Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors), left, pips Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) on stage seven of the 2017 Tour de France.Christian Hartmann/Reuters
NUITS-SAINT-GEORGES — Six millimeters.
After after more than five hours of racing in the high heat and 213.5 kilometers (132.6 miles), that’s how much German sprint star Marcel Kittel won stage seven of the Tour de France by here on Friday, just edging the Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen in a photo finish.
It was Kittel’s third stage win of this race and his 12th in the Tour ever.
You have to some feel sympathy for “Eddy the Boss,” who was looking to get his Dimension Data team a win after its leader Mark Cavendish was forced to abandon the race after crashing on stage four and breaking his shoulder.
Photo finish, @marcelkittel gagne devant @EBhagen ! / Kittel takes the win! #TDF2017pic.twitter.com/pe2YmHmoIg
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 7, 2017
Former ace sprinter Robbie McEwan said he was able to zoom in and see that Kittel won by one pixel:
I was able to see the official photo finish zoomed to individual pixels. 1 pixel was the difference. 0.0003 sec. pic.twitter.com/EKt4Og4EEQ
— Robbie McEwen (@mcewenrobbie) July 7, 2017
Kittel said it was the closest finish of his life.
Closest finish of my life. Big battle with a strong @EBhagen to the line! Again Thank you! to my @quickstepteam for an incredible ride. 👐🙌 https://t.co/DQLKsVZdgF
— Marcel Kittel (@marcelkittel) July 7, 2017
He made history on stage two in Liége, Belgium, by winning a stage of the Tour on a bike with disc brakes.
Business Insider profiled Kittel, the self-described would-be “computer nerd,” last year.
You can watch the ever-so-close finish below:
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