Volta a Catalunya once again perfect elixir for Kaden Groves: “Whether this race brings luck? Maybe"

2022 was a breakthrough year. However his first win only came at the Volta a Catalunya, in a year where he won a stage at the Vuelta a Espana. After a very reserved start to 2023 in Alpecin-Deceuninck, for the first he was close to victory in a UCI race, and took the victory this afternoon.

“I am very happy that I won. It has not been an easy season so far," he admits in a post-race interview. Signed with Alpecin now, he found himself in a new environment and new leadout. "This feels really good after all the hard work of the race. It was not a technical sprint. It was a lot of straight ahead and few corners. It was a tough ride so only a few men could win. We had the wind all day, but in the city it was sheltered and the pace went up."

Several teams collaborated well throughout the day to bring it back. The absence of other top sprinters and modest leadouts allowed the Australian to be within a shot of victory. He was in the right place at the right time, in the wheel of Bryan Coquard when he launched his sprint. "I knew I had to time well. I let Coquard sprint to get over it," he explained.

What followed was a powerful sprint which earned Groves his first win of the year. Alpecin-Deceuninck are quickly turning their luck around this spring. “Whether this race brings luck? Maybe. I live not far from here and love riding here. I'm very happy to be back here and to be able to win”, Groves concluded.