Kaden Groves powers to victory in first bunch sprint of the 78th Vuelta

Tuesday’ fourth stage of the Vuelta a España found a calmer race with none of the wet, dark, weird mayhem of the first three days, and it resulted in a bunch sprint victory for Australian Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck. It was Groves’ second career Vuelta stage win and his second Grand Tour stage win of the season. Remco Evenepoel retained the red jersey that he won on Monday.

The Course

Two Cat. 3 climbs in the final third of 185 km from Andorra la Vella to Tarragona were Tuesday’s main obstacles. There was a gradual descent off the final classified ascent almost all the way to the line, but a slight rise led the riders to the finish.

We’re traveling to Tarragona today at #LaVuelta23, where there’s a strong possibility to have the first bunch sprint of this edition. pic.twitter.com/bB6bkOZDuZ

— Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (@soudalquickstep) August 29, 2023

The 78th Vuelta isn’t exactly awash with the sports’ great sprinters’ Groves, Bryan Coquard, Juan Sebastián Molano and Alberto Dainese are the likely lads.

Only three fugitives bothered to try their luck, and they hit the first Cat. 3 with only a minute’s gap. Argentinean escapee Eduardo Sepúlveda moved ahead of Evenepoel in the KOM competition by cresting first. After he maxed out on the second Cat. 3, he and his breakmates were reeled in and the sprint teams got to work.

A crash just outside the 4-km-to-go-mark meant that Coquard wouldn’t be contesting the win. In the sprint, Groves followed his Belgian teammate Edward Planckaert’s lead out and took the victory, Molano coming runner-up. Groves assumed the points classification lead from Andrea Vendrame.

Wednesday’s fifth stage looks even more likely to end in a bunch sprint.

78th La Vuelta Ciclista a España Stage 4
1) Kaden Groves (Australia/Alpecin-Deceuninck. 4:05:41
2) Juan Sebastián Molano (Colombia/UAE-Emirates) s.t.
3) Edward Theuns (Belgium/Lidl/Trek) s.t.

78th La Vuelta Ciclista a España GC
1) Remco Evenepoel (Belgium/Soudal-Quick Step) 12:48:52
2) Enric Mas (Spain/Movistar) +0:05
3) Lenny Martinez (France/Groupama-FDJ) +0:11