THE ŠKODA TITAN SERIES ALMERIA IS BORN

• After the success of 2020, when the Titan Desert was held in Almería, the first Titan Series was born in Europe, from December 8 to 12.
• ŠKODA becomes the main sponsor of an event where Almería, its coast and the Tabernas desert will be protagonists in the prologue and its four stages.
• Registration is now open and the first 25 registered will obtain a preferential price of less than 1,000 euros.
• Joaquim Purito Rodríguez will participate in the race: “It motivates me a lot to be back in the camp. It is a family. The stage ends and until you get to the shower you meet a thousand people and all with an adventure and a different vision of the race. Each runner experiences a special Titan.”

Today the first edition of the Škoda Titan Series Almería has seen the light and it has done so in a luxurious setting, the patio of lights of the Provincial Council of Almería. The love story between the Titan and Almería was born last November. The Andalusian province hosted the 15th edition of the most prestigious MTB stage event in the world, the Titan Desert, after its forced transfer from Morocco, where it was not possible to carry it out due to COVID-19.

Titan World Series, the organizing company, which arises from the union of RPM-MKTG and ASO, managed at that time to transport the titan experience, in all its essence, to a new territory that gave the participants the opportunity to get up close to a Try the Titan Desert and experience a vital adventure in the first person, as if it were the African country.

From that experience the Škoda Titan Series Almería was born, the only Titan Series to take place in Europe and to be held from December 8 to 12 in the only desert on the continent. This Titan Series will be the second event in this new format after the dispute, in January 2020, of the Titan Series Saudi Arabia. Registration is open at https://skodatitandesertalmeria.com The fastest will be able to take advantage of a preferential rate of 990 euros. The first 25 who formalize their registration will obtain this price and the deadline to do so will be until June 14.

Javier Aureliano, president of the Almería Provincial Council, commented that “today we are experiencing a historic event as we witness the birth of the Titan Series Almería, a test that perfectly matches Almería’s combative DNA”, and recalled that the Last year the Titan Desert had a direct economic impact in the province of 2.5 million euros and an international projection of ‘Costa de Almería’ that reached more than 192 territories around the world. The president said goodbye thanking the organization for its commitment to the province: “You came to Almería looking for freedom…, the freedom that Almería offers to enjoy sport and nature 365 days a year”.

For her part, the delegate of the Government of the Junta de Andalucía in Almería, Maribel Sánchez Torregrosa, has valued “our province as a destination for sports events that represent one more element as a tourist attraction”. Torregrosa has also highlighted “how coordination between administrations, as is the case with La Titan, helps to project the image of a united province that offers routes and various alternatives that are ideal for sports racing fans.”

The Councilor for Sports of the Almería City Council, Juanjo Segura, stated that “the relationship between the TITAN and Almería is love at first sight. From the City Council of Almería we support this event due to the many benefits it generates for the city: the first, the international projection as the setting for major sporting events. The second provides business and employment for local hotels and businesses. In addition, it is an opportunity for the fans of our city to participate. And finally, it is a sustainable test that blends perfectly with environmental protection. I am sure it will be as spectacular as in 2020.”

The best travel companion

The Škoda Titan Series Almería project was born thanks to the commitment of the best possible companion. And it is that the brand of Czech origin has wanted to bet from the first moment on the Almeria test as the main sponsor. With a long cycling tradition – we must bear in mind its beginnings were manufacturing bicycles – Škoda supports cycling by leading the platoons of such prestigious events as the Tour de France, La Vuelta or the Titan Desert.

Their cars will open the stages in Almería and will experience one of the most anticipated and emblematic moments of the race up close. It is known as the Škoda Challenge, a timed section in a mountain stage that represents a key moment for the outcome of the test.

“We strengthen our commitment to cycling by sponsoring the new ŠKODA Titan Series Almería, which is a perfect showcase to express our passion for this sport with which we feel so identified” explains Miguel Piwko, ŠKODA Marketing Director. “We want to be a fundamental part of a test that will become, like the Titan Desert already is, a reference within the cycling calendar. Its demanding route will be the ideal setting to show the versatility and resistance of our entire SUV range, especially this year in which we launch our 100% electric ENYAQ iV, which will be the official car of the race, with which we contribute our grain of sand to sustainability and, in this case, to the care of the natural environment in which the race will take place”.

An amazing tour

One of the strengths of the Škoda Titan Series Almería will undoubtedly be its 4-stage route plus a prologue, capable of offering a unique combination of sea and desert. During the stages, the cyclists will have the opportunity to ride along the coastline and discover Costa de Almería, an idyllic spot that will leave us with spectacular views, and also to enter the desert of Europe: Tabernas, the protagonist of a large part of the circuit, thanks to its 280 square kilometers of unique landscapes and an irreplaceable setting for countless western movies. Its arid landscape, recognized as one of the treasures of European film culture, will make the most moviegoers recognize some sets, transporting them to such well-known films as Lawrence of Arabia or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

The sand, the trails, the boulevards and its mountainous parts will mark stages that will have adventure and the titan spirit as a common denominator, thus keeping the DNA of the event more alive than ever. The essence of a race that has in the camaraderie of its participants, the spirit of self-improvement, coexistence or adventure transported to the seventh level, the values ​​that make this event an inimitable experience.

The first cyclist who has confirmed his presence is the former professional Joaquim Purito Rodríguez. With a huge record that includes podium finishes in the three grand tours (Tour, Giro and La Vuelta), Purito faces the test this time with the experience of 2019, when he competed in Morocco for the 14th edition of the Titan Desert. “The Titan is a special race. It’s not just going fast that counts, but also being quick with your navigation and controlling your efforts a lot. The dunes are something that is not forgotten, a feeling that I had never experienced on a bicycle. In Almería I expect more mountains than in Morocco, a route that will surely be better adapted to my conditions. And it motivates me a lot to be back in the camp. It is a family. The stage ends and until you get to the shower you meet a thousand people and all with an adventure and a different vision of the race. Each runner experiences a special Titan.”

The most epic camp in history

The characteristic cowboy town of the Tabernas desert will become the titan camp for a few days. The place where the participants will live together after the stages in their shared tents, the Hall where they will have meals and the Sheriff’s station, among other spaces, where recovery areas and physiotherapy or mechanical assistance will be set up, among other services. And all this will have anti-Covid prevention and safety measures, which worked perfectly last November, where a team made up of 5 people permanently ensured the hygiene of the common areas.

Juan Porcar, president of the Titan World Series: “Fate in the form of a pandemic brought the Titan Desert 2020 to Almería. It was an extraordinary experience where Andalusian institutions such as the Provincial Council of Almería, the City Council and the Junta de Andalucía welcomed us and helped to solve all the difficulties, which in that month of November were many. What was then thought would be an exception since the Titan Desert would return to Morocco after the pandemic, has become a reality called SKODA TITAN SERIES ALMERIA. An event that was born with the will to continue indefinitely in time”.