Quick-Step Floors timed their train to perfection in front of the resplendent Atlantis the Palm on Tuesday, leading the powerful German to the line in four hours, six minutes and 23 seconds after 181 kilometres of flat running. This result extended the 28-year-old’s event record for stage wins to six.
Dutch champion Dylan Groenewegen of Team LottoNL-Jumbo finished second to take the Young Riders jersey, while Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka superstar and 2015 winner Mark Cavendish managed to hold onto third spot despite suffering a puncture late on.
For Kittel, he gained belief from the textbook lead-out employed by his team-mates ahead of four more stages and 684 km of action.
He said: “I’m really happy. In the last few days I felt already I was very confident about the team.
“I’m happy to have a winning start, just like last year. It was difficult to time it right because there are a lot of strong sprinters here – you need to find the right moment.
“We were always in a good position, not really in the front but we chose the right distance to go for it.
“After we passed the last roundabout, we tried to find each other and we went full gas to the finish line. It worked really well.”
The fourth edition had begun with an early five-man breakaway. This featured the likes of Dan Pearson of Aqua Blue Sport and Matteo Bono of UAE Abu Dhabi , with both newly-formed outfits experiencing their Emirates debut.
.@marcelkittel on the top step following his Stage 1 win #DubaiTour pic.twitter.com/Ak2wBE7Pp0
— Dubai Tour (@dubaitour) January 31, 2017
The quintet enjoyed a five-minute lead at one stage, but were finally dragged back in by the peloton with 10 km left. Quick-Step then grabbed control on the Palm, with no other team capable of tagging onto Kittel’s wheel.
Kittel had come into last year’s race in a new team, after Team Giant–Alpecin released him a year early after half a decade with them.
“Obviously, compared to last year, I have one extra year of racing under my belt,” said the owner of the red jersye. “I see it as a process.
“When I joined this team, the Dubai Tour was like the world championship for me. I wanted to prove myself to the team.
“Now I know everyone in the team, I knew them before but as team-mates – we’ve had a good time and hard times together.
“Having had a complete season last year means it’s a different start this year. In the first race of the year, even with the world’s biggest team, you’re not sure to win, but we’ve done a great job.”
The performance showcased Groenewegen’s promising development. In 2016, the 23-year-old was named in the start list for the 2016 Tour de France and finished first in the Dutch National Road Race Championships.
he said: “Kittel was too strong. We tried to go for a leadout, but it was a crazy final.
“We were going hard and I think only Quick-Step did a good job.
“I thnk I am stronger now and I hope I can win more than last year. But it is a new year.”
2015 runner-up John Degenkolb just missed out on a podium finish in fourth upon his Trek-Segafredo debut. But after missing last year’s running through serious injury, the German was content with his display.
“I think it’s a good start just to kick off the season,” the 28-year-old said. “For me, I am very happy how the team worked together.
“We did tiny little mistakes but in general the team is working well together, and it’s amazing to see that everyone is aiming for the same goal. It’s exactly what we wanted, to get this spirit.
“I am happy, the shape is good and I am up there with the best guys in the sprint. In the end, of course, it’s a fourth place which as a sprinter and as a winner is disappointing, but yeah, we will get there – it’s a good start.”
Wednesday’s second stage will see the competitors race 186 km from Dubai International Marine Club to Ras Al Khaimah.
