The Tour of Poland began Sunday with 10 laps of a 12.2-kilometer circuit and as expected it all came down to a bunch sprint.

Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin) grabbed a long-awaited victory, his first of 2105, and with it the first leader’s jersey of the race, while Trek Factory Racing walked away from the opening stage dissatisfied and wanting more after Giacomo Nizzolo finished in 12th.

It was a straightforward rectangular course until the tail end where the final kilometers entertained a far from ordinary finish. All the fun began with two kilometers remaining: a succession of corners, a few off-camber, with a hill thrown in for good measure and a final sweeping turn a mere 150 meters to go made for a very complicated ending.

“Normally we are thinking victory today,” said director Adriano Baffi. “A sprint is always a bit about positioning and it was a tricky finale. Giacomo was not placed so well and he stayed like that since it was all turning from two kilometers to the end. His feeling was good, so we are confident for the next stages; it was just a matter of a wrong position in a tricky finale.”

The seven-day race continues with the next two days targeted toward the sprinters followed by stage four, which could end in a bunch sprint. Stages five and six hosts the biggest climbs of the weeklong race, and it all concludes with a 25-kilometer time trial Saturday.

“It was the first race for these guys since their break, and I have to say it was nice to see our sprint team working together today,” added Baffi. “For sure we need to improve a bit more, and it was a missed opportunity, but we are confident for the next days. Tomorrow we will try again.”