"I made a positioning error, I had the speed to win" - Kaden Groves disappointed to narrowly miss out on a Giro d'Italia stage win for the second straight day

For the second straight day, Kaden Groves has been forced to settle for a third-placed finish on a stage of the Giro d'Italia and the Australian admits the disappointment is starting to grind at him.

"It was a good day. The guys that were expected were there: Matthews, Mads Pedersen and myself. Unfortunately, I made a positioning error. I had the speed to win," Groves told Eurosport in a post-stage interview taken immediately after his third-placed finish.

“Congratulations to them, we rode all day. They kept a good pace on the climb to release me and Mads," Groves says giving plenty of praise to his stage-winning compatriot Michael Matthews who returned to winning ways in brilliant style. "However, I was good enough. Fair play to Bling."

"It was tricky, with a tough finish. Soudal - Quick-Step set a high pace, so we lost each other," continues Groves. "We couldn't find each other for a good lead-out, which I think cost us the win."