Elia Viviani produced a textbook sprint to win stage two of the Three Days of De Panne ahead of Marcel Kittel and race leader Alexander Kristoff
![]() |
DePanne: Viviani gets the better of Kittel
Elia Viviani produced a textbook sprint to win stage two of the Three Days of De Panne ahead of Marcel Kittel and race leader Alexander Kristoff in a sprint between three of the sports fastest men.
The Italian was perfectly positioned by Ian Stannard, Christian Knees, Danny van Poppel and Andy Fenn in the closing stages of the 211.1km trek from Zottegem to Koksijde, and latched on to Kittel’s wheel with two kilometres to go. Kristoff (Katusha) opened up his sprint early in the finale, but Viviani bided his time and rounded Kittel (Etixx – Quick-Step) in the last 100 metres to seal a great result for the Italian.
The victory was Viviani’s second of the season and puts him another step closer to achieving his goal of 10 successes in 2016.
After the race, Viviani told TeamSky.com: “My team did a great job for me. Ian and Christian kept me near the front and then Andy and Danny rode brilliantly to get me in the perfect position behind Kittel. As we came onto the finishing straight I knew I was in the best spot. It was a technical sprint, with a cross headwind from the right, and I knew I had to stay calm until the last 100m. That was the perfect time to go and today was my time.”
“I really needed that win and this is a great moment for me. I haven’t had a big result since coming back from the track World Championships, so this is good for me personally, and for the team”. He added: “I definitely want to try and do something there as well and then Scheldeprijs is my next big goal. I’m going to miss the the Tour of Flanders to ensure I’m 100% for that, and today’s result has given me a lot of confidence.”
Marcel Kittel: “I am very disappointed, but it’s not a shame to lose to Viviani. The team worked really hard to take me there and provide me a strong lead-out. I started my sprint early, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been on the podium, and Elia took advantage of that. Despite this, I see the positive side of this defeat, which is that both the team and I are very strong and have confidence; that’s very encouraging for my next goal of the season, Scheldeprijs”.
Alexander Kristoff (race leader & 3rd): “I could see many guys were tired from yesterday, including myself. I could tell that I did not have the best legs today. In the sprint we managed to get to the front but we were a little bit behind at the corner so we had to use a lot of energy. Jacopo almost had a crash, so we lost the wheel of Michael Mørkøv. That also ruined the sprint a little bit for us because we had to brake and then go again”.
“So when I hit the 200 meter sign, I passed Jacopo but I had almost nothing left. It was all I could do to get on the wheel and follow. I got four bonus seconds but would have been better off with the ten for winning. I don’t think I have enough time to win the overall even if I win the early stage tomorrow. I think Westra is very strong in the TT and also Lutsenko can be dangerous, so it will be hard to protect the lead but I will try”.
1. Elia Viviani, Sky
2. Marcel Kittel, Etixx Quickstep
3. Alexander Kristoff, Katusha
48. Kristian House, One Pro
57. Scott Thwaites, Bora Argon
94. Ian Stannard, Sky
108. Andy Fenn, Sky
DNF
Luke Rowe
Ryan Mullen
GC
1. Alexander Kristoff, Katusha
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Tour Series: Manchester (Final)
- Startlists: Junior Road Championships 2022
- Result: Banbury Star Road Races
- Result: BUCS Road Races
- Result: Eastern Counties Cycling Festival
- Result: High Wycombe CC 25m TT
- Result: Poole Wheelers 25m TT
- Result: Coalville Wheelers Circuit Races
- Result: Omega Track Open
- Result: A3crg 30m TT
- Results: Fullarton Whs 10m TT
- Result: Omega Portsmouth Circuits 2
- Result: FTP Racing 25m TT
- Result: Inter-Service TT Championships 25m TT
- Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits
- Result: No Nonsense Circuit Races 3
- Result: Hartlepool CC 10m TT
- Result: Sportzmad 25m TT
- Result: Ride Harder 10m TT
- Result: Warrington Road Club 47m TT
- Result: Brooks Cycles Track League
- Result: PB Performance Circuit Races Rd 5
- Result: ProVision & VeloRunner Road Race
- Result: Saddleworth Clarion Mountain TT
- Result: Hitchin Nomads CC 25m TT
- Result: Spatzwear Rayner Foundation Friday Night Series
- Result: City RC Hull 10m TT
- Report/Result: Barnsley RC RR (Hade Edge)
- Result: WCTTCA 10m TT
- Result: LRRA 10 (Lincoln Wheelers) 10m TT
- Result: Stafford RC 10m TT
- Result: RTTC National TTT Championship
- Tour Series: Barking (London)
- Result: Mallory Park Road Race League 3
- Result: Odd Down Summer Series 2
- Result: Goodwood Summer Series 4
- Result: Holt Racing Pembrey Crits 6
- Result: Crystal Palace Crits 4
- Result: Westpoint Races 1
- Result: Full Gas Summer Circuit Series
Other News on VeloUK
- Startlists: Junior Road Championships 2022
- Feature: The Pedal Club Lunch May
- Barnsley Road Club Races This Sunday
- Sunday: Proper Northern Road Race Series 2
- This weekend: 48th Totnes Vire Two Day
- 2022 British Road Championships Venues
- TOUR SERIES: Round 3 (Sunderland) (Men)
- Startlist: Tour Series Round 1 Guisborough
- 2022 Tour Series Rider Squads Revealed
- News: Simon Yates to Vuelta a Asturias
- Events: Shrewsbury Sports Village
- News: 2022 Women’s CiCLE Classic Saved!
- Startlists: 2022 Rapha Lincoln GP
- Startlist: Oakenclough RR
- News: ŠKODA DSI Cycling Academy
- News: UCI Track Nations Cup Day 1
- News: The Pedal Club April Lunch
- Startlists: BUCS 10m TT Championship
- News: Entries open for Handicap League
- News: Tour Series 2022
- CiCLE Classic StartList 2022
- News:2022 CiCLE Classic Returns this weekend
- News: Crowd Funding for Women’s CiCLE Classic
- News: Special Santini Collection for Roubaix
- News: Teams for the Women’s Tour Revealed
- News: Sponsors Needed for Womens/Junior CiCLE Classic
- 2022 Tour of Britain Route Revealed
- Entries needed: Hell of the North Runway
- News: GB for Nations Cup
- News: Road Champs head to Scotland
- News: Tour Series to Race Stranraer
- News: Tour Series heading for Clacton on Sea
- News: Tour Series/Tour of Britain
- News: 16th CiCLE Classic
- Feature: Moda Bikes Vivo Review
- News: Women’s Tour Finishes in Oxfordshire
- Startlist: RCR FatCreations Road Race
- Mini Preview: Ontur round of the Copa Espana
- Startlists: The Peaks 2 Day
- News: Edinburgh Road Club Youth Team