It is just March, however Kaden Groves‘ close-run third place on stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico means the BikeExchange-Jayco rider has already spent as a lot time on the rostrum this season as he did final yr. Plus, this time, the rising pace and consistency netted the Australian his first top-three end at a WorldTour degree race.
The event of Groves right into a sprinter that may make a mark on the entrance of top-tier races is a part of a broader development in dash power on the Australian-based squad. BikeExchange-Jayco secured the return of Michael Matthews final season and this yr added Dylan Groenewegen, who rapidly delivered the crew’s first victories of the season on the Saudi Tour.
It was 23-year-old Groves, although, who put the crew on a WorldTour podium for the primary time this yr, after lining up at Tirreno-Adriatico alongside Matthews. The established sprinter favours a quick end with powerful terrain earlier than the road to trigger a variety, whereas it’s Groves that’s extra suited to the bigger bunch battles.
“I’ve obtained to thank the blokes and the crew for giving me the chance to dash at present,” Groves mentioned in a crew assertion. “I’ve been very constant this yr, it is one other podium place at present and my first WorldTour podium, so I’m fairly proud of that.”
Groves has been with the crew since late 2019 however has confronted quite a few harm setbacks alongside the best way. Late within the 2021 season he broke by means of together with his first European win on the 2.1-ranked Tour of Slovakia prologue after which additionally took a second in stage 3 at that race and two podium placings on the Cro Race. In November, the crew introduced that he had been signed for an additional yr, with the crew’s common supervisor Brent Copeland saying on the time that the squad was relying on Groves and his steady improvement and they’d “assist him on his path to change into among the best sprinters within the peloton”.
The begin to this season seems to be a validation of the crew’s religion within the creating rider. On the Tour of Oman, Groves began with a 3rd place on stage 1, additionally including two second locations on stage 2 and stage 6. The UAE Tour wasn’t one the place Groves featured within the outcomes, however he wasted no time in shifting again onto the rostrum on the Italian stage race.
Stage 2 was the primary likelihood for the sprinters at Tirreno-Adriatico, which began with a time trial, however it in all probability wasn’t fairly the end some anticipated with the likes of Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) and Elia Viviani (Ineos Grenadiers) dropping their lead out trains on the hectic run-in on slender roads. Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) went early because the race charged towards the Sovicille end line, then Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) leapt out from behind his wheel and Groves, who had already began to wind up the tempo, adopted.
Merlier held his place out the entrance however Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) closed quickly on the left of Groves, simply edging the Australian out of second place in a photograph end. Nonetheless, Groves completed comfortably forward of fourth-placed Sagan, to say his first WorldTour podium.
“I believe all the blokes might be happy with their performances at present,” mentioned Groves, who was dropped into place among the many sprinters by ultimate lead-out rider, Alex Edmondson. “Now we will look ahead to the remainder of the week forward with some extra alternatives to return.”
Stage 3, because the race crosses into Umbria for a end in Terni, ought to ship one other day for the sprinters. Then they are going to probably have to attend for the ultimate day of racing and the largely flat run round San Benedetto del Tronto for an additional bunch dash to unfold.
