Dubai Tour - The German rider Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick Step) has won Stage 1, the Dubai Silicon Oasis Stage, of the third edition of the Dubai Tour, from the Dubai International Marine Club to Fujairah (173km). He fended off Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) to clinch his first success of the 2016 season after an ill-fated year.
Soon after the start, six riders formed a breakaway as they joined forces after two separated attempts to ride the peloton off. Loic Vliegen (BMC), Marc Soler (Movistar), Martin Mortensen (One Pro Cycling), Soufiane Haddi (Skydive Dubai), Charles Planet (Novo Nordisk) and Jesus Rubio (Al Nasr) maintained a high speed - close to an average 47km/h - with an advantage of nearly 3.30 for the majority of the stage over the pack mostly led by Etixx-Quick Step and Astana.
Haddi won both of the day’s two intermediate sprints to claim the UAE flag jersey. The second sprint was with just 10km to go, while the peloton was on the edge of reeling in the escapees. The inevitable bunch gallop saw the obvious superiority of the Etixx-Quick Step team who gave Kittel the dream lead-out he was hoping for as he joined the Belgian outfit during last year's transfer window.
The powerful German sprinter leads the Dubai Tour with the aim of succeeding Cavendish to overall classification victory as well, receiving the Blue Jersey at the presence of H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, Chairman of Fujairah Free Zone and Chairman of Fujairah Marine Club and H.E. Saeed Hareb, Dubai Sports Council General Secretary.STAGE RESULT 1 - Marcel Kittel (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) 173km in 3h35’21”, average speed 48.200km/h 2 - Mark Cavendish (DIMENSION DATA) s.t. 3 - Giacomo Nizzolo (TREK - SEGAFREDO) s.t.JERSEYS • The Blue Jersey, sponsored by Commercial Bank of Dubai (General individual classification by time) - Marcel Kittel (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) • The Red Jersey, sponsored by Emirates (General individual classification by points) - Marcel Kittel (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) • The White Jersey, sponsored by RTA - Roads and Transport Authority (Best Young Rider born after 1 January 1991) - Soufiane Haddi (SKYDIVE DUBAI PRO CYCLING TEAM - AL AHLI CLUB) • The UAE Flag Jersey, sponsored by DHA - Dubai Health Authority (Intermediate Sprint Jersey Classification) - Soufiane Haddi (SKYDIVE DUBAI PRO CYCLING TEAM - AL AHLI CLUB) GENERAL CLASSIFICATION 1 - Marcel Kittel (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) 2 - Mark Cavendish (DIMENSION DATA) at 4" 3 - Giacomo Nizzolo (TREK - SEGAFREDO) at 6
PRESS CONFERENCE Press conference declarations by the stage winner and first race leader Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick Step): æIt wasn’t everyone’s expectation that I could win this race. It was also a challenge for me. The criticism I received last year motivated me for winning today. I was sick, that was the only reason for my poor performances. Now I’m super happy with my new team-mates’ job – it went even better than I expected, we have so much horsepower here in the team. I beat Mark Cavendish today but it’s not in my head that he was at Etixx - Quick Step last year. In 2016, we’re both in a new team, that’s all. It would be nice to keep the jersey till the end but there’s also a hard stage on day 3.”
White jersey holder and intermediate sprints leader Soutane Haddi (Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling Team - Al Ahli Club): "Being a team from Dubai, we’ve trained very well for this race. The coaches gave us the instruction to break away today and I was one of the two designated riders for the job while others were there to protect our sprinters, since we also have two sprinters this year. I managed to collect the points to be awarded this jersey. I’m delighted to have won the two intermediate sprints. It’s a huge amount of work work that is paying off."
Dubai Tour - Marcel Kittel sul Podio - Photo Credits : Roberto Bettini
TOMORROW'S STAGE Stage 2 – Nakheel Stage (183km) From Dubai city to Dubai city (Palm Jumeirah Atlantis) Sign-on procedures: 9.25-10.35am Alignment: 10.40am Start - KM 0: 10.55am (transfer 4,900m) Finish: Approx. 3.15pm Race Headquarters: DIMC - Dubai International Marine Club – Mina Seyahi, Al Sofouh Road, Al Seyahi Street, Dubai, U.A.E.
Dubai Tour - Marcel Kittel sul Podio - Photo Credits : Roberto Bettini
ROUTE A stage of two distinct parts. The first part is just outside the metropolis, partially in the desert, the second part within Dubai Marina to end in Palm Jumeirah, in front of the Atlantis “door”. The first part will pass next to the Camel Track, the Al Qudra bike path, the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex pool and through the desert. The second part returns into the city touching Dubailand, the Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Sports City. It then heads to the finale on the Palm through an underwater tunnel before the last kilometres, with the halfway point on the artificial island. From here there will be a little over 3km before the final sprint.Last kilometres On the Palm, many clearly marked rumble strips run across the carriageway along the descent and the climb, and there is a U-turn 3,200m before the finish line. The final 3km are virtually straight (although on a constantly slightly-bending road), with some roundabouts along the way. The home stretch is 800m long (still bending slightly), on a 7m-wide asphalted roadway. PHOTO GALLERY : PHOTO CREDIT: ANSA - PERI / DAL ZENNARO :
