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Australian Sprinter Seals Seventh Career Vuelta Victory Amid Wet Conditions
Kaden Groves, dressed head-to-toe in green to signify his lead in the points classification, showcased his sprinting prowess by claiming his third stage victory in this year’s Vuelta a España. The 25-year-old Australian, racing for Alpecin-Deceuninck, crossed the finish line first in a tightly contested sprint on the wet streets of Santander after 141.5 kilometers of racing from Arnuero.
The rainy conditions in Cantabria added an extra layer of challenge to the 17th stage, but Groves managed to outpace his competitors in a compact peloton. He narrowly edged out Czech rider Pavel Bittner (dsm-Firmenich) in a close finish, while Belgian Vito Braet (Intermarché-Wanty) secured the third spot on the podium.
The stage was decided in the final five kilometers after the day’s breakaway—comprising Jonas Gregaard (Lotto Dstny), Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Thomas Champion (Cofidis), and Xabier Isasa (Euskatel-Euskadi)—was reeled in by the peloton, led by Groves’ Alpecin team. As the race neared its conclusion, a late counter-attack by Dutchman Enzo Leijnse (dsm), Swiss rider Mauro Schmid (Jayco-Alula), and Belgian Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) briefly threatened to upset the expected sprint finish.
However, the trio’s efforts were ultimately in vain as they were caught within the last kilometer, setting the stage for Groves to power through to victory. His win in Santander marks his seventh career stage victory in the Vuelta across three editions, matching the total of his main rival, Wout van Aert, who had withdrawn from the race after a crash the previous day.
The general classification saw no changes at the top, with all the top 10 riders finishing at the same time as Groves. Ben O’Connor continues to wear the red jersey, holding a slender five-second lead over Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic, while Spain’s Enric Mas remains in third place, 1 minute and 25 seconds behind.
The race continues on Thursday with the 18th stage, a 179.5-kilometer journey from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Maestu-Parque Natural de Izki, featuring two categorized climbs—one of first category and one of second.