Not one day did the elite Titans wait to put on a show. In a stage of pure adrenaline, marked by the very fast pace of the race and the high temperatures, Francisco Herrero won the sprint against the current champion of the event, Konny Looser, and his teammate Roberto Bou.
The two riders from the Cannondale TB team celebrated with hugs and shouts of joy after crossing the finish line. An exciting end to a stage to remember, in which he rode at full throttle from the first minute and covered his 119 kilometers in less than four hours, for a final top speed of 31.48 km/h.
The man from Segovia, Spanish MTB ultramarathon champion in 2021 and rookie in the ŠKODA Titan Desert Morocco, has been in the lead from the first minute. Five runners, including Herrero himself and the four-time champion Josep Betalú, formed a breakaway that set the high pace of the race.
The breakaway was absorbed mid-test and a group formed at the head of about 10 runners who did not stop pushing until their arrival in Merzouga. Finally, Herrero, Looser and Bou were the ones who struggled to obtain the victory, which fell into the hands of the only debutant of the three. Herrero: “I couldn’t be happier. I have to thank the hard work of my teammate Roberto Bou, his help has been key to achieving victory ”
Ramírez imposes his law
In the women’s classification, Anna Ramírez is the first rider to wear the blue leader’s jersey. The Catalan showed that she is in shape to be with his fourth title in the general classification. A feat that would place him above Clàudia Galicia, only rider alongside Ramírez with three generals from the ŠKODA Titan Desert Morocco.
From the first kilometer, the KH7 team runner broke away from the rest of the runners alone. In the capture of her was Vera Looser, newcomer in the test, but who has competed in road cycling at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics.
However, Ramírez did little more than widen the gap on her pursuers and crossed the line four minutes ahead of the Namibian runner. Ramírez begins the 2022 edition just as the 2019 edition ended, wearing the leader’s blue. Ramírez: “We have imposed a fast pace and cut some sections. He has turned out well. We will have to see day by day because they watch me a lot