“A lot of attention from that team is on Mathieu van der Poel as we know, but it’s not just him" - Adam Blythe in awe of Alpecin-Deceuninck after Kaden Groves takes Vuelta stage win

Nine times Alpecin-Deceuninck have arrived at the start of a Grand Tour and on each and every occasion, the Belgian-based team has managed to secure themselves a stage win, most recently on stage 4 of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana through Kaden Groves.

“Alpecin-Deceuninck have had an incredible year,” the British ex-pro turned pundit told the Breakaway on Eurosport as part of the channel's coverage of the final Grand Tour of the year. “A lot of attention from that team is on Mathieu van der Poel as we know, recently crowned the world champion. But it’s not just him in that team."

Powering to victory ahead of Juan Sebastian Molano, Groves was a supreme winner, looking quite dominant by the time he reached the finish line. Just the latest in a string of successes for Alpecin-Deceuninck over the recent years.

“Every race they come to they get a result, they always highlight the race in one way or another. They did it great today, from the start and taking control, making sure that break went away," Blythe continues. “There didn’t seem to look like there was a huge fight to get in the break, but nonetheless, they controlled it all the way through the stage with a little bit of help from Team DSM-Firmenich as well.”

“Just to be as structured as they are with one clear goal and be able to nail that on a day like today,” he added. “Even though there are not that many sprinters in the field, it almost becomes more stressful because you get more riders trying to come up in the finish that are not necessarily sprinters. When that happens, it’s almost like it becomes more chaotic in a way because they don’t really know that situation as much as the other sprinters do."

"The leaders are the sprinters who are normally there, they are so used to that whereas riders that aren’t used to being in that situation in bunch sprints, it almost becomes more dangerous because they’re just constantly trying to fight and they’re not looking around, they’re just looking at that one wheel in front, whereas the big lead out teams and the big lead out trains, they know what’s happening around them a little bit more and have that awareness," Blythe concludes. “For Groves to be there at the finish today, with all that chaos around him, it’s mightily impressive.”