Madrid
Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck emerged victorious in a captivating sprint finish, securing the win in the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana. The Australian cyclist displayed exceptional power during a sprint on a gently uphill stretch leading to the finish line. In a dramatic last-minute surge, Groves overtook Sebastian Molano of UAE Team Emirates by a margin of approximately two bike lengths. Covering a distance of 185 kilometers from Andorra la Velle to Tarragona, this stage provided one of the limited opportunities for sprinters in this year’s Vuelta. Despite an early breakaway attempt by a trio of cyclists, their chances of success remained slim. The main peloton caught up with the breakaway with just 19 minutes to go before the finish. With the assistance of a favorable tailwind on the descent following the second short climb of the day, the peloton reached speeds nearing 60 kilometers per hour. As the finish line drew near, sprinter teams strategically positioned their lead riders, while teams focusing on the overall classification maintained a brisk pace to protect their top contenders. Amidst the intense jostle for position, a crash occurred a little over 4 kilometers from the finish due to a touch of wheels. Unfortunately, this incident led to the fall of multiple riders, including stage favorite Bryan Coquard of Cofidis. Furthermore, Marijn van den Berg from EF Education-EasyPost, who was leading the pack, misjudged the final turn and went down, leaving Molano and Groves to contest the sprint. Despite Molano initially appearing to have the upper hand, the challenging final stretch proved too demanding for him. Groves, known for his prowess in uphill sprints, capitalized on the opportunity and secured a thrilling victory.
