"Now I've proven it" - Tearful Groves completes Grand Tour trilogy with epic solo win in the rain
Cycling
Kaden Groves is one of the most unique sprinters in the current peloton, and in a way a rider that can be compared to a Wout van Aert of the early 2020's. A tricky comparison, but the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider has shown today how much of a rider he is outside of just a sprinter, as he conquered his first Tour de France stage win racing all by himself.
"So many emotions are rushing through me. We had so many plans for our team, especially with Jasper and Mathieu. But now I got my chance," Groves, in tears, said in a post-race interview. Although the Belgian team succeeding in helping both Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel to victories earlier in the race, both withdrew with injuries and illnesses respectively.
Groves had been contesting the sprints since Philipsen's abandon however he didn't have the best of luck and couldn't come close to netting a stage win. In the second half of the race he had been very absent and Alpecin also disappeared quite a lot from the peloton. Until today, when the Australian jumped into the day's breakaway in the rain and several rolling climbs.
"The team gave me a free rein, but we were unsure whether to go for a stage win today or tomorrow. I always feel good in rain and cold, but for the first time, I'm winning solo. And I'm doing it in the Tour. Unbelievable! I had truly superb legs. I struggled to get here, but we're rewarded with a stage win".
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Groves could rely on his sprint, but in such a rolling day, that could be an issue if he started to get marked. Hence, Groves actually did not rely on his specialty. In an incredible day form-wise, Groves managed to hold it upright on the bike and then attack his way into distancing all his rivals.
He arrived in Pontarlier by himself with a large gap over his rivals, and has taken what is perhaps the biggest win of his career. "This isn't really a childhood dream, because I started racing later. But in the Tour, you feel so much pressure."
This means he is, following Tim Wellens, the second rider in this Tour to complete the Grand Tour stage trilogy. "I had already won the Giro and the Vuelta, but the question remained whether I could do it in the Tour. Well, now I've proven it".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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