The Nissan Titan Desert reached its fifth edition in 2010 and has become the best one of races to date. With a distance of 480km from Maadid to Ouarzazate, the hardness of the stages was increased significantly; the number of kilometers also increased and two spectacular mountain stages were made. A race of contrasts that brought together many diferent surfaces: from the dunes of Erfoud to the fast tracks of Ouarzazate and the rocky slopes of the southern part of the Atlas Mountains. As in previous editions, the race has attracted more participants from outside Spain this year and asserts itself as the greatest MTB race. In 2010 the foreign participants came to Marocco with the intention of staying and have represented over 15% of the participation.

Of the 335 participants from 16 different countries, Spain was again the most represented country on the desert race. However, the race attracted more than 40 non-spanish participants, breaking all the previous records of participation. Furthermore, the quality and preparation of the riders also showed a dramatic leap in quality. Great names in cycling have joined the NTD2010, riders like Tinker Juarez and Igor Astarloa, were rookies in this edition.

The big surprise of the race were the two participants from the Czech Republic: Ondrej Fojtik and Martin Horak show their strong since the first day pushing hard with a dramatic pace that stood them to the head of the standings. Only the spaniard Roberto Heras was able to stay ahead with them and in the mountain stages he displayed his topcycling qualities by taking the leadership with two spectacular escapes alone in stages 3 and 4, which placed him in the lead at the finish line in Ouarzazate. Heras managed to overcome a puncture on stage four that made him lost almost 10 minutes and a big fall in the fifth and final stage that corned him. With this victory, Roberto Heras became the first participant to repeat victory in the Nissan Titan Desert after his victory in 2008.

In the team overall standings RADIKAL BIKES, with Milton Ramos, Marc Trayter and Oriol Morata, beat the NISSAN CEE 1 (Central Europe) of Ondrej Fojtik, Martin Horak and Peter Hasenfrazt. Finishing third DOCTORE BIKE: with Roberto Heras, Jose Raul Hernandez and Fernando Perez.

In females, Nuria Lauco also made history by getting his second victory in the women classification. Like Roberto Heras, the Catalan rider was able to prevail in front of Nuria Jiménez and Nuria Espinosa ending in a spectacular 89th place in the overall standings. In addition, Nuria Lauco clinching victory in the new category DUO MIXTO, released in 2010, along with Santi Ribot in the team MADFORM AUMARTRANS-BASOLI.

Finally 289 participants managed to complete the Nissan Titan Desert 2010. The winners of the race were many, not only those who finished in front of their own rankings, but all those who have managed to outdo themselves, who completed the entire journey and faced the challenge of overcoming their own limits, chasing a dream of becoming 'titans' of the 2010 edition.

Israel Núñez arrived to Ouarzazate as the leader of the fourth Nissan Titan Desert edition. He became the winner of the hardest edition of this MTB marathon in the Moroccan desert. During 5 days, 200 brave competitors were involved in that great adventure, they finished 500 km of route under extreme conditions and stand for the hard desert conditions in the African country.

With a brand new route between Tazzarine and Ouarzazate: The competitors passed across rivers, oueds (dry rivers) , Sand deserts, mountains in the south Atlas trying to avoid stones and sand. A hard marathon stage of 230 Km without assistance , divided in two hard journeys with hardly 90 Km of navigation.

This braves competitors mark a change in the general classification with the escape of Israel Núñez that reached enough advantage at the head.

In feminine category , the Andorran Ariadna Tudel, left astonished the masculine competitors keeping the head rhythm all the time and winning all the stages in her category.

About the team classifications, the CMR-Evolution of Melcior Mauri, ‘steal the race’ to the Federació Catalana team in the last stage to became the winners at the team category. The chance was guilty in that change in the classification list because one of the member team punctured their MTB close to the start in the last stage and he couldn’t got the head rhythm again.

With everything, the Nissan Titan Desert shown another year that the physic preparation and the mental power are the most important factors of that race but make clear another year that the luck is one of the best allies in the desert, and nobody is protected against the physics and mechanics problems or the orientation mistakes. These factors determine the final result and adds to the ending list of causes to love and or to hate that race.

