In the highly competitive world of sprinting, standing still is the same as going backwards, and Marcel Kittel appears well aware that this winter must be used appropriately if he is to carry on down the path to reclaiming his throne as the fastest man in the world.
The 2016 season was one of success for the German sprinter with a stage in the Tour de France, two wins at the Giro d’Italia, a record-breaking fourth Scheldeprijs title, and numerous other accolades along the way. After a hugely disappointing 2015 Kittel is once again among the best sprinters in the world.
“This has been a good year, really, and I’m very happy with my first year at Etixx,” he told Cyclingnews in a recent interview at the Saitama Criterium.
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“I had a great start with the team with a win at the Dubai Tour and immediately felt harmony with my new teammates. At all the targeted races we had this year we won and that was important for me after a difficult 2015.”
The previous winter saw Kittel leave Giant-Alpecin after the relationship between the two parties soured. His contract was torn up – mutually – and Patrick Lefevere, on the lookout for a new sprinter, jumped at the chance to kick-start a career that could have descended into free-fall.
Luckily, Lefevere already had a leadout train in place after Mark Cavendish’s tenure but Kittel and his new teammates needed time to gel. Fabio Sabatini was dispatched into the role of Kittel’s final man, while Tony Martin would often start the leadout’s engine in his usual diesel-like style. The season started brightly but the natural niggles that only racing can unearth took time to resolve. It meant that Kittel missed out on improving his win tally, a feature he is keen to resolve.
'You can't replace a four-time world champion'
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