"Friendship, respect, and camaraderie" proclaim the Gipuzkoan Haimar Zubeldia and the Ibizan Enrique Morcillo before the duel in the sun between the two that will decide this Friday the name of the winner of the Titan Desert Saudi Arabia.
Morcillo won the first stage and debuted 'the red one'. In the third stage, Zubeldia won and dressed as the leader, but both arrive tied before the last assault that will take place along the coast of the Red Sea, with a flat route of 64 km.
Zubeldia managed to beat his rival in the sprint, with whom he had not been able to before. A change in strategy at the end was enough to not go home empty, achieving his second victory in Arabia, since he signed another in 2022.
"I used another tactic, since other times I started in the eprint and I had no luck. Today I surprised him, he is faster than me, but I started from behind and won well," Zubeldia celebrated.
Collaboration is key in this type of testing. "Today for you, tomorrow for me" seems to be the motto of most to survive the rigors of the desert slopes.
"We left together at the beginning along a boulevard in search of Lluis Mas, who was ahead, and we collaborated until the dune, where we did very well, we were able to pass her on the bicycle while the others set foot on the ground. From From there we join forces until the finish line," summarized the Basque cyclist.
Tied in the general standings, this Friday there will be collaboration... to a certain extent, since the final victory will be at stake.
"Tomorrow everything will change, each one will play their tricks and at the finish line we will be such friends. Morcillo is a bigger rider than me, and there won't be any mountain riding, but we'll see what happens. There's a lot of camaraderie once you've parked the bike, and that's the beautiful thing, the fact of living together and sharing moments with everyone".
"I think Haimar Zubeldia has shown that he is a gentleman, I have not had any problems understanding him. For tomorrow I see myself as strong, but in the race I try at all times to break the group and he always responds," said the Balearic cyclist at the finish line. .
Although the "biker" experience can be a point in his favor, Morcillo does not want to fall into the clutches of overconfidence.
"I have more experience than him, but I don't trust myself. I'm a biker, but in a stage with sand you have to have legs to move the bike. Whoever wins will be the fair winner," he concluded.