And after one hard year, time fly and some people are setting up already the 2010 edition, and starts the analysis of the past mistakes, because in the desert, experience is a grade and every lesson learnt adds for to reach the victory.

The NISSAN TITAN DESERT MTB MARATHON 2008 was, without doubt, a turning point for this competition. At last the race measurements were known. At last we have been able to see its true potential.

The winner, Roberto Heras, was one of the many top names participating in this edition, being joined by renowned cyclists Joan Llordella, Raúl Hernández, Nuria Lauco, Rafa Pérez and many others. In addition to the heat, sand, storms and water, everyone was able to take away memories that will last a lifetime.

From the sports aspect, the race was dominated from the very start by Roberto Heras, but that does not mean that he had it easy. Despite appearances, Heras had to overcome the many adversities of the course and very stiff competition from Joan Llordella, who kept the pressure on throughout the race. Raúl Hernández also demonstrated his power and endurance, becoming the racer with most stage wins, taking both the third and the fifth stages.

In the women's category, Nuria Lauco took first place in a fiercely disputed race, overcoming her team-mates from Federació Catalana de Ciclisme, Bárbara Teixell and Mercé Pacios.

Nonetheless, NISSAN TITAN DESERT MTB MARATHON also had many impressive stories that will provide lasting memories to everyone who participated. People like Jaime Gallego, who at his 67 years of age, and with the support of his entire town, became the oldest person to participate in the race, winning the admiration of everyone that shared the suffering and happiness with him.

There was also the tandem formed of Sergi Fernández from Tolosa and Joaquín Sánchez from Cadiz. Joaquin's blindness resulted in a scare or two, but these two racers demonstrated that recognition is for the brave.

The performance of other participants like 54-year-old Rafa Pérez (winner of the Master 50 and 10th place in the general standing), Miguel Ángel Heras, the lessons in navigation by Melcior Mauri or seeing Andrés Jiménez and Toño Llorente change the gears for the paddles, have all found a place in the gold book of the race.

There can be no doubt that this third edition of the NISSAN TITAN DESERT MTB MARATHON clearly marked the maturity of the competition. The race has come of age and is known throughout the world, sparking interest equally among professionals and amateurs. No one can doubt that this is one of the most demanding tests in the world and, if there is any doubt, we invite you to try it for yourself.

283 titans lined up at the starting line in Maadid for the second edition of the TITAN DESERT in 2007. This year's race added one additional stage and featured top names in MTB racing, including such luminaries as Melcior Mauri and Abraham Olano.

The first stage gave the riders 40 kilometres to warm up their legs and left them back at the Xaluca Hotel. Heavy rains lasting though the night and the flooding of the two rivers surrounding the town of Erfoud forced the organisers to cancel the next stage.

Over the next few days the remainder of the course was redesigned in order to complete the full five stages. Rafa Bosch held on the red jersey through the last stage when Melcior Mauri, in top shape and demonstrating superb navigation, took the lead to be the first to cross the finish line at Maadid in front of Miguel Angel Saez and Santi Prat. Isabel Gandia took first place in the woman's category.

Even with the meteorological surprises, the NISSAN TITAN DESERT MTB MARATHON earned its leadership position in mountain biking.

The first edition of the Titan Desert and a new experience for both the organisers and the 143 participants that lined up at the starting line in Maadid for this gruelling four-stage challenge.

The first day was characterized by the speed of the riders and the first group of participants to break out from the rest.

The second and third days were dominated by Pedro Vernis and Josef Ajram, who both arrived at the village of Belle Etoile with good possibilities of winning the fourth and last stage that would take them to the town of Erfoud.

But the leaders fail to take into account an important aspect of the race, navigation. The attack by Pepe Doménech right at the starting line and an error by the lead group turned the standings upside down for a few kilometres. However, this was not enough and by the end of the stage there was a spectacular recovery by the lead group that had dominated the rest of the race, allowing Pedro Vernis to cross the finish line in Maadid for 1st place, becoming the first winner of the Titan Desert.

But it was a tight race and Josef Ajram and Mauro Carné, separated by only 37 seconds, joined Pedro on the winner's podium. In the woman's category, Amparo Ausina gave a spectacular performance to take 1st place.