Australia's Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Premier Tech has been forced to quit the Giro d'Italia after suffering injuries in a crash on day one. The 27-year-old sprinter was involved in a mass crash 600 metres from the finish line as the race opened in Bulgaria last Friday. Despite initial assessments suggesting he was 'OK', Groves has been unable to recover sufficiently to continue the race.
Crash Details and Aftermath
Groves was among several riders injured in the crash, which left him bloodied and limping. He described the injuries as 'a few superficial scrapes all over my body', but it became clear he had shoulder and neck bruising. He skipped the sprint finish on stage three and a rest day on Monday did not alleviate the pain. Ahead of Tuesday's stage, he said he would take it day by day, but soon after the start of the 138km ride through Calabria, he withdrew.
Impact on Alpecin-Premier Tech
With Groves out, Francesco Busato becomes Alpecin's main sprinter, while 25-year-old Australian Jensen Plowright may also get opportunities. Groves, who wore the number one bib, was the team's primary sprint hope in the absence of Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen. He had recently returned from a two-month break due to knee trouble following a crash in March.
Australian Contenders Still in Race
Despite Groves' exit, two Australian general classification contenders remain: Red Bull-BORA hansgrohe's Jai Hindley and Jayco AlUla's Ben O'Connor. Both sit 10 seconds behind race leader Giulio Ciccone, alongside pre-race favourite Jonas Vingegaard.
Ecuador's Jhonatan Narvaez won stage four, with Orluis Aular second and Ciccone third. Wednesday's fifth stage features nearly 4000 metres of climbing over 203km, which could further shake up the standings.
