Dubai Tour: Kittel doubles up on stage 2

Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) left it late but proved he is the strongest sprinter at the Dubai Tour with his second stage win in two days.

The German came through a congested sprint to beat Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) into second once again, with Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina) in third. Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) was in the hunt for the stage win but found himself boxed in just when he appeared to be moving forward. Kittel’s win extends Quick-Step Floors’ impressive start to the season and the German will wear the leaders jersey on stage 3. He is on course to win the Dubai Tour for the second year running. 

Once again Kittel could count in excellent work from his well-drilled team. They kept the break of Mark Christian (Aqua Blue), Simone Andreetta (Bardiani-CSF), Jempy Drucker (BMC), Peter Williams (One Pro Cycling), and Yousif Mirza (UAE Abu Dhabi) in check throughout the day.

The five-man move jumped clear in the opening 20 kilometres of racing and built up a lead of over four minutes on the flat, 188km stretch to Ras al-Khaimah.

Drucker claimed both intermediate sprints before sitting up and allowing the rest of the break to bask in the glory of the Dubai sun, but their efforts were once again in vain. This is a race designed for sprinters and only an extreme miscalculation would upset the odds.

When the four remaining breakaway riders were reeled in with 10 kilometres remaining the lead-out trains moved into gear. This is still very early in the season and the order of the day - for most sprint teams – was to learn from the mistakes made 24 hours earlier. Some teams went too early, full of enthusiasm for a new season but lacking staying power for when it mattered most. Other teams simply lacked cohesion – a difficult skill to master in such a short space of time - but nevertheless the onus fell once again on Kittel’s men and Dimension Data.

The two teams dominated the closing stages but they were not the only protagonists. Trek Segafredo played a more prominent role, confident that John Degenkolb could take on his ex-teammates Kittel and Cavendish.

Lotto NL-Jumbo briefly looked in trouble when they lost ground inside the final 3 kilometres as Bob Jungels once again ratcheted up the pace, while Bardiani CSF, BMC Racing and Wilier Triestina swamped what was already a crowded peloton.

Despite a more determined opposition, Quick-Step once again got their tactics right. They did, however, concede the front to Lotto NL-Jumbo with 1.5km to go and the Dutch squad were well placed as the final lead-out men positioned their sprinters but Kittel, even when there’s still work to be done, is match for anyone on this form.

He started his sprint on the outside, almost level with Cavendish, but in the space of a few pedal strokes the entire nature of the sprint changed. Whereas the road opened up for Kittel, with a smooth passage to the line, Cavendish was left blocked by Groenewegen, who was starting to fade just as Kittel came over the top. The Manxman banged his handlebars in frustration, once again robbed of the chance to really test himself against Kittel. However, the German will have cared little for the Dimension Data rider’s plight.

Although this was a closer affair compared to stage 1, Kittel still looked the best sprinter on the road. His lead-out is supreme but he still has the form to finish off the job. Two from two, he will take some stopping.

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