Despite missing out on a stage victory at the Tour Down Under, Marcel Kittel swept aside the competition at the recent inaugural Dubai Tour to claim three consecutive stage victories.
With Mark Cavendish unable to achieve a top 10 finish on any of the three road race stages, the pressure will be on the “Manx Missile” to silence the critics.
While Kittel was expected to compete for the stage honours during Stages One and Three, a ten-kilometre prologue commencing the 2.1 categorised race, few expected the hulking German to survive the climbs near the finish of Stage Two.
Kittel would appear from nowhere to surprise everyone, including his teammates due to the absence of race radios, to deny Peter Sagan an expected stage win.
Contrary to the 2013 cycling season, Marcel Kittel and his Giant-Shimano sprint train have begun the season on fine form. With the Giant-Shimano sprint train often functioning better on the day than Omega Pharma – Quick-Step’s lead out of Tony Martin, Alessandro Petacchi and Mark Renshaw.
After approaching the inaugural Dubai Tour with great expectations of a General Classification victory with reigning World Time Trial champion Tony Martin and high hopes of a stage victory for Mark Cavendish, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step will leave the 2014 Dubai Tour slightly dismayed.
Yet another second place finish behind a German sprinter on the final stage of a race for Mark Renshaw will be faint solace for the Belgian outfit.
Writing off the chances of Mark Cavendish defending his throne as the world’s current greatest sprinter, however, would be ill-advised.
The “Manx Missile” to date has always bounced back to silence his critics, and Giant-Shimano experienced similar issues during 2013 while perfecting their sprint train for the 100th Tour de France.
The third and final stage of the 2014 Dubai Tour will act as a base for Omega Pharma – Quick-Step to build upon in their steady build up to the 2014 Tour de France.
The Belgian outfit’s makeshift lead out for Mark Renshaw, after a Cavendish collision with a plastic bollard within the final two kilometres, managed to compete with Giant-Shimano despite being a rider short.
It is just a shame that Andre Greipel and Lotto Belisol were not in attendance as well so that we could have an early comparison between the three sprinters and their teams in regards to form, fitness and organisation. Lotto Belisol is still arguably the best drilled sprint train since the demise of HTC-Columbia.
It’s something Cavendish and Omega Pharma – Quick-Step will be hoping to replicate with the recruitment of Petacchi and return of trusted right-hand man Renshaw in the months ahead before the grand depart of the 2014 Tour de France.
Sean Lee
Expert
Heaven help the other sprinters when Kittel finally does get his act together then! :-)
Bones506
Roar Guru
Kittle is exciting but he has a long way to go - He generally only functins with his Sprint train and at TDU got lost sveeral times. Griepel usually needs a big train but at TDU showed he can 'Freelance' a bit more than he used to. With that said no one is in the class of Freelancing like Cav and the up and coming Ewen. The trains take a fair amount of simulation and work to get right. Shimano's train was not very good at the start of 2012 and into 2013 but has come together quite well. Lotto is the best drilled and when Hendo returns they will be on fire. I tried to bridge across to him the other week on a sat morning - he came past holding 55. Mtyself and another Rush rider kicked from 38 up to about 58 (tail wind helps) and tried to bridge - I fell short. My mate got on. Hendo is a BEAST
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
I bet the likes of Sagan were really impressed when Kittel was interviewed and he categorically stated he was just a kilometre per hour, or two, from being unable to keep up with the shattered peloton. They were not exactly holding back over those final kilometres. The lad has come a long way since it was exaggeratingly joked he could not climb over a speed bump without being dropped.
Sean Lee
Expert
Kittel's stage two victory after clearing those hills was very impressive! He is an exciting talent.