Marcel Kittel signs for Etixx-QuickStep
Mark Cavendish's sprint rival makes switch after buying out final year of Giant-Alpecin contract
In 2011, Marcel Kittel moved from being a promising talent to one of cycling’s established names. Riding for the Shimano team in his first year as a professional, he won the sixth stage of the Vuelta a Espana and four stages of the Tour de Pologne, as well as finishing first overall at the Delta Tour Zeeland.
The following year, he proved his breakthrough was no fluke by taking first place in the Scheldeprijs (a race he won again the following year) and winning two stages of the Eneco Tour. In 2013, he took first place overall at the Tour de Picardie, and his excellent run of results culminated in an incredible four stage victories at the Tour de France, including the final stage in Paris on the Champs Elysées.
Born on 11th May 1988 in Arnstadt, Germany, Marcel showed great promise as a junior by winning the World Junior Time Trial Championships in 2005 and 2006. Still racing against the clock, he finished first overall in the European Under-23 Championships in 2009, and third in the World Under-23 Championships in 2010, but it is as a sprinter that he has made his mark.
Unusually for one who finishes so strongly, 6 foot 2 inch Marcel is calm and laidback. His enormous power makes him one of the fastest men on a bike in the world – his four Tour stage victories have proved to everyone that he deserves to be ranked alongside Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel as one of the top sprinters in the bunch.
