Marcel Kittel has won the People's Classic in Adelaide, Australia.
The now traditional opener to the Santos Tour Down Under and the cycling season is a 51km or thirty lap event around Adelaide's East End.
Lars Boom was first to attack and he was soon joined by Miles Scotson (UniSA-Australia), who took the first intermediate sprint after five laps.
The pair were caught and a new break formed and it was a break that included Team Sky's Peter Kennaugh, Matt Hayman of Orica Green Edge, Dario Cataldo (Astana) and Calvin Watson (Trek Factory Racing).
Hayman took the second intermediate sprint as they established a lead of eleven seconds which was twenty seconds by the time, Hayman took the third sprint on lap fourteen.
Peter Kennaugh took the fourth sprint but the peloton led by Team Giant Alpecin were closing and with eight laps left, the four were caught.
Welshman Geraint Thomas launched an attack and led for a lap but Team Sky working for Chris Sutton were not able to keep the likes of Team Giant Alpecin and Team Tinkoff Saxo at bay for long.
It came down to ninety rider bunch sprint and there was German Marcel Kittel who got over the line first and won in 1.02.41, having been brought to the line by his Giant Alpecin team, beating Movistar's JJ Lobato, Dutchman Wouter Wippert or Drapac,
Team Sky's Chris Sutton and new Australian National Champion Heinrich Haussler of IAM Cycling.
Of the British riders in a field of 130 finishers, Ian Stannard finished 100th, Peter Kennaugh 117th, Geraint Thomas 122nd, 1,37 down and Luke Rowe 123rd, 1.45 down.
Kittel said about his win: "I'm always nervous before the first race of the year and I always want to win the first race of the year. This is my third time in South Australia. I really like this place. I like it even more when I win like today."
Source: DSG
