Madrid, Aug 31 Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck clinched his second sprint finish in two days, winning the fifth stage of the Vuelta a Espana.
Groves benefited from a stellar lead-out by his team. Even with Filippo Ganna of Ineos Grenadiers mounting a powerful finish, Groves managed to cross the line roughly a wheel-length ahead of the Italian, reports Xinhua.
The 186-kilometer stage profile, stretching from Morella to Burriana on Spain's east coast, suggested a possible repeat of Tuesday's sprint finish. However, the presence of a second-category climb 50 kilometers from the finish and another steep ascent 30km out also provided opportunities for breakaway attempts.
Eduardo Sepulveda of Lotto Dstny and Antonio Eric Fagundez from Burgos BH capitalized, breaking away to secure mountain points. But the Alpecin-Deceuninck team, eager to make the most of the few sprint opportunities in this race, closed in with determination. Sepulveda was the last to be caught, 38 kilometers from the end, setting up another sprint finish.
Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick Step continues to wear the overall leader's jersey, widening his margin over Enric Mas of Movistar to 11 seconds after gaining six bonus seconds in an intermediate sprint 13 kilometers from the stage finish.
Two racers who suffered falls during Tuesday's stage withdrew before Wednesday's start. The Cofidis team confirmed that sprinter Bryan Coquard couldn't continue, while Movistar's Ruben Guerreiro also exited the race due to a fractured collarbone.
Kobe Goossens of Intermarche-Circus-Wanty pulled out due to an injury, while Eddie Dunbar of Team Jayco-AlUla had to withdraw after a tumble during Wednesday's neutralised start.
The upcoming Thursday stage culminates with the climb of the 1,965-meter Pico del Buitre, promising potential shifts in the overall standings.
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