He turns 26 today but Marcel Kittel, the big German from Shimano born on 11 May 1988, the strongest sprinter currently around, wanted to give himself an early birthday present by winning the first road stage of the Giro from Belfast with raised fists in Belfast, 219 km in the wild Irish nature, in an almost wintry climate, between mists, wind and rain that made every bend of the road treacherous, which for half the race bordered the North Sea.
Entirely flat fraction, Kittel – who rides in the mountains like a cycle tourist – wasted no time seizing the first opportunity that the pink race granted to the sprinters even if the long escape of four braves (for the record, the Italian Fedi, the Belgian Armee, the Colombian Romero and the Dutch Tjallingii) risked compromising the German's plans for success.
But, as often happens, the dreams of those who escape are shattered a few kilometers from the finish under the vehement reaction of the group. So it was yesterday too with Cannondale desperately busy in the hope that it was Viviani, once he reached the last fugitive, Tjallingii, who triumphed in the final sprint repeating the glories of the Tour of Turkey where the Italian sprinter had also beaten Mark Cavendish. A waste of energy which in the end favored Kittel who in the last corner 250 from the finish seemed out of the game also due to the shortness of the finish straight. But the Teutonic giant unleashed all his power by recovering about ten positions and then outdistancing everyone even in the final rush. The last one to give him up was the Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni.
Viviani finished only fourth also preceded by Giacomo Nizzolo. By obtaining the eighth place in the sprint, the Australian Michael Matthews, thanks to a better placement, slips the pink jersey from his Canadian companion Sven Tuft. A replacement in the family always branded Orica Green Edge. Today the Giro is expected in Dublin for the third stage in Ireland. A flat stage of 187 km that will take the caravan from Armagh to the capital of Eire: after the retirement of Dan Martin, eyes fixed and local cheering all for Nicholas Roche, son of Ireland's most famous cyclist, that Stephen Roche who in 1987 succeeded to hit the Giro, the Tour and the road world championship in the same year.
But with the Kittel we saw yesterday in Belfast it's difficult not to predict an encore of the German who in last year's Tour proved to be stronger than Cavendish, known as Cannonball, and André Greipel, known as the Gorilla, winning four stages. Tonight after the last "angus" the Giro will fly to Puglia. On Tuesday he will leave Giovinazzo for Bari before meeting the first Apennine passes on Wednesday in the Viggiano stage.
