Kittel wins stage 1 of Presidential Tour of Turkey
German ace wins opener in Turkey
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Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) won stage 1 of the Presidential Tour of Turkey in Alanya on Sunday.
André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) was second in a bunch finish at the end of 143-kilometer out-and-back along the coast between Alanya and Gazipasa.
Yuriy Metlushenko (Torku Seker Spor) was third.
NetApp-Endura and behind them, Blanco, led the peloton into the final 4km. MTN-Qhubeka made a move to advance its Milano-Sanremo winner, Gerald Ciolek.
The early leaders in the run-up to the finish weren’t there when it counted, however, and Argos-Shimano and Omega Pharma-Quick Step battled for the point at the 1km kite. Kittel charged up the left side of the road and no one could match the German.
“Today was a very good example of how a team should work,” said Kittel. “In the last 5km we had to brake because of a crash, which forced us to chase back, but the guys did their job and we moved up to the front all together.
“I was able to start sprinting late, with Koen [De Koert] leading me out. When the other riders around me started their sprint I followed. I had to find a gap, which wasn’t a problem, and I was able to pass them.”