GROVES WINS STAGE, TAKES GC LEAD AT TOUR OF TURKEY!

MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2022

Team BikeExchange-Jayco rider Kaden Groves grabbed the overall lead at the Tour of Turkey with a win on Stage 2 of the eight-day stage race. The Australian unleashed a powerful finishing sprint in Alaçati to capitalize on an impressive team performance.

Groves is off to a hot start this year. The 23-year-old earned his first WorldTour win last month at the Tour of Catalunya, and came into the Tour of Turkey in top form. The team has targeted the sprint stages as their main goal in Turkey, and after a third-place finish on the opening stage, Groves delivered on Stage 2. He avoided several crashes and splits in the field caused by heavy winds, and took the win on his Propel Advanced SL Disc team bike with a CADEX WheelSystem.
 
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Groves, who wore his Giant Pursuit helmet to earn the stage win. “I’m very happy to back up with another win already this season and I can’t thank my team enough today, they did such a good job.”
 
The 156km Stage 2 from Selçuk to Alaçati saw an early break of eight riders gain a maximum lead of about two-and-a-half minutes on the main group. Their lead began to dwindle in the second half of the race as the sprinters’ teams took control.
 
“We waited and waited until the exit off the big open road with about 4km to go,” Groves said. “Everyone knew their role and where they had to take us, it was pretty textbook in the end.”
 
With the win, Groves took over the general classification lead heading into Stage 3. He has a 2-second lead over Belgian Jasper Philipsen, who finished second on the day. Stage 1 winner Caleb Ewan of Australia sits third overall, at 4 seconds back.
 
Top-10 at Amstel Gold Race
 
In other race action, Michael Matthews earned a hard-fought top-10 finish at the Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands. With the help of a strong team effort, the 31-year-old Australian made all the right moves to contest the finale of the grueling 250km spring classic.  
 
Matthews, who also won a stage at the Tour of Catalunya last month, was part of a small, select group of favorites that finished just behind several riders who broke away just after the Cauberg climb to take the podium spots.

Matthews ended up seventh racing with his TCR Advanced SL Disc bike and Giant Rev Pro helmet, adding to a string of top finishes for him at the Amstel Gold Race.

Source:

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/global/news/groves-wins-stage-takes-gc-lead-at-tour-of-turkey/26864