Vuelta win "best way to bounce back after such bad news" for BikeExchange as Kaden Groves soars to maiden Grand Tour win

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.