German Marcel Kittel won the People's Choice Classic race in Adelaide on Sunday.
The 50k criterium race in Adelaide which is the annual precursor to the Tour Down Under, a race on which a decision will be made in the next couple of days following bush fires, Movistar's Giovanni Visconti had to be airlifted to hospital with a broken leg after crashing after twelve kilometres.
Team Sky worked hard all day, constantly bringing back any breaks and into the final lap, Lotto Belisol were on the front trying to set up a win for Andre Greipel.
However, the Giant Shimano team had other ideas and they got Marcel Kittel into the perfect position so he could pass his fellow countryman and take the win.
Speaking about his victory to his team's press office, Kittel said: “I’m really pleased with the work the boys put in today. “It’s a great way to start the new season for both the team and our new sponsor Giant.
“The guys put me in a perfect position to finish off the job. It’s a relief to get the first win under my belt and we can build on our confidence from here. The bike felt great today and it’s a nice pay back to Giant for their confidence in us.”
Race Result
1. Marcel Kittel (GER) Team Giant-Shimano
2. Andre Greipel (GER) Lotto – Belisol
3. Caleb Ewan (AUS) UniSA
4. Chris Sutton (AUS) Team Sky
5. Joaquim Rojas (SPA) Movistar