Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin)
Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin)
Marcel Kittel makes his debut in Qatar on the back of a frustrating Santos Tour Down Under, where he was unable to win any of the race’s sprints.
It was a similar story last year in Adelaide, and Kittel bounced back from that by recording a hat-trick of wins at the Dubai Tour in his next race.
The German fast man will hope to replicate the achievements of Mark Cavendish in 2013, when the Manx Missile won four stages in Qatar, and bagged the golden jersey.
Albert Timmer, Tom Veelers, Bert de Backer and Nikias Arndt form Kittel’s lead-out train, which has proved so successful in the past.
What could cost Giant-Alpecin most, however, is their tendency to get caught out in the crosswinds – a weakness both Sagan and Boonen have exploited in the past.
The team will be keen to prove they have learned lessons from the past, however, and Qatar is the ideal opportunity to prove it.