Marzà overcomes his fears in Velefique

The ŠKODA Titan Desert Almería is a challenging and fun race that sometimes gives second chances. Like the one that Pau Marzà has enjoyed today. The Catalan cyclist, who in 2020 was evacuated with hypothermia in the Alto de Velefique, has been today the winner of the ŠKODA We Love Cycling stage in the same Almeria pass.

Part of his victory comes thanks to a Konny Looser who showed that, in addition to a winner, he is an excellent peloton partner. The Swiss secured his GC lead, took the ŠKODA Challenge and handed the stage win to Marzá. “This way we’re all happier,” he acknowledged.

From the beginning of the day, the one who seemed to fight the strongest for the stage was Luis Ángel Maté. At the start in Tabernas he was already pulling. He was the leader at the second checkpoint and was the first to climb the Alto de Velefique. On the descent, Looser, who was the fastest to complete the climb, connected with Maté and Miquel Faus. Faus, second overall, took risks on the descent to try to open a gap and ended up getting a puncture.

With Faus deactivated, Looser sought to get along with Maté to arrive together and share spoils: the stage for the Euskaltel Euskadi rider and the GC for the Swiss. The problems for Maté came in the final part, in which his inexperience with navigation became evident. He got lost on several occasions and finally Marzà caught up. Desperate, the Marbella rider let Looser and the Catalan ride to the finish.

A ŠKODA We Love Cycling stage that reconciles Pau Marzà with the Alto de Velefique and allows Konny Looser to breathe, who is already close to his first ŠKODA Titan Desert Almería.

Vera Looser.

These two words are enough to summarize how the dispute of the women’s GC of the ŠKODA Titan Desert Almería is being. Among the participating women, only Ariadna Ródenas, seems to maintain the level of the Namibian rider. The rider from Elche, however, decided to participate this time in the Mixed Duo classification, where she leads easily with Antonio Gutiérrez.

Looser is the leader, with over an hour on her immediate pursuers, she has conquered the three stages that have been disputed and has been the fastest to complete the ŠKODA Challenge segment.

Although yesterday she said she would try to be defensive to ensure her leadership, the truth is that she was already in the lead from the initial river sections and before reaching the beautiful village of Senés. From there, ascent to Velefique and an addition of mountain segments in which she has developed with the usual superiority of these three days.

Triumphant arrival at the finish line, among the wooden slats of the camp. In a tribute to the western atmosphere that permeates the Titans’ tents, Looser continues unperturbed, like that lone gunfighter who never loses a duel.