{"id":193949,"date":"2023-09-18T12:10:03","date_gmt":"2023-09-18T12:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=193949"},"modified":"2023-09-18T12:10:03","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T12:10:03","slug":"kaden-groves-is-the-first-australian-to-win-the-vuelta-skoda-green-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2023\/09\/18\/kaden-groves-is-the-first-australian-to-win-the-vuelta-skoda-green-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaden Groves Is the First Australian to Win the Vuelta \u0160koda Green Jersey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Considering how few stages there were for sprinters in this year\u2019s Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a and how few top sprinters had therefore entered the race, the contest for the \u0160koda Green Jersey turned out to be surprisingly exciting \u2013 topped off by a final sprint, in the last stage of the race, that was breathtaking practically from start to finish.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It started with a four-rider breakaway that included last year\u2019s Vuelta GC winner Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep). This was an alarm signal to the man wearing the green jersey and the favourite for the points classification, Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), because Evenepoel trailed him by only 19 points and could easily surpass him by winning the intermediate sprint or the stage itself. So, with the help of a teammate, Groves joined the breakaway, which managed to keep about 15 seconds between itself and the peloton until the business end of the stage, when Evenepoel kicked off the sprint with 500 m to go. He soon tired, and Groves was able to hold off the swift Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) to take the stage and his first-ever Grand Tour green jersey, to become the first Australian to win La Vuelta<\/a> green jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor sure, I didn\u2019t imagine I would win this way,\u201d the relieved Groves said. \u00a0\u201cComing into today, I really wanted to take the stage and keep the green jersey but going for a breakaway wasn\u2019t my intention. Remco [Evenepoel] this morning was a threat for the green jersey and I suspected he might try something, not to take the jersey, but to try and win the stage. And I knew I had to follow him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Groves went on to say that Evenepoel was actually a big help in the end. \u201cRemco leading out in the final hectometers was a big advantage for me,\u201d he said. \u201cThis victory of the jersey and also my third stage mean a lot to me and I need to thank my team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\ud83e\udd75 As\u00ed acabas cuando lo das todo, todo, hasta el \u00faltimo d\u00eda.
\ud83e\udd2a He gave it everything, right to the end.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc9a \ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa @kaden_groves<\/a> – @AlpecinDCK<\/a>#LaVuelta23<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/j2rc0wQ6SR<\/a><\/p>\n

— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) September 17, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n