Vuelta win "best way to bounce back after such bad news" for BikeExchange as Kaden Groves soars to maiden Grand Tour win
Cycling
Kaden Groves had struggled through the Tour de Pologne, and didn't impress in the first week of the Vuelta a Espana. On stage 11 however this afternoon, the Team BikeExchange - Jayco rider got everything right and took his first Grand Tour stage win.
“It feels fantastic. This morning, with the news of Simon going positive for Covid, all the boys were pretty disappointed. This is the best way to bounce back after such bad news," Groves said in a post-race interview. "I am really happy to celebrate but I also wish he was here, because he is part of this team. I am really happy.”
With Simon Yates testing positive for Covid-19 this morning the Australian team suffered a big blow. This however, turned into an opportunity for the 23-year old, who now had full protection for the team. “I have got to thank all the guys. Luke [Durbridge] was riding all day, and then we set up early for this wind. We thought there would be a crosswind a bit earlier but there was nothing until the final four kilometers when we were first team. The guys did a perfect job keeping me in the front and fresh," Groves said.
BikeExchange did a great work on the lead-up to Cabo de Gata, despite lacking - as all other teams did - the numbers to keep the pace high. Groves was in a good position for the sprint however, and took advantage of an early surge from John Degenkolb and Juan Sebastián Molano to start his sprint still in the slipstream. “I was fresher than the other guys who had to do efforts from behind to move up. Thankfully I was in the right position and I got the gap to step out and do my sprint," he detailed.
He kept the speed into the finish line and took an important win. It was his third of the year, after triumphs at the Vuelta a Catalunya and Tour of Turkey. “It has been a really good year. I am super happy to get a win here already, and there are still more stages to come," he concluded.
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.
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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)...
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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#LaVuelta22 💙 THIS TEAM 💙
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