cycling: Dubai Tour stage #3: Degenkolb wins the sprint – smock with a laceration

Cycling: John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) won Stage 2017 of the XNUMX Dubai Tour. With a strong sprint, he prevailed against Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Dimension Data) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida). Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) was stuck in the final and was unable to make a decisive difference. An alleged elbow strike by an Astana driver against Marcel Kittel, who in the meantime was on the road with his face covered in blood, caused a stir.

Tough day for the riders in today's leg of the Dubai Tour. Stormy winds with sometimes strong gusts and heavy sand drifts made the first half of today's 200 km in the Gulf of Oman particularly difficult. As on the previous days, a group at the front pulled away in the still calm initial kilometers, including Alex Dowsett (Movistar) and Loic Vliegen (BMC).

Then, as the wind picked up, the field was gradually being torn apart. Wind relays formed again and again, the sandy roads also led to a few falls. Marcel Kittel, who was suddenly bleeding from his face, also caused a great deal of excitement. As his team boss Patrick Lefevere announced a short time later via Instagram, Kittel was probably hit in the face by an Astana professional. Kittel himself hinted at an elbow strike during the race.

[blog style=”def” cols=”2″ display=”specific” specific=”63134″ posts_per_page=”0″ offset=”0″ pagination=”no” ad_id=”0″ ad_count=”3″ ad_repeat=”yes”]

With the wind getting weaker towards the end of the race, things on the asphalt calmed down a bit. The field, fragmented into numerous groups, regrouped and the brave breakaways at the front continued to resist. Only about 3 km before the finish line the last two at the front were caught and at the same time the phase of the sprint moves was heralded. As on the previous days, it was again Dimension Data, Trek-Segafredo, LottoNL-Jumbo and Quick-Step Floors that were at the top here. However, like yesterday, the Belgian team of overall leader Marcel Kittel found it difficult to get their captain in the right position and so the sprint was opened by John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo). Today he got the perfect timing and was able to prevail against Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Dimension Data), who started the sprint instead of Mark Cavendish. The Brit was nowhere to be seen in the final. Marcel Kittel was stuck and wasn't lucky enough to get a gap at the last moment like yesterday.

So a lot looks like a duel between Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb for overall victory. Above all, tomorrow's stage with the 'mountain finish' at Hatta Dam will be decisive again and could play into Degen's hands. At the moment Marcel Kittel is defending the overall lead ahead of Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo)

Final Result Dubai Tour 2017 Stage #3

Appreciation Dubai Tour 2017 after Stage #3