“It wasn’t a typical enjoyable stage” – But Groves plays confirms crucial role for Alpecin-Deceuninck at Tour de France
Cycling
Kaden Groves played a decisive role in Jasper Philipsen’s
opening stage win and maiden yellow jersey at the 2025 Tour de France, helping
deliver a perfect lead-out at the end of a tough day. Speaking to a group of
reporters including CyclingUpToDate before the start of Stage 2 in
Lauwin-Planque, the Alpecin–Deceuninck rider admitted luck played its part in
avoiding late crashes, but so did focus.
“Yeah, it was quite messy,” Groves said. “I didn’t see it
coming obviously… crashes happen, so yeah, of course, quite a bit of luck… not
the ideal timing, but yeah, could come back and still do a decent job.”
Video footage from Stage 1 showed Groves narrowly dodging
the same crash that brought down fellow Aussie Ben O’Connor. Groves said that
moment didn’t appear in full context.Despite the near miss, Groves and the team
stayed composed. With Philipsen finishing it off in dominant fashion,
Alpecin–Deceuninck now holds both the yellow and green jerseys.
“It’s not bad, is it, you get the first stage, you get the
yellow,” Groves said. “But today’s another day, a new day.”
Stage 2 promises more drama, with rain soaked roads and an
explosive finish. Groves said the team would stay aggressive, with multiple
options again.
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“We’re all focused again to go for another stage result,
whether that be Jasper (or) Mathieu,” he said. “He can go either way today… it
depends a lot on the attacking riders in the final. But yeah, it’s a stage that
suits (us) really well with two cards to play.”
Reflecting on the pressure of the Tour de France, Groves
didn’t sugarcoat the difficulty, “It wasn’t a typical enjoyable stage, I think,
not for my first Tour anyway,” he said. “So I was really pretty locked in with
the guys there and super focused all day. And in the end, it paid off.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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