GROVES strikes again ⚡️ GROVES ataca de nuevo ⚡️ #LaVuelta24
Groves ecstatic but also glad everyone stayed upright: "It was so dangerous"
CyclingWednesday, 04 September 2024 at 18:23
Outstanding: there was no other way to describe Kaden Groves' stage win in Santander. The Australian perfectly put the cherry on top of the hard work of his Alpecin-Deceuninck team in the rainy stage by delivering a strong sprint. After the race, the green jersey wearer was understandably overjoyed.
"It was quite a day," the day's winner began his flash interview. "The stage started off dry, but as we approached the finish, it got wetter and wetter. That made it dangerous," he said, referring to the soaking wet roads in Cantabria.
Alpecin-Deceuninck had to work hard all day. "They were so strong," concluded the team leader. "I think everyone had a great day. We controlled the race together with dsm-firmenich PostNL and Equipo Kern Pharma, but we only caught the last breakaway riders in the final kilometers. I really have a great team." With his victory, Groves also picked up a lot of points: he now has 222, compared to the 106 of second-placed Pavel Bittner.
Read more below the video.
Groves and Alpecin-Deceuninck more than satisfied
"We had anticipated that there would be attacks in the final phase. There are so few sprint stages in this race, so the riders have to try on days like this," said Groves, who is no longer thinking about Thursday's stage. "This was my last chance in this Vuelta. I'm very happy that I could repay my teammates in this way for the work they have done."
Lead-out Edward Planckaert was also ecstatic. "It was madness in the last few hundred meters. It was slightly downhill, and we really had to take that last corner on the limit," said the Belgian. "We knew that guys like Mauro Schmid and Victor Campenaerts would try something in the finale, but we kept Maurice Ballerstedt on stand-by for that. He did a great job, and our plan succeeded perfectly."
Il Lombardia 2024
Embark on an incredible journey to the first Cycling World Championship in Africa
The Pogacar effect: How Tadej has shaped the career of Matthews in a crucial way
Setback for cyclo-cross fans: Pieterse has stomach issues and skips Superprestige Diegem
Picnic PostNL signs talents from Colombia for men’s and women’s teams: "Plenty of room to grow"
"I thought I would drown in my own blood"; Vingegaard thought he was going to die after crash in Basque Country
Latest Cycling News
Embark on an incredible journey to the first Cycling World Championship in Africa
The Pogacar effect: How Tadej has shaped the career of Matthews in a crucial way
Setback for cyclo-cross fans: Pieterse has stomach issues and skips Superprestige Diegem
Picnic PostNL signs talents from Colombia for men’s and women’s teams: "Plenty of room to grow"
"I thought I would drown in my own blood"; Vingegaard thought he was going to die after crash in Basque Country
Popular Cycling News
Steven de Jongh doesn't want anything to do with UCI's anti-earpiece plans: "Earpieces have already saved lives"
🎥 New footage of Wout van Aert's crash, Sven Nys urges: "Please stay behind the fences!"
Van der Poel faces private jet delay en route to World Cup Besançon: Dense fog possibly to blame
Magnier thanks Alaphilippe and Lampaert after strong debut season that taught him a lot: "Now I'm on time for flights"
Missed by Visma, signed by XDS Astana: Dutch cycling talent’s big move
Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024