Kittel wins People’s Choice Classic in Australia

Marcel Kittel, center. (Peter Dejong/AP)

ADELAIDE, Australia — Germany’s Marcel Kittel exploited outstanding teamwork Sunday to win the People’s Choice Classic, the 51 kilometre prelude to the Tour Down Under.

Kittel, who also won last year, is among the favourites to win the season-opening tour that officially begins Tuesday with the 132 kilometre (82 mile) first stage. Sunday’s result doesn’t count towards general classification but Kittel will wear the tour leader’s jersey in the stage from Tanunda in the Barossa Valley to Campbelltown in Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs.

Sunday’s race covered 30 laps of a 1.7 kilometre street circuit near central Adelaide. Kittel won comfortably for Germany’s Team Giant-Alpecin, ahead of Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle of Spain and Wouter Wippert of the Netherlands.

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