Limited Places - REGISTER NOW!
United States | Southeast | Virginia >> VIDEO: Marcel Kittel elbowed in the face by unnamed Astana ride

VIDEO: Marcel Kittel elbowed in the face by Astana rider Andrei Grivko

Kittel left with a deep cut and bloody face after altercation midway through Stage 3 of the Dubai Tour. Andrei Grivko disqualified from the race.

Quick-Step Floors team manager Patrick Lefevere has stated that Kittel was “beaten by an Astana rider” on the chaotic stage 3 of the Dubai Tour today. High cross winds and sandstorms affected the stage, which saw the peloton split andK ittel losing contact with the front of the race. The echelon packs fought hard to bridge back up to the front of the peloton. It was at this point we got to see the extent of Kittel's injury. Kittel was seen looking very distressed at the back of the peloton, clearly unhappy, making gestures to the race officials that he had been elbowed in the face.  

It isn't the first time Astana have been acccused of causing a dispute that lead to violence in the peloton, in 2015 Dmitry Gruzdev reportly started a braul mid way through a stage. More on this incident soon, as surely there will be an official complaint made by QuickStep-Floors to the race officials. After the stage Andrei Grivko from Astana was subsequently disqualified from race.

Quick-Step Floors' German sprinter continues to lead the Dubai Tour with two stages left.

Crosswinds and sand played havoc at the Dubai Tour, taking to the ground several riders and splitting the field to pieces 70 kilometers into stage 3. It took 20 kilometers for the shattered peloton to come back together, and once this happened, Luxembourg champion Bob Jungels took the front and knocked one minute off in just two kilometers, as the gap of the escapees tumbled down to three minutes for the last 55 kilometers of the stage, which was set to conclude in Al Aqah, another new finish for the Middle East race.

Jungels, Davide Martinelli, Maximilian Schachmann and Julien Vermote traded turns at the head of the bunch and melted the advantage of the four breakaway riders, before reabsorbing them with only three kilometers left. The last 500 meters were in a slight uphill and the sprint trains had again difficulties in getting themselves together, as many riders couldn't find space for maneuvering. In the end, John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) edged his opponents and took the win ahead of Reinardt Janse van Rensburg (Dimension Data) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida).

A double stage winner at this edition, Marcel Kittel was boxed out during the sprint and couldn't fight for victory at the end of the stage which saw Andriy Grivko (Astana) inflict an injury on him, after sending a punch above his left eye. That blow left Marcel with a deep cut and blood streaming down his face: "Today's race was confusing because of the sandstorm and a lot of teams had to sacrifice many guys in the kilometers before the finish because of this. I think everyone felt how hard it was today, and many guys were on the limit at one point. That made the stage really tough", said Marcel Kittel right after the finish in Al Aqah.

The German then went on to explain the incident in which he was involved with Grivko, who eventually was expelled from the race by the jury: "When we passed a construction site, the sand began blowing and as soon as we went into the crosswinds we were fighting for position, which is always stressful, and Andriy Grivko punched me. I really can't understand how he can do something like that. I get that riding in the crosswinds is always tense, but it gives him no right to act like that. He could have hurt my eye. It's a real shame what happened. In the finale, my mind wasn't 100% on the sprint, but I am happy I have no big injuries and I kept the lead."

Andrei Grivko Releases Official Statement

"I would like to reveal my vision on the incident, which became a reason of our conflict situation with Marcel Kittel.

I am in cycling since 12 years old and like everyone I understand that it is normal, when the sprinters are fighting for position with 3km to the finish line. But, when it happens with 100km to go, in such a rough style and under such a tough weather conditions, it brings a very big danger to the riders.

Thus, in the fighting for position, and as it was confirmed by Kittel himself, he has roughly pushed with his shoulder firstly my teammate Dmitriy Gruzdev and then me, creating a very tense and dangerous situation that could cause not only my fall, but a big crash in the peloton.

I responded with aggressive action to aggressive action from the other side. Perhaps I got emotional, and it has nothing to do with cycling, but in extreme situations, when exists a question of safety, it is difficult to stay calm.

I believe, that such behavior, endangering the lives and health of athletes, because of their selfishness, has nothing to do with cycling as well. In peloton we are all equal and have equal rights to positions occupied by us, it doesn’t matter if you are a famous sprinter or neo-pro. We should equally respect each other.

By me, it is also a manifestation of unsportsmanlike conduct, when you require giving you a place only because you are a famous rider or you are not in a good mood.

After that incident, Kittel was repeatedly, in the truest sense of the word, spit in my direction, which I also believe has nothing to do with cycling.

I can assure that it was not “an attack on the rival”, arose out of nowhere. Moreover, as it was noted by Kittel, my weight is 70 kg against his 86.

However, once again I apologize to the race organizers, to all the fans, and of course, to my team for this unpleasant incident, which led to my exclusion from the race.

 

VIDEO: Riders Battered by Sand Storm in Dubai

Today's 200km stage 3 of the Dubai Tour descended into chaos as the peloton and support teams were battered by fierce winds whipping up a full on sand storm

Scene's from today's stage emulated parts of the film, the Mummy.

