John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin)
John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin)
John Degenkolb was in sensational form at last year’s Vuelta a Espana to remind everyone there is more to Giant-Alpecin’s sprinting arsenal than just Marcel Kittel.
Degenkolb’s fellow German dominated proceedings in Dubai last year, as the team read the course perfectly to deliver the eight-time Tour de France stage winner to three victories as the crosswinds took hold.
This time out it will be Degenkolb leading the way for the newly-named Giant-Alpecin team, with Luka Mezgec also named in the provisional start-list and three of Degenkolb’s Vuelta a Espana sprint train – Johannes Frohlinger, Chad Haga and Tobias Ludvigsson – likely to be in Dubai, too.
Degenkolb was beaten by Cavendish when they did battle in California last year, but with big ambitions for the Spring Classics, where he impressed last season with a second place finish at Paris-Roubaix, the German will want to prove his form in his first run-out of the year.