Tessa Kortekaas, a Dutch rookie and Looser’s teammate, has emerged as her strongest rival after winning two consecutive stages. Kortekaas showcased her strength and ability to navigate the desert in the third stage, where she broke away from the peloton in the last 30 km after 100 km of riding. This stage was the first of the marathon stages, where riders must camp overnight in the desert with the equipment they have carried on their bikes. The race’s outcome is uncertain as participants face physical and mental challenges without access to the usual comforts of a hotel. “I feel strong, but we’ll see tomorrow after sleeping without a mattress,” joked Tessa who is a tri-athlete and a first-timer in the Škoda Titan Desert Morocco. However, her track record for the past 24 hours of the race is impressive.
The men’s lead group arrived before the first female riders, with Sergio Mantecón (Scott Cala Bandida) winning by a narrow margin over veteran rider Josep Betalú. The stage was full of leadership changes, breakaways from the start and constant cutbacks, and navigation proved to be a critical factor in the outcome. Despite Óscar Pujol’s commendable performance without any mechanical or physiotherapy assistance, Mantecón and Betalú made several cuts and arrived together in the lead. Mantecón emerged as the stronger rider in the end. The overall leaders, including Konny Looser, arrived seconds later, with Looser retaining the leader’s jersey without difficulty.
Tessa Kortekaas is an exciting addition to the race, and her rivalry with Vera Looser adds an element of uncertainty to the outcome.
Mens Race Results
| Pos. | Name | Country | Official Time | Real Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SERGIO MANTECON | SPAIN | 04:39:28 | 04:39:28 | |||
| 2 | JOSEP BETALÚ | SPAIN | 04:39:28 | 04:39:28 | |||
| 3 | ROBERTO BOU | SPAIN | 04:40:10 | 04:40:10 | |||
| 4 | HAIMAR ZUBELDIA | SPAIN | 04:40:10 | 04:40:10 | |||
| 5 | KONNY LOOSER | SWITZERLAND | 04:40:10 | 04:40:10 | |||
| 6 | FRAN HERRERO | SPAIN | 04:40:10 | 04:40:10 | |||
| 7 | DARIO GADEO | SPAIN | 04:40:10 | 04:40:10 | |||
| 8 | ORIOL COLOME | SPAIN | 04:43:19 | 04:43:19 | |||
| 9 | NICOLAS MERCADER | SPAIN | 04:43:19 | 04:43:19 | |||
| 10 | OSCAR PUJOL | SPAIN | 04:45:19 | 04:45:19 |
Women’s Race Results
| Pos. | Name | Country | Official Time | Real Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TESSA KORTEKAAS | NETHERLANDS | 04:58:23 | 04:58:23 | |||
| 2 | ARIADNA RODENAS | SPAIN | 04:58:44 | 04:58:44 | |||
| 3 | VERA LOOSER | GERMANY | 04:58:46 | 04:58:46 | |||
| 4 | PILAR FERNANDEZ | SPAIN | 05:06:01 | 05:06:01 | |||
| 5 | MÓNICA CALDERON | COLOMBIA | 05:06:04 | 05:06:04 | |||
| 6 | TUNGUI CUENCO | SPAIN | 05:26:25 | 05:26:25 | |||
| 7 | NAIMA MADLEN DIESNER | GERMANY | 05:26:26 | 05:26:26 | |||
| 8 | MARTA ROMEU | SPAIN | 05:33:19 | 05:33:19 | |||
| 9 | ESTEFANIA GUTIERREZ | SPAIN | 05:45:41 | 05:45:41 | |||
| 10 | MISHA SEKULOVA | SPAIN | 06:06:51 | 06:06:51 |
