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Young Australian sprinter Kaden Groves has capped a memorable week in cycling’s Volta a Catalunya by claiming the points jersey.
The 23-year-old, who won his first WorldTour stage on Tuesday, and finished on the podium on Friday, took the first sprint early in the final day’s racing to edge into the category lead.
That three-point haul was enough to hold off Colombian Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe), who won the general classification, and Ecuador’s Olympic champion Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), who was second overall, by two points.
It is the biggest success of his burgeoning career for Groves, who rides for Team BikeExchange-Jayco.
Groves hangs in through climbs for another Volta a Catalunya podium
Australian’s ability to conquer course ‘exciting for what we’ve got planned for the rest of the year and the future’ says sports director Bateshttps://t.co/WsuWFriPFJ
— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) March 27, 2022
Fellow Australian Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroen), who had held the lead after his stage win on Wednesday, finished sixth overall and fifth in the points competition.
Italy’s Andrea Bagioli (Quick-Step) won the 138.6 km seventh stage around Barcelona in a bunch sprint that followed several laps of Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city which staged much of the 1992 Olympics.
Jai Hindley finished 13th overall with Damien Howson (33rd) and Simon Clarke (47th) also making the top 50.
Sonny Colbrelli, who collapsed at the end of the opening stage on Monday, has returned to his native Italy after being discharged from hospital.
He will have further tests at a specialist cardiac centre.
-AAP
