Nat Bromhead
German sprint sensation Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) has won his third stage of this year’s Tour de France, narrowly beating Norwegian Edvald Boasson-Hagen (Team Dimension Data) and Aussie Michael Matthews (Giant Sunweb).
And when we say narrowly, we mean it – official timers gave Kittel the win by 0.0003 of a second, or just 6mm.
Thrilled with his second win in two successive days, Kittel was asked his reaction to the photo finish.
‘Closest Victory Ever’
“It was my closest victory ever,” he said. “I’m happy I could just throw my bike far enough to have 6mm advantage. Today Edvald Boasson-Hagen and Dimension Data attempted to go at a good moment. I was surprised to see him like that.”
It was Kittel’s twelfth Tour de France stage win since his debut in 2012 – he now equals Erik Zabel as the most successful German stage winner ever at ‘the Grande Boucle’.
The Tour de France travels from Dole to Station des Rousses for Saturday’s Stage 8 – it’s a 187.5km stage and the first of two days in the mountains. Attention now turns to the General Classification, particularly on Sundays challenging stage, with all eyes on race favourites Chris Froome & Ritchie Porte.
