No Van der Poel, no Philipsen – Kaden Groves to lead Alpecin-Premier Tech Giro d’Italia 2026 lineup

Alpecin-Premier Tech have confirmed a clear direction for the 2026 Giro d'Italia, naming a squad built entirely around Kaden Groves and his chances in the sprints across three weeks.

There is no general classification option in the eight-rider selection. Instead, the focus is straightforward. Groves is the leader, with the race approached as a stage-hunting campaign from the opening week. Notably, the team arrives without their two biggest stars... Mathieu van der Poel or Jasper Philipsen, shifting the spotlight fully onto the Australian.

Groves arrives with a record that already makes him a proven option at this race. He has won stages at the Giro and showed again in 2025 that he can deliver, taking victory in Naples during the first week. What sets him apart is his ability to last. Across recent Grand Tours, he has shown he can come through difficult days and still contest sprints deep into the race. That consistency often becomes decisive as the Giro wears on and could make Groves a genuine Maglia Ciclamino contender.

The 2026 route offers that same opening. Early sprint stages should give him immediate chances, while the mixed terrain in the middle of the race and the attritional final week could favour riders who remain competitive when others have dropped out of contention.

The selection around him reinforces that plan. There is no split leadership and no secondary objective. The group is built to support Groves across different stage types, with a mix of lead-out options and riders capable of positioning him in the final kilometres.

That clarity matters in a race where sprint opportunities are limited and often chaotic. Having a single focus allows the team to commit fully when those chances appear.

The sprint field is competitive, but not overloaded. That leaves space for riders who combine speed with endurance, and Groves fits that profile.

This is not about chasing one stage and leaving. The way Alpecin-Premier Tech have approached the race points towards a broader target across the three weeks. Groves has already shown he can win here. The structure around him suggests they expect him to do it again.