Australian bicycle owner Kaden Groves has gained his third stage of this yr’s Vuelta a España, claiming a dramatic dash on the ultimate stage in Madrid.
Key factors:
- Kaden Groves gained three levels on the Vuelta, together with the ultimate stage in Madrid
- Groves is the primary Australian to win the factors jersey on the Spanish grand tour
- American Sepp Kuss gained the general title as Jumbo-Visma claimed a 1-2-3 sweep of the rostrum
A part of a choose group of seven who broke away on the Madrid metropolis circuit, Groves sprinted away from Remco Evenepoel — his solely rival for the inexperienced jersey — simply because the peloton caught the breakaway within the remaining straight.
Final yr’s winner Evenepoel, who gained this yr’s King of the Mountains jersey, opened up his dash early however light badly within the closing levels after Groves kicked previous him.
By profitable the ultimate stage, the Queenslander grew to become the primary Aussie to win the coveted inexperienced factors jersey at this yr’s Vuelta a España.
American Sepp Kuss claimed his first grand tour victory, main a Jumbo-Visma 1-2-3 as biking’s strongest workforce swept the rostrum.
Kuss, who has performed a job in 5 of Jumbo-Visma’s final victories as a key domestique, completed simply 17 seconds forward of Tour de France winner Jonas Vingengaard and one minute, eight seconds forward of Giro d’Italia winner Primož Roglič.
It’s the first time a single workforce has gained all three of biking’s grand excursions in a single season and, apart from an intriguing energy wrestle between the three teammates that performed out within the remaining week, neither had been severely challenged for the general victory.
Groves, 24, gained levels 4 and 5 at this yr’s Vuelta, with second-place finishes on levels two and 12 in a race with restricted alternatives for the quick males.
Though the factors jersey is historically regarded as a sprinter’s jersey, the Vuelta sprinters hardly ever declare the prize as a result of problem of the terrain and lack of flat levels, that means factors for profitable levels usually go to climbers.
Groves managed to carry off final yr’s total champion Remco Evenepoel, his closest challenger who gained three levels, by sprinting for bonus factors inside every stage.
The Queenslander joins illustrious firm as one in all simply six males from Australia to have claimed a secondary jersey at one in all biking’s grand excursions.
Robbie McKewan gained three factors jerseys on the Tour de France between 2002 and 2006, with Baden Cooke (2003) and Michael Matthews (2017) additionally taking prime honours on the Tour.
Cadel Evans is the one Australian winner of the factors jersey on the Giro d’Italia in 2010 after he picked up the-then purple colored maglia rosso passione — the identical yr Matthew Lloyd wore the King of the Mountains jersey on the identical race, the one Aussie to take action.
No Australian has ever completed within the prime three within the factors classification on the Vuelta within the 70 years the factors jersey has been awarded.
Except for the foremost race-leaders jersey, grand excursions award jerseys to different classification leaders, together with the perfect younger rider, the king of the mountain and the factors jersey.
Australia has had extra success within the King of the Mountains jersey, with Michael Storer (2021) and Simon Clarke (2012) carrying the blue polka dot jersey come the tip of the Vuelta.
No Australian has ever gained the King of the Mountains jersey on the Tour de France.
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