Even the fiercest of rivals are comrades-in-arms in the Tour de France peloton. Looks like there are no hard feelings between Kittel and Cav after Tuesday’s crash which took out Kittel’s lead-out man Tom Veelers.
Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish share a friendly word before the intensity of the bunch sprint on stage 12 (Image: Presse Sports/ASO)
Image: Panache
Mark Cavendish made no excuses and was fulsome in his praise after being beaten by Marcel Kittel in Tours on stage 12:
He was just simply faster. I can go back and look over and over again, [but] I don’t think myself or the team could have done anything different. He was just simply better.
I think he’ll be the next big thing. I think he’s the next superstar of sprinting. You can see it in this Tour he’s won three stages already now, and I can tell you that’s not easy, I know from experience.
Marcel Kittel came round Mark Cavendish to take his third win of this Tour. It was also the first time ever German riders have won three consecutive stages, making it a German triple-triple.