"I’m guessing a bit of help from the motos" - Kaden Groves questions how breakaway stayed away on stage 5 of Giro d'Italia

The breakaway denied the sprinters in a thrilling finale to stage 5 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia, with Cofidis' Benjamin Thomas taking the win in a four-man sprint for the line.

One man who had hoped for a much bigger sprint for victory though, was Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter, Kaden Groves. The Aussie sprint star had his teammates set an infernal pace on the early climbs to weaken the legs of his rivals. Was this key when it came to chasing down the breakaway in the end though? Groves however, points instead to another reason why the break held on. 

“I don’t know, the break was just incredibly fast, and I’m guessing a bit of help from the motos. But these stages happen every now and then,” the 25-year-old said in conversation with Eurosport in his post-stage interview. “It was a super strong breakaway, and probably the tailwind had a lot to do with it as well.”

“We used a lot of energy early, I think that cost us a bit in the end, trying to bring back the break,” Groves continues. “We had a plan and we executed the early part really well, and unfortunately got a little bit lost in the final, but the breakaway took the win anyway, so I’m happy to stay upright in those finishes anyway.”