of activities in the area.

In a completely different register, “appealing to the competitive gene”, appeared the Mussara 24H, pure ultra-endurance, held on the historic Montmeló circuit and offering something “completely different”. “It’s competition, earpieces, strategy, rollers and a coexistence in the pits that we’ve never seen before. The participants eat, sleep and sprint together.”

And finally, Mussara Girona All-Road, which completely changes the pace: “Here the stopwatch is completely useless. There is a lot of gravel distance in a unique environment. The refreshment stations are far from the competition and there is always a happy environment. We want nothing but bikes, music, parties, food and enjoying the group.”

tenth anniversary

Ten years later, what remains of Mussara’s initial idea? Llorens is clear: “The spirit. This is something we will never lose because it comes from something very simple: the people behind Mussara are cycling enthusiasts. “Nobody works at Mussara who doesn’t love bikes.”

Precisely reinforcing this commitment to cycling enthusiasts and Mussara followers, the brand launched the Club this year. A space full of benefits, offers and unique experiences with any of the four trials. “Our community made us who we are and we should have recognition for them.”

And what does the future hold for the Mussara brand? “In particular, to grow gradually in the main cities and cycling environments. We want people not to have to travel many kilometers to enjoy a Mussara. But the future is impossible to predict,” added Lawrence.