{"id":4726,"date":"2023-05-02T18:09:06","date_gmt":"2023-05-02T16:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=4726"},"modified":"2023-05-05T18:16:45","modified_gmt":"2023-05-05T16:16:45","slug":"skoda-titan-desert-stage-2-looser-scratches-a-second-off-herrero-and-is-now-in-the-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2023\/05\/02\/skoda-titan-desert-stage-2-looser-scratches-a-second-off-herrero-and-is-now-in-the-lead\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0160koda Titan Desert Stage 2: Looser Scratches a Second off Herrero and is Now in the Lead"},"content":{"rendered":"

No matter the kilometres, the cumulative elevation gain, the mountain passes and the route, Konny Looser and Fran Herrero seem fated to share the lead of the race, to ride wheel to wheel and for everything to come down to a reduced sprint between the two of them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The \u0160koda We Love Cycling stage was over 100 kilometres long and was one of the most hilly of recent editions, but it all came down to the classic photo finish of the last two editions, with a tight sprint between the two riders who look the strongest.<\/p>\n

\"Konny<\/a>
Tessa Kortekaas and Konny Looser after stage 2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The outcome, however, was a little different this time. Looser was able to pull within a second of Herrero in the last few metres. A second that, for the moment, seems key and that allows Looser to wear the red leader\u2019s jersey for the first time.<\/p>\n

The main contenders arrived grouped together at the base of the climb that marked the start of the \u0160koda Challenge.<\/a> From there, they each started with their own strategy. The two protagonists rode close together and the one who could stand out as the big surprise of the edition, Pierre Billaud, decided to go for it and not stop until the summit, which he crowned in first place.<\/p>\n

In the last kilometres, Roberto Bou, Herrero and Looser navigated in the desert and cut back on Billaud. The three leading riders reached the finish line together, but the first to cross the finish line was the Swiss rider, who is now wearing the red that he knows so well and hopes to wear until the end.<\/p>\n

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Disfruta de las mejores im\u00e1genes de la etapa.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the best pictures of the stage.#\u0160kodaTitanDesertMorocco<\/a>#rideyourdream<\/a>#mtbstagerace<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/2yfZYpLvBz<\/a><\/p>\n

— \u0160koda Titan Desert Morocco (@TitanDesert) May 1, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n