Groves forced to abandon Giro due to opening stage crash injuries
The 27-year-old Australian was among those who crashed on the opening stage, and the impact of the incident has forced him to abandon the race on the first stage on Italian soil.
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Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Premier Tech) has abandoned the Giro d’Italia on stage 4 to Cosenza. With just under 100km remaining on the fourth stage, it was confirmed that Groves had stepped off the bike, becoming the ninth rider to abandon the Giro so far.
Groves was involved in a crash inside the final kilometre on the opening stage in Burgas and has been unable to shake off the impact of the incident.
Speaking to CyclingProNet at the start of the stage in Catanzaro, Groves was asked if the transition day on Monday, as the riders travelled from Bulgaria to Italy, was enough to help him recover from his injuries.
“Yeah, I hope so. I mean, I didn't ride the bike yesterday. I took a complete day off, and yeah, hopefully the sensations have improved,” Groves told CyclingProNet.
The withdrawal of Groves marks a blow for Alpecin-Premier Tech in their ambitions for stage victories. Groves is a two-time Giro stage winner, winning most recently on stage 6 in 2025, and wore number 1 on his back of his jersey for this edition of the race.
In addition, stage 4 is one that, on paper, suits a fit and firing Groves, with a long climb, Cozzo Tunno, in the second half of the stage, that could put some of the pure sprinters in difficulty.
With the absence of Groves, Alpecin-Premier still have Tobias Bayer, Francesco Busatto, Johan Geens, Edward Planckaert, Jensen Plowright, Johan Price-Pejtersen and Luca Vergallito to call upon.
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