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Kittel scores in Abu Dhabi Tour’s second stage

Four wins out of six 2017 stages for German

February 24, 2017
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The day after crashing out of contention for the Abu Dhabi Tour stage win and then catching plenty of flak for his disc brakes, Marcel Kittel won Friday’s second stage. Quick Step’s German sprinter changed to rim brakes after Sky’s Owain Doull blamed Kittel’s rotor for a sliced left shoe in the crash. Thursday’s winner Mark Cavendish keeps the red leader’s jersey.


While stage one lit out for the United Arab Emirates’ desert before swinging back into the city, the second stage was a shorter, mostly city course. It was another opportunity for the fast men.


As on Thursday, Friday’s breakaway was a sextet. It wasn’t given much free rein, with the gap kept under 3:00. The fugitives fought it out for intermediate sprint honours, with Marco Canola (Italy/Nippo-Vini Fantini) taking both.
https://twitter.com/BMCProTeam/status/835105417709633536
Four breakaways submitted with 10-km remaining, but two persevered. With 3-km to go, the remnants finally were caught. Dimension Data seized the left side of the peloton. Orica-Scott drove its own wedge into the pointy end of the race.

Orica’s Caleb Ewan celebrated too early, as Kittel, who crashed at the red kite Thursday, emerged from the scrum to take the win, his fourth of the year.


Saturday’s finish climb to Jebel Hafeet will determine who wins the 3rd Abu Dhabi Tour.

2017 Abu Dhabi Tour Stage 2
1) Marcel Kittel (Germany/Quick Step) 3:28:11
2) Caleb Ewan (Australia/Orica-Scott) s.t.
3) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) s.t.

2017 Abu Dhabi Tour GC
1) Mark Cavendish (Great Britain/Dimension Data) 8:05:03
2) Marcel Kittel (Germany/Quick Step) +0:04
3) Andre Greipel (Germany/Lotto-Soudal) +0:08