Back after two months out: Kaden Groves returns to Giro d’Italia with unfinished business

Kaden Groves will make his return to racing at the Giro d’Italia, bringing an end to a disrupted spring that has kept one of the peloton’s most versatile sprinters out of action since early March.

The Australian has not raced since Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne on March 1, where he was forced to abandon, with knee problems subsequently ruling him out of competition in the weeks that followed.

That absence has left Groves largely out of the early-season sprint narrative, but the timing of his comeback places him firmly back into focus ahead of the first Grand Tour of the year.

According to his team, the Alpecin-Premier Tech rider has been preparing at altitude in recent weeks, signalling a clear build towards the Giro rather than a rushed return.

Groves arrives at the Giro with a record that carries weight. He has already won two stages in the race, including a victory in last year’s edition, underlining his ability to deliver across three weeks rather than in isolated opportunities.

That profile is key. Groves is not a pure flat-track sprinter reliant on a perfect lead-out. His strength lies in surviving more selective days and capitalising on reduced bunch finishes or chaotic finales, the kind that frequently define stages at the Giro.

His previous appearances have reinforced that pattern, with his wins coming in situations where positioning, resilience and race instinct mattered as much as outright speed.

The Giro now effectively becomes the starting point of Groves’ 2026 season. While many of his sprint rivals have already built momentum through wins in the opening months, Groves’ campaign has instead been shaped by recovery and preparation.

That creates a slightly different dynamic. He arrives without results, but not without expectation. His past Grand Tour success, including stage wins across multiple editions, ensures he will still be viewed as a genuine contender once the race opens up for the sprinters.

Within Alpecin-Premier Tech, his return also adds another dimension to their options. Groves has shown he can operate both as a finisher and within a broader race strategy, particularly on stages where a traditional sprint setup breaks down.

For Groves, the Giro offers more than just a comeback. It is an opportunity to re-establish his place among the leading sprinters after a period of enforced absence, and to pick up where he left off in recent seasons.

With a proven ability to win stages in Italy, and a preparation built around this return, the expectation will be clear. Once the opportunities come, Groves will be there to take them.