Several teams have posted dramatic footage showing riders and support staff in unimaginable choking conditions. 

The sandstorm split the peloton into pieces with echelons of riders scattered all over the roads and team support cars doing their best to protect riders by sheltering them from the sandstorm. 

Several support staff can be seen being rescued from the side of the road choking from the affects of the storm.

It's not 100% clear what happened in the peloton, but it's reported that race leader Marcel Kittel (Quick Step Floors) and John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) were amongst those who were split off the front of the field.

Due to the chaos, the race was neutralised following a number of crashes and the peloton came back together.

It was after the peloton re-grouped that it became clear that Marcel Kittel had been elbowed in the face by an Astana rider.

 

VIDEO

 

VIDEO

 

VIDEO

 

VIDEO: 2017 Dubai Tour Stage 3 Highlights

 
Tag: dubaitour
 
Feb 08 2018 - NEWS: Mark Cavendish produces magnificent sprint for stage victory at Dubai Tour
Apr 20 2017 - NEWS: Grivko suspended for hitting Marcel Kittel
Feb 04 2017 - NEWS: Kittel Defends His Dubai Tour Title
Feb 03 2017 - NEWS: Dubai Tour: Stage 4 Cancelled Due to Extreme Weather
Feb 02 2017 - NEWS: VIDEO: Marcel Kittel elbowed in the face by Astana rider Andrei Grivko
Feb 02 2017 - NEWS: Degenkolb sprints to first win in Dubai
Feb 02 2017 - NEWS: VIDEO: Riders Battered by Sand Storm
Feb 01 2017 - NEWS: Marcel Kittel powers to a second stage victory in Dubai
Jan 31 2017 - NEWS: Marcel Kittel Sprints to opening Stage Victory at Dubai Tour
Jan 30 2017 - NEWS: Kittel, Cavendish and Viviani Prepare for Battle in Dubai
 
Tag: livestream
 
Dec 19 2020 - NEWS: 2021 Pro Cycling LIVE Coverage Calendar
May 10 2017 - NEWS: Brutal last week at the Giro d'Italia
May 19 2017 - NEWS: George Bennett time trials into yellow at Big Bear lake
May 19 2017 - NEWS: Gaviria wins his fourth stage before the peloton hits the Brutal mountain stages
May 18 2017 - NEWS: Andrew Talansky Takes Mount Baldy Stage Win
May 17 2017 - NEWS: Rally Cycling One - Two on stage four of the Tour of California
May 17 2017 - NEWS: Omar Fraile wins dramatic 11th stage at the Giro d'Italia
May 16 2017 - NEWS: Tom Dumoulin Takes Maglia Rosa After Stage 10 Victory
May 16 2017 - NEWS: Rafal Majka makes his mark in the mountains, taking stage victory and GC lead at Tour of California
May 16 2017 - NEWS: Toms Skujins crashes heavily at the Tour of California
May 15 2017 - NEWS: Anna van der Breggen wins Amgen Women’s Race
May 13 2017 - NEWS: USA's Coryn Rivera from Team SubWeb wins stage 3
May 12 2017 - NEWS: Katie Hall wins the Queen Stage
May 11 2017 - NEWS: Megan Guarnier wins uphill sprint at South Lake Tahoe
May 11 2017 - NEWS: Silvan Dillier claims his first Grand Tour stage win
 
Tag: video
 
Nov 16 2023 - NEWS: Kaitlin Armstrong found guilty of Moriah Wilson’s murder
Nov 09 2023 - NEWS: Dutch headwind cycle race canceled because it was too windy!
Nov 08 2023 - NEWS: Oh Deer! Buck Leaps Over Cyclists at Gran Fondo Hincapie!
Oct 03 2023 - NEWS: VIDEO: The Ride by Matt Wilpers - Riding a Gran Fondo
Jan 19 2023 - NEWS: Cyclist Pushes 400+ Watts to keep up Evenepoel climbing in Calpe
Nov 09 2022 - NEWS: Wolf leaps out of the trees and chases cyclist in Heart stopping footage
Aug 03 2022 - NEWS: VIDEO: Insane Crash At Vuelta a Burgos
Jul 30 2022 - NEWS: VIDEO: Carnage Crashes at the Tour de France Femmes
Jun 20 2022 - NEWS: Go B.I.G at the Bluewater International Granfondo!
Jun 14 2022 - NEWS: VIDEO: Marmolada Madness: Tifosi go crazy on the final climb of the Giro
Apr 24 2022 - NEWS: VIDEO: Carbon Wheels Dramatically Collapse at Paris-Roubaix
Apr 14 2022 - NEWS: Bouhanni wiped out by pedestrian walking in the road at the Tour of Turkey
Mar 31 2022 - NEWS: VIDEO: Mattias Skjelmose flies over wall into ravine at Volta a Catalunya
Mar 31 2022 - NEWS: VIDEO: Alexey Lutsenko suffers highspeed crash on TT Bike
Jan 27 2022 - NEWS: Egan Bernal hit stationary Bus at full speed in Aero Tucked on Time Trial Bike