Unfortunate to suffer a puncture on the final turn before the homestretch to the finish on Palm Jumeirah, Mark Cavendish still showed incredible speed to finish third in the opening stage of the Dubai Tour – the 181km Nakheel Stage – and the Briton said afterwards he was pleased with his effort.
Bang goes the wheel
“I hit a pot hole,” Cavendish said after seeing last year’s champion, Marcel Kittel, secure Quick-Step Floor’s seventh victory this season. “I went ‘bang’ in the hole. Normally I would have shouted for a teammate to try, but because I had a genuine chance of general classification, I just thought I will carry on and just try to get at least a time bonus to keep in contention in that general classification.”
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Read more
■ Mark Cavendish: 'Not in top shape by any means'
■ Marcel Kittel: Dubai Tour champion ready to hit the ground running in 2017
■ Dubai Tour 2017: Map and courses for all five stages
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Part of the sport
“I’ve had a late flat a few times in sprints,” Cavendish said. “I was second in the last stage of the Vuelta [Espana] in 2010, with my wheel touching the frame. Even on this stage, I’ve finished with a flat tyre in the past. It’s part of bike racing. It’s just what happens.”
Best finish on the Palm
Starting his season in Dubai after only two weeks of training, Cavendish was pleased with his opening day of competition. “Third is not bad though,” he said. “It’s the best result I’ve ever had on this stage. I just couldn’t pass, I couldn’t do anything. What am I supposed to do in a sprint like that ... The wheel was dead flat.”
Amazing teammates
“My teammates were amazing,” the Dimension Data rider Cavendish added. “They did a perfect job for me, but unfortunately I had a puncture. Scott [Thwaites] was wicked, young Ryan [Gibbons] was amazing, he was superb, and then Mark Renshaw shepherded me.”
