February 7/14 14:39 pm - Dubai Tour: Stage 3

Posted by Editoress on 02/7/14
 

Kittel Pulls One Out Of The Hat
Overall Race Lead Stays With Phinney

At Hatta today, despite some challenging climbs in the final kilometres, Germany's Marcel Kittel took his second sprint finish in as many days to win stage 3 of the inaugural Dubai Tour. Taylor Phinney finished in the leading group, losing no time to his rivels and retaining the lead in the General Classification and the Best Young Rider competition.

Marcel Kittel wins stage 3

 
After the stage, Kittel and Phinney spoke to the press.
 
Marcel Kittel (Team Giant-Shimano)

Learning to climb.
"I'm very happy for this win. The team worked very well today. They gave me a big hand to get me to the finish, and I repaid them with a good win. Today was hard because we had to chase down the attackers on the climbs. I know this is one of my limits and I want to improve so that I can win races with climbs before a flat finish. I don't think I can win Milano-Sanremo: it's a completely different type of race, although I've never ridden it, so I don't know. Maybe in the future, but with the change it's almost impossible for the sprinters."

 3 out of 3? "I hope that tomorrow is a good day for me. I'm confident and I hope I can win stage 3."

Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team)

Today's stage
"It was a beautiful stage today, the hardest of the race. I think on TV it must have been beautiful. Hatta is beautiful, the roads were very good, and the climbs were pretty steep and hard.  My team did an amazing job: Lodewyck, Lander and Zabel held the 6 breakaway riders close enough to catch them before the climbs. Then, in the last 10 kms the best in the world were attacking, one after the other: Sagan, Tony Martin, Rui Costa. I was right up there and following wheels and keeping things together. I had Thor Hushovd taking care of me. Yannick Eijssen and Steve Cummings did a great job on the final climbs. It's cool when you see Rui Costa, the World Champion, dangling off the front: you know it's a big race. I'm very happy with that team today, and very happy to finish the stage and still be wearing the leader' jersey."
 
1 stage to go.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Tomorrow is pretty straightforward a town circuit around downtown Dubai. A shorter stage, we'll try to take control. I know the sprinters teams will want to sprint, so I'll just try to stay safe."

Jerseys:
Race Leader (blue jersey) by RTA: Taylor Phinney (BMC)
Points Leader (red jersey) by EMIRATES: Marcel Kittel (GIA)
Best Young Rider (white jersey) by DUBAI SPORTS COUNCIL: Willem Jakobus Smit (VFN)
Intermediate Sprints (white, red, green and black jersey) by DUBAI SPORTS TV: Taylor Phinney (BMC)

Press release

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