Owners of The Traka Link Up With Titan Desert in Off-Road Power Play

Organizers of The Traka gravel brand and the Titan Desert mountain bike race are linking up in a deal that could reshape Europe’s fast-growing off-road scene.

Klassmark, the Girona-based company behind The Traka and the Gravel Earth Series, announced Thursday it had reached an agreement with the Barcelona promoter behind the Titan Desert and Barcelona Marathon.

The deal links two of Europe’s biggest players in endurance sports. Financial terms and details of the agreement were not immediately disclosed.

“Today we can share that we’re joining forces with Grupo Godó, a group with extensive experience in communications, sports marketing and the organization of major events,” Gerard Freixes, Klassmark co-founder, told La Vanguardia.

“After so many years building this project from Girona, we understood that its future could not depend solely on us,” Freixes said. “We needed to strengthen our structure, protect the identity and ownership of the brands and drive our international expansion with greater capacity.”

Freixes and Traka co-founder Cristina Bosch will remain in their roles, reports said.

What’s it mean for gravel racers

For gravel racers and fans, little is expected to change in the short term.

Organizers said the partnership will support the continued growth of The Traka and the Gravel Earth Series.

Founded in Girona in 2009, Klassmark organized more than 200 events before The Traka transformed the company into a major player in the gravel racing scene.

What began as a local gravel race in 2019 with barely 100 riders in Girona, Spain, has mushroomed into one of the marquee events on the international gravel calendar.

This year’s Traka 560 was hit by disputes over results and race rules, however. Officials confirmed the format will be discontinued in 2027, replaced by three races at 100, 200 and 300 kilometers.

Klassmark also organizes the Gravel Earth Series, along with Santa Vall, Gravel Desert, Rancho Gravel and The River.

Barcelona-based Grupo Godó owns RPM, the sports promoter behind the Titan Desert in Morocco, Almería, Patagonia and Mexico, as well as the Barcelona and San Sebastián marathons and the Mussara gran fondo series.