Australia’s Kaden Groves has secured his third stage win of the Vuelta a España with a wonderfully timed dash in stage 17.
Czech rider Pavel Bittner and Belgium’s Vito Braet got here second and third in a mass dash end on very moist streets within the port metropolis of Santander, which hosted a Vuelta end for the primary time in over 20 years and a stage departure for the primary time in a decade.
The big group of sprinters who crossed the end line included Australia’s total chief Ben O’Connor and his principal challenger, Slovenian Primoz Roglič.
O’Connor maintained his five-second lead within the total standings.
“It was fairly a tricky day. It began dry after which the end was moist so it made it fairly harmful as nicely,” Groves instructed reporters.
“There are just a few dash phases on this race and the remaining are mountain phases so the intermediate riders actually must strive on days like at the moment.”
A number one group of 4 riders adopted one another within the mountains of northwestern Spain into the largely flat closing stretch however misplaced time as none of them wished to try a breakaway.
The peloton minimize into the lead as they handed by way of the town centre and caught up with the leaders within the final kilometre.
O’Connor praised his compatriot Groves, who additionally took over the inexperienced factors jersey following Wout van Aert’s abandonment after a crash on Tuesday.
“It is at all times good to see one other fellow Aussie win,” O’Connor stated.
“It was a bit moist, not too arduous, just a little treacherous on the descents, nevertheless it wasn’t too difficult ultimately.”
Reuters
