Even if Marcel Kittel was frustated not to finish the Münsterland Giro, the German sprinter is now focusing on the next season. He will start anew in 2016 with the Belgian Etixx-Quick Step squad and he would like to be back at the top of the sprint hierarchy.

"I'm happy and sad at once," Kittel told Cyclingnews. "Sad because I have to leave a group of riders behind that I grew up with, and where I started my cycling career. It's also for me a period where I have to say goodbye, and after that there's going to be the exciting time to prepare for the new challenges with Etixx-Quickstep. I'm really looking forward to that, because for me a fresh start is exactly what I need. I feel like I'm having that now. I hope we can all make the best out of it.

With new teammates, new staff and new equipment, Kittel will start fromt zero in 2016.

"I really want to focus on making this team work with me. I think that's the most important and interesting part.When the new season starts you're back to zero. That's how I see it with the team. Everything is a bit back to zero. You have to get to know the people, I have to get to know everyone there, we have to set up a plan, [get] everything so it fits together and we can be successful in that combination. That's the challenge for me.

"It's not easy to make everything perfect. But when I came to Skil-Shimano five years ago, I was also in a group of people where everything was new, and you have to get used to each other. I think Etixx-Quickstep showed that they can really handle a sprinter well and can build a team around him. That's the trust I have when I go there, and I think it will be successful."