Tour of Dubai

[raindog]

Quite a bumpy stage in the last 15 km, enough to make it interesting.

There was some good racing, wasn't there? Nice to see the world champ having a go. Nearly didn't bother watching today, but I'm glad I did. Sagan got boxed in a bit, but I doubt he would've beat Kittel anyway.

 

[thom]

There was some good racing, wasn't there? Nice to see the world champ having a go. Nearly didn't bother watching today, but I'm glad I did. Sagan got boxed in a bit, but I doubt he would've beat Kittel anyway.

With hindsight, Canondale burnt their matches too soon, being on the front with a couple of guys on the final rise didn't do quite enough to drop Kittel but wasted man power for a sprint lead out. Kittel surely won't have emerged from the pack like he did on his own. I guess it is always a gamble when you execute tactics like that, gambling that Sagan would be part of a 10 man break by the end - just didn't work out today because as you said, Kittel did really well.

The finale:

 

[The Couch]

So the only not-around-the-parking-lot stage was won by Kittel? Feels like it could have been a tad bit harder

 

[Crackle]

Kittel showing last year was no flash in the pan.

That last speed bump looked dodgy.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

OPQS lead out train may be described as a work-in-progress I guess. Good work by Pliuschin, forced BMC to crack the whip a bit.

 

[raindog]

another perfect train for Kittel - no-one else can get anywhere near
Cav didn't even seem to bother - it was Rensh who went for the sprint

EDIT
news is that Cav punctured

 

[the_mikey]

Why did the winner get to shake hands with Diego Maradona?

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Why did the winner get to shake hands with Diego Maradona?

Rumour is, he's going to be Cav's new lead out hand.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Cavendish had a mechanical, I think. Not the most challenging of stage races when the winner just needs to protect a lead from a 10km TT though.