Cav third on opening stage in Dubai

Puncture as Kittel wins

Manx cyclist Mark Cavendish finished third on the opening stage of the Dubai Tour.

Rival sprinter Marcel Kittel took the honours on the line at Palm Jumeirah.

The Manx Missile and his Dimension Data team looked to be in a strong position but lost the lead-out in the closing moments - it's reported Cavendish had a late puncture as he launched his challenge.

German Kittel was delivered perfectly to the line by his Quick-Step teammates and opened his sprint with 150 meters to go.