Tessa Kortekaas

The reigning winner of the Škoda Titan Desert Morocco, Tessa Kortekaas, has started strongly in her debut in Almeria.

The Dutchwoman has won the stage and leads the GC with four minutes ahead of Ariadna Ródenas, her immediate rival for the winner’s fossil of this Škoda Titan Desert Almería.

Kortekaas admitted to being “surprised” by the toughness of the race. “It’s a tougher course than the one in Morocco in terms of elevation gain, for example. Today, in addition, the heat was an important factor. The stage had a couple of particularly hard climbs and with the heat at the end it was even more difficult than I thought it would be”, she explained.

“I’m happy with the distance I was able to open up with Ariadna because from the references I was getting in the race I thought she was closer. In the end it’s an important distance to start the race as leader and I’m optimistic for tomorrow’s stage”, said the Cannondale rider Vas Arabay.