RACE REPORT: TOUR OF ABU DHABI STAGE 2

Marcel Kittel beat Caleb Ewan as Ewan looked to post up a bit early.

RBA/AFP

German sprinter Marcel Kittel of Quick Step held off Caleb Ewan and Mark Cavendish to win a bunch sprint on stage two of

the Tour of Abu Dhabi. Kittel fell on the final kilometre on Thursday and finished three minutes behind stage one winner Cavendish, who will go into stage three with the overall leader’s red jersey on his back.
Saturday’s race however will suit neither Kittel nor Cavendish with the
11km Jebel Hafit hill — so popular with local cyclists — on the agenda with its 8-9 per cent gradients, this will be one for the climbers.

The breakaway working well together, though they would eventually be caught.

Stage 2:
1. Marcel Kittel (GER/QSF) 153km in 3h 28min 11sec,

2. Caleb Ewan (AUS/ORS)
same time,

3. Marc Cavendish (GBR/DDD) s.t.,

4. Matteo Pelucchi (ITA/BOH)
s.t.,

5. Phil Bauhaus (GER/SUN) s.t.

Overall:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR/DDD) 342km in 8h 05min 03sec,

2. Marcel Kittel
(GER/QSF) at 4sec,

3. André Greipel (GER/LTS) 8,

4. Marco Canola (ITA/NIP) 8,

5. Caleb Ewan (AUS/ORS) 8

Contador saves his bullets as tomorrow he will come out to play.

Photo: Bettini