Kortekaas praised the positive changes to the competition course, enjoying the increased difficulty and fun that the new trails offered
Once again, Lanzarote attracted the international elite of mountain biking, who competed at the highest level in the 4 Stage MTB Race Lanzarote 2024. The roads and trails that cross the entire island surprised both professionals and amateurs, giving them the opportunity to enjoy their sport in the middle of dreamlike landscapes and spectacular weather. Ismael Ventura and Tessa Kortekaas stood out as the main winners of this edition. The race is organised by Club La Santa and is part of the calendar of the International Cycling Union (UCI).
The inauguration of the competition, with a 48-kilometre route that began and concluded at Club La Santa, witnessed the leadership from the beginning of Ismael Ventura in the men’s category, maintaining a significant advantage over Periklis Ilias and Jorge Lamiel. In the women’s category, Tessa Kortekaas maintained her superiority until crossing the finish line ahead of Manuela Muresan and Janka Stevkova. As an innovation in this edition, the exciting e-bikers category was incorporated.
The second stage of 55 kilometres continued from Club La Santa to Mancha Blanca, Tinguatón or Tinajo, with Ventura and Kortekaas once more on top of the podium. Under challenging weather conditions, the participants faced southerly winds on this course with a 990-metre climb.
In the third stage, a 21-kilometre time trial from Caleta de Famara to Ermita de las Nieves, Kortekaas consolidated her female lead, while Ventura narrowly beat Ilias to secure her overall position.
The fourth and final stage, the longest with 84 kilometres and the challenging climb to La Presa de Mala, finished at Club La Santa. Ventura beat Lamiel by less than a second, while Kortekaas took an outstanding victory in the women’s category.
Ismael Ventura and Tessa Kortekaas shone throughout the competition, winning all four stages and maintaining their lead in their respective categories from start to finish.
Tessa praised the improved organisation, commenting that in her six participations she has finally seen positive changes to the routes. She appreciated the increased difficulty and fun of getting onto trails, which she considers more challenging. Although the last stage was especially difficult due to the softness of the sandy areas between Mozaga and La Santa due to the lack of rain, Tessa highlighted that it was here where she truly won the race by finding the “flow” and gaining significant time, comparing it to the most similar stage of the Titan.
Kortekaas also expressed her satisfaction at winning the race again with a “clean sweep” (victory in all stages), and stressed that the competition leaves her with a lot of confidence to face the season. For his part, Ventura, who shares an opinion with Kortekaas regarding the added difficulty that the race has had this year, is already thinking about competing again on the Different Island as soon as possible.
“I love Lanzarote for MTB because of the level of the island’s landscape, which is spectacular, and because of the type of route it offers. The areas that combine volcanic stone with sand are something unique. This year has been a practically perfect experience for me, despite the new features that were introduced and made the race harder and more technical,” said Ventura.
The 4 Stage MTB Race Lanzarote 2024 brought together 400 participants, challenging them to tour the unique landscapes of Lanzarote in a test that consolidates the Island on the international sports scene.
