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Victory in Dubai opens a new chapter in Marcel Kittel's career

08/02/2016
 

8 February 2016



 

Victory in Dubai opens a new chapter in Marcel Kittel's career


Downloads: results, stage video, photo galleries



 

Dubai, 6 February 2016 – Marcel Kittel of Etixx - Quick Step impressed the rest of the field as he stormed to victory on the streets of Dubai, fending off race leader Giacomo Nizzolo of Trek - Segafredo, who crossed the finish line in sixth and, in turn, lost the overall classification to the German sprinter, who also won the points classification.


In the presence of Diego Armando Maradona, who attended the race for the third consecutive season, the Blue Jersey received the Circle of Stars, the winner's trophy, from HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
 

Diego Armando Maradona said: "I love Dubai and I'm very happy to be here for the last stage of the Dubai Tour. Today the winner is cycling but if I have to say something about Marcel Kittel... What muscles, what a body!"

 

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GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 - Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick Step)
2 - Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek - Segafredo) at 4"
3 - Juan José Lobato (Movistar Team) at 6"

 

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) – Marcin Bialoblocki (One Pro Cycling)



STAGE RESULT
1 - Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick Step) 137km in 2h50’47”, average speed 48.131km/h
2 - Elia Viviani (Team Sky) s.t.
3 - Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) s.t.
 
PRESS CONFERENCE
Press conference comments from race winner Marcel Kittel (Etixx - Quick Step): "A new chapter opened in my life in 2016 with a change of team, and it’s been great to start this new chapter here. I’m super happy with the support I received. My teammates did a great job, while I had fun hugging Diego Maradona after I won! He really likes the race – he’s been here since the beginning of the Dubai Tour – and it’s great to see him enjoy the event. A GC victory rarely happens for a sprinter like me. I’m excited by this win but I have to keep calm; we’re still in February and the season lasts till October. The biggest challenges are still ahead."


The press conference was opened by H.E. Saeed Hareb, Dubai Sports Council General Secretary, who said: "I thank everyone who attended the Dubai Tour, especially the champions. I don’t know if it’s good for Marcel Kittel to win the Dubai Tour or for the Dubai Tour to have Marcel Kittel as a winner. We’re all happy, I guess. It’s been a great event this year. I’m glad to see that the TV coverage has increased by 58%. The race has been broadcast in 177 countries and the Dubai Tour has become a very serious affair. We want to build this race on a long-term basis. Dubai is a busy city but our teams and the police have done a great job of keeping the streets safe for the riders."


Mr Lorenzo Giorgetti, CEO RCS Sports and Events DMCC, said at the press conference: "We have to thank all the teams from Dubai who have put together this great third edition. We had six world champions competing at the Dubai Tour. We need to grow again. We see the public is growing. The Tour village was full of people. We’ve had a very safe race and it all looks positive for a great future."
 

OTHER QUOTES
Best young rider Soutiane Haddi said: "Being here in Dubai, racing for a team from Dubai, it feels great to win a jersey. Like the previous days, my teammates did a great job in keeping me safe. I had to watch two riders who were threatening me but I was never in trouble. Soon I’ll have the African Championships in my home country of Morocco to take part in, so it feels great to be in such strong shape at this time of year."


Marcin Bialoblocki, winner of the intermediate sprints, said: "Like yesterday, I had a teammate [Sebastian Lander] at the front, while I watched the riders who threatened my classification victory. After the first intermediate sprint, I felt safe. My team looked after me very well. It feels great to win here in front of Burj Khalifa with my new team. We worked together all week. I secured the jersey. Everything went well."


Alex Dowsett, member of the winning teams classification, Team Movistar, said: "At Movistar, we’re all good! I’m joking but we’re always challenging for the teams classification. We’ve won it this time because we were trying to get Lobato to win the stage yesterday. He showed he’s extremely good at uphill sprints. But when it comes to the fast flat sprints, he’s lacking a bit of horse power against Kittel and the pure sprinters. However it’s great to have won the queen stage here. It’s an honour to attend the presentation with the whole team on stage. We’ll bring excellent memories of Dubai back home. Personally, the prologue of the Giro will be my next big goal."
 

THE FINAL STAGE
During the stage, Daniel Teklehaimanot (Dimension Data), Jan Polanc and Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Sebastian Lander (One Pro Cycling), Mark Christian (Team Wiggins) and Roy Curvers (Team Giant - Alpecin) made the breakaway of the day. The composition of the escape was ideal for Marcin Bialoblocki (One Pro Cycling) to retain the lead in the intermediate sprints.


After regrouping with 11km to go, it all came down to a final and decisive bunch sprint. Had Nizzolo come second to Kittel, he would have kept the overall lead but the German was so powerful that no one managed to hold his pace, with Elia Viviani (Team Sky) and Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) finishing second and third, respectively.


After transferring from Team Giant - Alpecin and overcoming an illness-marred 2015 season, Kittel is ready to dominate the sprints this year.



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PHOTO CREDIT: ANSA - PERI / DAL ZENNARO

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