Tour de France 2014: King Kittel reigns supreme in London

Marcel Kittel won the 3rd stage of the 2014 Tour de France, easily out-sprinting his competitors on the Mall to take his 2nd stage win. His supporting cast on the Giant-Shimano team delivered him perfectly to the last couple of hundred metres. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 3rd stage Tour de France 2014

1. Marcel Kittel (Ger)
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) s.t.
3. Mark Renshaw (aus) s.t.
4. Bryan Coquard (fra) s.t.
5. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) s.t.
6. Danny van Poppel (Nld) s.t.
7. Heinrich Haussler (aus) s.t.
8. José Joaquin Rojas (spa) s.t.
9. Romain Feillu (fra) s.t.
10. Daniel Oss (ita) s.t.

102. Frank Schleck (lux) + 1.05
110. Pierre Rolland (fra) s.t.
123. Andy Schleck (lux) s.t.
204. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa) + 2.04

GC after stage 3rd stage
1. Vincenzo Nibali (ita)
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) s.t.
3. Michael Albasini (Swi) s.t.
4. Greg van Avermaet (bel) s.t.
5. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
6. Bauke Mollema (Nld) s.t.
7. Alberto Contador (spa) s.t.
8. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
9. Jurgen vanden Broeck (bel) s.t.
10. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.

Race report
Straight from the start Jean-Marie Bideau and Jan Barta are off. Their gain grows to around 4 minutes and with 50 kilometres left it’s down to 2 minutes. The peloton let it linger there a while, completing the catch within the last few kilometres.

In the streets of rainy London the sprint train start the fight for position. Tony Martin is pushing hard up front for OPQS but when Giant-Shimano move up they do not surrender the advantage, proving themselves the best train in the peloton. Marcel Kittel makes it look easy in the finishing straight with any effort to get near the German falling a long way short.

Peter Sagan comes in second, a reward for being on Kittel’s wheel, while Cav’s back-up Mark Renshaw is third.