Nat Bromhead
Kaden Groves has enjoyed his maiden Grand Tour stage win – the Aussie sprinter scoring a solid win at Stage 11 of the Vuelta a España.
The stage always looked destined for a sprint finish with Groves going all out to break into the winners circle.
The 23yo bided his time and refused to panic as the sprint opened up around him, before he launched his drive for the line with 150 metres to go. He proved to be the fastest in the final drag race for victory as he powered across the line.
Kaden Groves said it feels fantastic to get the major result.
“With the news this morning of Simon (Yates) going positive for Covid, all the boys were pretty disappointed, and this is the best way to bounce back after such bad news,” he said.
“Im really happy to celebrate, but I also wish he was here, because he’s a part of this team.
“I’ve got to thank all the guys, Luke was riding all day, and then we set up early for the wind. We thought there would be crosswinds a bit earlier, but there was nothing until the final 4km where we were first team, and the guys did a perfect job of keeping me in front and fresh.”
2022 Vuelta a España Stage 11
1. Kaden Groves (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) 5:03:14
2. Danny van Poppel ST
3. Tim Merlier ST
