Taylor Phiney won the overall classification Dubai. You feared he’d be outclassed by his hairstyle but a big time trial performance, some competent team work and his sprinting meant his overall lead was safe all the time. If he had a great race Marcel Kittel’s surely had the best week, three sprint wins and over a variety of terrain and different scenarios.
If this was supposed to be the start of the Mark Cavendish vs. Marcel Kittel it might look like 3-0 to the German. Kittel’s consistency impressed, especially on the stage to Hatta Hill where he surged to the line to surprise everyone. But Cavendish made the same group that day when many other sprinters did not and lost out another day with a mechanical.
