Hurricane Kortekaas

He has competed in seven Titan World Series events. He has five overall victories and is on track for his sixth. He has won the last 19 stages he has started, and tomorrow he could secure his 20th consecutive victory.

Tessa Kortekaas has achieved countless milestones at Titan, but today she may have set a record that rivals even the most dominant cyclist this event has ever seen. The Dutch rider crossed the finish line as the first woman and sixth overall. Out of a field of nearly 500 cyclists, only five finished ahead of Kortekaas.

The Massi ISB Sport Inverse rider is a true force of nature who, in one of the most chaotic stages in the recent history of the Škoda Titan Desert Morocco, has broken through one of the few barriers still standing in her way: improving on her ninth-place overall finish, which was a race record.

The day began with a stretch of dunes and a navigation section where the group didn’t have a set track. It was up to them to choose the best route to reach the next checkpoint.

Without much guidance and improvising her route, Kortekaas was, almost without realizing it, making history. Thanks to her teamwork and incredible performance in the Moroccan race, she is now cementing a new legend in the record books of what is already the best cyclist to have competed in the Titan World Series.

In the men’s GC, it was a double celebration for KH7. Luis Ángel Maté’s now virtually unchallenged lead in the overall standings was complemented by the impressive performance of a rookie: Dani Moreno.

The former WorldTour cyclist, a stage winner at the Vuelta and a Fleche Wallonne winner, wore a Škoda Titan Desert Morocco race number for the first time on April 26, but there’s no reason to believe this is his first time racing here.

Backed by the KH7 team, the Madrid native is pulling off all the moves of the veterans: he’s testing out shortcuts on the stages, attacking at key points, and today he was one of the best in the dunes.

Once again, teamwork has been key. Three of this year’s top riders crossed the finish line: the leader, Maté; Navarro himself; and Bruno Rosa. Maté worked hard to help his teammate win the stage, and that’s exactly what happened. A milestone for a rookie who certainly doesn’t act like one.