23-year-old wins the battle of the German sprinters team, but the Gorilla takes back the overall lead
Marcel Kittel (Project 1t4i) took his second victory of the season in the third stage of the Tour of Oman between Al Awabi (Al Alya) and Muscat Heights (Bank Muscat HQ). The 23-year-old German outpaced compatriot, and stage one winner, André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) in the mass sprint at the end of the 144.5km, predominantly downhill stage; emerging French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-BigMat) was third.
The stage was characterised by a four-rider break, after Vladimir Isaychev (Katusha), Kevin Hulsmans (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia), William Clarke (Champion System) and Alexandre Lemair (Bridgestone-Anchor) escaped the peloton in the opening kilometres. The quartet’s lead only reached a maximum of 3’45”, which they achieved after just 25km, but it took until the final 5km for them to be pulled back.
The lion’s share of the work to bring back the break was done by the Sky team of World champion Mark Cavendish, with the tantalising prospect of a duel with former teammate Greipel on the cards, but the Manxman found himself boxed in at the finish and could only manage eighth; his best finish of a disappointing race so far.
Time bonuses for second place mean that Greipel retakes the leader’s red jersey back from stage two winner Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), who came in fifth.
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The peloton had raced just three kilometres when the four-man group escaped, and they were allowed to build a respectable lead over the peloton, as the course descended gently to the Omani coast. As it passed through A’Sahil after 25km, the quartet led by 3’45”; this was reduced to 3’15” as isaychev led over the first intermediate sprint at the Nakhal Fort after 42.5km, and had dropped to 2’45” as it passed through the 50km point at Tewayh.
It rose back up to 3’10” though, as the breakaway reached the stage’s second sprint, at the coast town of Barka after 83.5km.
As Team Sky moved forward, along with Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Garmin-Barracuda and many of the other sprinters’ teams, the deficit began to come down again. Through Salalah, after 90km, it was down to 2’55” and, 15km later – as the race entered the final 40km – it was down to 1’25” as Team Sky began to increase the pace.
With 20km to go though, the quartet still led by 1’10 as the peloton was careful not to catch them too soon.
Team Sky’s chase was disrupted a little by a puncture for Jeremy Hunt, but – with the help of some of the other teams – it was controlling the speed of the peloton, gradually reeling in the four-man break as they approached the outskirts of the Suntanate’s capital. With 5km to go though, they were still holding out against the might of the British team, but shortly afterwards it was all over and the race was heading for the almost inevitable sprint.
Narrowing roads, and three roundabouts in the final 5km disrupted the Team Sky rhythm as they approached the finish line, which allowed the other teams to bring their sprinters forward.
At the finish Cavendish found himself swamped as the others came forward, and it became a battle between the two Germans for the line. Stage one winner Greipel had looked almost unbeatable in the season so far, having taken five victories so far; Kittel had also been victorious already in 2012 though, starting where he left off in 2011 in the second stage of the Etoile de Besseges, and it was he that hit the line first.
Greipel had the consolation of the race leader however, as the race headed into the hills in the next two stages.