George Mathias
A SPANISH cyclist died on May 10 competing in a Moroccan desert endurance race.
Ernesto Escolano, 50, was taken to Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech having cycled for 82 kilometres in the blazing heat of the Sahara Desert as part of Titan Desert – a gruelling six day cycling event.
The bike race has been held annually in Morocco since 2006 and begins in the Atlas mountains.
The athlete, from Huesca was initially treated by the race health team who had managed to stabilise him after he collapsed due to severe dehydration.
Photo: Eventos y Deporte.
But after being transferred to the hospital via helicopter, his heart suddenly stopped.
The race officials released a statement which said: “From the organisation, as well as the participants, medical team, sponsors, journalists and the entire entourage that accompanies the race, we convey our condolences to his family and close friends.”
It is not the first time the race has seen a fatality.
In 2019, 46-year-old Fernando Civera from Zaragoza suffered sudden heart failure whilst completing the second stage of the event.
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