Marcel Kittel (Etixx-Quick Step) edged closer to taking the pink jersey of leadership at Giro d’Italia today by winning the 190-kilometre stage Arnhem to Nijmegen. The win brought his total for the season to nine.

Kittel is now leading the points classification and sits just one second behind Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) and Primoz Roglic (Team LottoNL-Jumbo) on GC ahead of tomorrow’s flat stage from Nijmegen to Arnhem which should also see a sprint finish.

Racing his second Giro d’Italia, Kittel’s team helped to control a three-man break which took off right after the start and was caught with less than 10 kilometres to go.

The 27-year-old sprinter waited for the team to safely negotiate the final kilometres of the stage, as Bob Jungels, Fabio Sabatini, Matteo Trentin and Lukasz Wisniowski did a great job by bringing him at the top end of the bunch.

Then, inside the last 200 meters, just as FDJ was trying to hit the front in the rush to the line, Kittel opened his devastating sprint, leaving everyone else behind and scoring an impressive victory, thus rekindling his long-standing relationship with the Grand Tours, in which he has scored 12 wins so far.

“I was feeling really good today and started my sprint in a perfect moment,” said Kittel after bringing Etixx – Quick-Step its 24th victory of the season. “With the finish being in a short downhill, I knew it was perfect for me and kicked-off my sprint with confidence.”

© Etixx-Quick Step Tim De Waele
© Etixx-Quick Step Tim De Waele

“Winning the stage with a small gap was even better, especially as it came at the end of an incredible day. The fans were outstanding and supported us all the time, the Dutch really know how to celebrate and it was like a big party out there. I must say, the finish in Nijmegen was one of the most amazing I’ve ever seen.”

Stage 2 of the Corsa Rosa was arguably Kittel’s biggest win of the year, and he credited his teammates for boxing their way to the front and leaving him in an excellent position as the peloton hit the climax of the day: “What makes me very happy is that the team showed huge confidence and huge strength to make this win possible for me, so I want to thank the guys for fighting in the finale and taking me to the front of the pack.”

“The win was very special also because I had my girlfriend – who lives not far from here – waiting for me at the finish. Now I’m looking forward to the next stage with calm and an even higher degree of confidence.”

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