"I just wasn't perfect myself" - Kaden Groves apologizes to Mathieu van der Poel being unable to finish off the job
Cycling
The eighth stage of Tour de France had quite atypical arrival in Laval. Kaden Groves finished third there, but it was much thanks to his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel who prepared a perfect position for the Australian sprinter.
"I didn't have the best feeling," Groves told WielerFlits at the finish line. "But the team did a fantastic job. Mathieu was there, as always, to drop me off. The timing was a bit early, though. That might work in a flat sprint, but I didn't have the legs for a tough uphill sprint like this."
We have seen a lot hesitation in the last kilometer. As most sprint trains already lost their domestiques along the way, both Groves and later winner Jonathan Milan looked at each other when Van der Poel's shift ended and the line was still not in their sight. Eventually the Italian confirmed his status of top sprinter though and triumphed without any difficulties.
"Milan is clearly in fantastic form," Groves continued. "We saw that a few days ago in the sprint against Tim (Merlier, ed.). Today he had another super sprint. But I also went a bit too early. I lost a few places at the last roundabout, so it wasn't perfect. But the team did a fantastic job. I just wasn't perfect myself. Tomorrow is another chance," he concluded.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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