Herrero, the strongest among all Titans
8 de May de 2022
The elite Titans didn’t wait a day 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 reigning champion of the race, Konny Looser, and his teammate Roberto Bou.
The two riders of the Cannondale TB team celebrated with hugs and shouts of joy after crossing the finish arch. An exciting end to a stage to remember, in which they rode at full speed from the first minute and covered its 119 kilometers in less than four hours, for a final speed of 31.48 km / h in the lead.
The Segovian, Spanish MTB ultramarathon champion in 2021 and rookie in the ŠKODA Titan Desert Morocco, has been in the lead from the first minute. Five riders, including Herrero himself and four-time champion Josep Betalú, formed a breakaway that set the high pace of the race.
The small group was absorbed halfway through the race and a bunch of about 10 riders was formed, which did not stop pushing until their arrival in Merzouga. Finally, Herrero, Looser and Bou were the ones who fought for the victory, which fell to the only debutant of the three.
Herrero was delighted with his amazing debut: “I couldn’t be any happier. I have to thank the hard work of my teammate Roberto Bou, his help has been key to get the victory”
Ramirez imposes her law
In the women’s classification, Anna Ramirez is the first rider to wear the blue jersey. The Catalan showed that she is in good shape to win her fourth title in the general classification. A feat that would place her above Clàudia Galicia, the only rider next to Ramírez with three wins at the ŠKODA Titan Desert Morocco GC.
Already from the first kilometer, the KH7 team rider took off from the rest of the riders alone. Catching her was Vera Looser, a debutant in the race, but who has competed in road cycling at the Olympic Games in Rio and Tokyo.
However, Ramirez only widened the margin over her pursuers and crossed the finish line four minutes ahead of the Namibian rider. Ramirez starts the 2022 edition the same way she finished the 2019 edition, wearing the blue of the leader.
Ramirez celebrated her victory and the team’s strategy, but is cautious about the next stages: “We imposed a fast pace and took some short cuts. It went well. We’ll have to see day by day because I’m being watched a lot”.
