Marcel Kittel wins the People's Choice Classic(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marcel Kittel on the podium(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Marcel Kittel with a local snake(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Having completed the opening race of the WorldTour at the Tour Down Under, Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) has turned his sights to making his debut at the Giro d'Italia in May. Kittel, who won four stages at last year's Tour de France, made his grand tour debut in 2011 at the Vuelta a España where he won Stage 7.
"Of course it is a dream for a sprinter to win stages in more grand tours. I would like to ride the Giro. In the next few weeks I will discuss with my team whether this race should be on my program this year," Kittel said.
Since turning professional in 2011 Kittel has ridden only one grand tour a season and of the three that he has started, Kittel has only completed one.
Kittel won the opening People's Classic Criterium on the eve of the Tour Down Under and failed to fire again as Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) was once again king of the sprints at the Australian race.
On the final day of racing around an Adelaide city street circuit that favoured sprinters like Kittel, the German was boxed in with his lead out man Koen de Kort forced to take up sprinting duties.
"The plan was to set Marcel up for the finish but he got swamped towards the end and was unable to make up the ground. Koen did well to react and make the most of his good positioning to sprint to fourth place," said Giant-Shimano's Addy Engels.
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