German rider takes stage and overall lead in Étoile de Bessèges
Runner-up on yesterday’s opening stage, Marcel Kittel went one place better on today’s second leg of the Étoile de Bessèges, speeding to victory in Saint-Ambroix.
The German easily outsprinted Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM), stage one victor Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-BigMat), Daniele Colli (Team Type 1) and the rest of the bunch to the line, clocking up the first win of the season for his Project 1T4i squad.
The time bonuses saw Kittel overtake Bouhanni in the general classification, jumping from second to first overall and ending the day two seconds clear. Bobbie Traksel (Landbouwkrediet – Euphony) is third, nine seconds back and one second ahead of Boeckmans.
The stage from was originally scheduled to cover 149 kilometres from Nimes, but distances were slashed to just 59 kilometres due to severe weather conditions. Temperatures were below freezing and snow was falling.
The riders were transported to the feed zone at Lusson, where the race was restated. However many were not happy to be competing in the conditions and while some riders wanted to race, many did not and forced a neutralisation of parts of the stage.
The race ended with five laps of a finishing circuit. The riders knuckled down and scrapped it out for the win, with the victory going to a dominant Kittel.
The 23 year old has been under pressure of late after being named as one of the athletes treated by the German doctor Andreas Franke, who is under investigation in Germany. Both Kittel and his current team have confirmed that he attended the doctor while with the Thuringer Energie squad, yet point out that Franke was part of the approved setup for Olympic athlete support in the country at the time.
Kittel has said he received UV blood treatments in 2007 and 2008, but said that this was to treat illness. WADA told VeloNation in recent days that the practice was only banned in 2011.
Tomorrow’s stage will see the riders start and finish in the town of Bessèges and scrap it out over 152 kilometres. Freezing temperatures are once again forecast.