Peloton flies in the marathon stage
28 de April de 2026Although it was known that today’s stage was perhaps the least challenging of the 2026 Škoda Titan Desert Morocco, no one anticipated the breakneck pace of the peloton. It took just three hours to complete the day’s 100-kilometer stage.
Speed, speed, and more speed. The terrain was flat, very rocky in the first half and sandier in the second, with much less elevation gain than on previous days.
It also marked the start of the marathon stage. The Titans will have to spend the night with whatever gear they’ve brought along to complete the stage, and they won’t have access to outside mechanical or physical therapy support.
Given these circumstances, the attacks were quick to follow, all with one name in common: Luis León Sánchez. The Cleardent rider, who has faced numerous physical and mechanical issues in this edition, pushed hard from the very first minute to stay out in front.
Whether in larger or smaller groups, ‘Luisle’ has always led the pack. Thus, the decisive breakaway came with less than 20 kilometers to go. The race leader, Luis Ángel Maté, and the rider from Mula opened up an insurmountable gap for the rest of the field. It was enough of a lead for the KH7 rider to maintain his lead and for Luis León to claim his first stage victory in this year’s race.
Tessa Kortekaas also flew over the Moroccan desert. The Dutch rider, despite acknowledging that she didn’t give it her all today, continues to climb the overall standings. In addition to her overwhelming lead in the women’s GC (more than an hour ahead of “Pili” Fernández), she finished 12th in the general classification among a field of over 400 riders.
The Massi ISB Sports Inverse cyclist has her sights set on one goal: to repeat the feat she achieved a couple of years ago in this very race and finish in the top 10 in the stage standings.
Kortekaas is at her best when the terrain, the heat, and fatigue become a factor, so tomorrow’s race could be a good opportunity for her to continue making history in a race she dominates.
