Cycling: Marcel Kittel (Katusha – Alpecin) clinched his first win of the season in the fourth race of the Mallorca Challenge. The German sprinter won the Trofeo Playa de Palma one-day race in a bunch sprint ahead of Timothy Dupont (Wanty – Groupe Gobert) and Hugo Hofstetter (Cofidis).
Kittel celebrates his hoped-for early win of the season
Marcel Kittel (Katusha – Alpecin) certainly didn't have an easy year. The 2018 season was one to forget for him. He had to drop out of the Tour de France and didn't win a stage after winning five times the year before. Everything is supposed to get better in 2019 – and he has already made a start today. In the fourth one-day race of the Mallorca Challenge, he won the Trofeo Playa de Palma. In the mass sprint he left the Belgian Timothy DuPont (Wanty – Groupe Gobert) and the French Hugo Hofstetter (Cofidis) behind. In fifth place André Greipel (Arkéa Samsic) before Rüdiger Selig (Bora – hansgrohe). John Degenkolb (Trek – Segafredo) completed the good German result in eighth place. Four sprinters ended up in the top 10.
Even Emanuel Buchmann was successful
The Mallorca Challenge can definitely be described as very successful for the German athletes this year. Next to Marcel Kittel today was already Friday Emmanuel Buchman (Bora – hansgrohe) been victorious. The 26-year-old won the as a soloist Andratx-Lloseta Trophy. The Trofeo Ses Salines-Campos-Porreres-Felanitx went to the Spaniard on Thursday Jesus Herrada (Cofidis). The Belgian triumphed yesterday Tim Wellens (Lotto – Soudal) at the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana.
VIDEO: @marcelkittel go to the Trophy Playa de Palma – Palma!!!@katushacycling
📹 @CyclingFriendly pic.twitter.com/Xn53arMvr6- ChallengeMallorca (@ChallengeMca) February 3rd 2019