German sprint machine Marcel Kittel to lead Giant Alpecin at Tour Down Under

GERMAN cyclist Marcel Kittel will unleash his powerful sprint talents on next month’s Tour Down Under after his entry was confirmed last night.

19.1.2014 - Tour Down Under Colour - Marcel Kittel . Pic Simon Cross

GERMAN cyclist Marcel Kittel will unleash his powerful sprint talents on next month’s Santos Tour Down Under after his entry was confirmed last night.

The decision by Kittel, an eight-stage winner at the Tour de France, to lead the Giant Alpecin team in its first UCI WorldTour event under its new name is a massive coup for the southern hemisphere’s biggest cycling event.

Kittel is rated among the most potent sprinters in the world, with victories over Mark Cavendish at the Tour de France and Tour of Britain this year on his resume.

Following fellow German Andre Greipel’s surprise move to bypass the TDU, Kittel is expected to have a huge impact in the Tour from January 17-25. Greipel is a dual winner of the TDU and has claimed a record 16 stages.

“It’s a nice way for me to start the season and to find my legs again after the winter training,’’ Kittel said. “Even if there aren’t too many opportunities for sprinters, the race is still part of my build-up to the season and in combination with the ideal race conditions, it is an ideal start to the year.

“I will go for any opportunities I have but I’ll also be supporting the strong team that we have here and our other goals. It will be nice to race with our new sponsor Alpecin on the jersey.”

Kittel showcased his class when he claimed an emphatic win in this year’s People’s Choice Classic, the warm-up for the TDU, before winning four stages at the Tour de France and two stages at the Giro d’italia.

His teammates at the TDU will be emerging Dutch star Tom Dumoulin, Keon de Kort, Gregory Craddock, Simon Geschke, Albert Trimmer and Chad Haga.

Dumoulin will be making his debut in the event while Craddock won the young rider’s classification after finishing third in this year’s Tour of California.

“It is a nice way to get the season underway and the start of my detailed race program we have made with the coaches,” Dumoulin said.

“We have a good team here and I am looking to test myself for the general classification. Despite it being an early target I can come to this race without any pressure and see how the legs respond to the hard racing.”

Originally published as German sprint machine Marcel Kittel to lead Giant Alpecin at Tour Down Under