Kittel's early win signals much more

If Marcel Kittel’s previous form book is anything to go by, he’s set for a good 2019 having got a victory under his belt early at the Trofeo Palma. The German sprinter’s record shows he wins more when he starts winning early. In 2013 , when he won four stages at the Tour, Kittel’s first win came in February, while in 2016 and 2017 - the latter when he won five stages at the Tour - he won his first race at the Dubai Tour. The 2018 season was a disaster for Kittel, who won twice at Tirreno but then nothing else after that. In Mallorca, the big German might have just refound his form.