From 2nd to 6th November 2020
Key points:
· A safe start in line with the health protocol
· A blistering pace from start to finish
· Jesús del Nero takes a narrow win as the favourites live up to expectations
Here we go! The 382 participants on the start line tackled the inaugural stage of the 2020 Titan Desert with gusto. Raring to go yet mindful of maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks in the start area, the mountain bikers rolled out from El Toyo for a 100 km loop course with a total altitude gain of 1,517 m. Unfazed by the opening kilometres on the uncharacteristically foggy seafront, the Elite riders went full gas all the way to Las Salinas, an area featuring two short but tough climbs.
Suspense until the end
Halfway through the stage and now riding under clear, sunny skies, a lead group consisting of about ten competitors detached from the rest of the field and set a scorching pace on the narrow and sometimes winding tracks of Cabo de Gata Park. Led by a stellar Tomás Misser (ŠKODA WE LOVE CYCLING), the favourites watched each other closely until the Albaricoques sector, packed with fast and wide tracks. Four men managed to power away in the closing kilometres, with Jesús del Nero (GOBIK FACTORY TEAM) taking the spoils on the finish line. The Spaniard posted a time of 3 h 28′16″ to beat Julen Zubero (VICTORIA BY LAPIERRE CICLES ZUBERO) by a bike length, with Sergio Mantecón (KROSS RACING TEAM) close behind. The king of the Titan, Josep Betalú (KH7-LOGIFRIO 1), finished just outside the podium after covering all the right moves. Meanwhile, Sylvain Chavanel posted a solid performance throughout most of the stage but faltered towards the end to finish the day in 51st place.
