"Massive crash and soaking wet roads don’t stop Groves from winning: I perform well in cold conditions"

Groves, completely soaked after his win in rain-drenched Naples, was visibly thrilled with the result. “It’s a huge relief,” he said in the flash interview. “The team always believed in me. I didn’t have the best start to the season, missed a lot of racing due to injury, and came into the Giro without a single win. To finally get one here means a lot.” So far, things hadn’t gone according to plan. His pink jersey ambitions were crushed on day one in Albania, and in the stages that followed, the sprinter often had to let go earlier than hoped.

That made stage six a key target. With Pedersen sitting out the sprint, Alpecin Deceuninck took full control in the finale. “With the rain, I knew the cobbles at two kilometers to go would be super slick,” Groves explained. “Positioning there would be crucial. The guys did an amazing job closing the gap to the breakaway, although it cost us a bit more than expected. In the end I still had two teammates with me, Plowright and Planckaert. They did a great job. I gave up a few spots but was able to launch the sprint early.”

Conditions in Naples were miserable, but that didn’t bother the Australian. “Once the rain started, I actually felt better. I’m good in cold conditions. I had a lot of confidence, and the team believed in me as well. I trusted them, and they did an amazing job.”

Groves managed to stay clear of the crashes and powered to his second career Giro stage win. “Winning here in Naples is special, it’s such an iconic city. As a sprinter, it’s a great place to take a victory since so many stages finish here. It really feels like a dream.”