Groves claims maiden Tour de France stage win in daring solo ride

PONTARLIER, France: Australia’s Kaden Groves completed a remarkable set of Grand Tour stage victories by triumphing on the penultimate day of the 2025 Tour de France, mastering treacherous conditions on the 184.2km ride from Nantua on Saturday.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider displayed outstanding bike-handling skills, narrowly avoiding a crash that saw Spain’s Ivan Romeo and France’s Romain Gregoire slide out on a slick descent just 21km from the finish. Sensing his moment, Groves launched a solo attack from a reduced breakaway group and powered home alone, bursting into tears as he crossed the line in disbelief.

Groves, 26, now has victories in all three Grand Tours — adding to his seven Vuelta a España and two Giro d’Italia stage wins. Known primarily for his sprinting prowess, Groves’ triumph in a solo move added a new dimension to his résumé.

“There’s so much pressure at the Tour,” Groves said. “All I ever get asked is, ‘Am I good enough to win in the Tour?’ Now I show them. It’s pretty incredible.”

Dutch duo Frank van den Broek and Pascal Eenkhoorn completed the podium, finishing 54 seconds and 59 seconds behind Groves, respectively.

Meanwhile, race leader Tadej Pogacar remained safe in the peloton, retaining his 4:24 lead over Jonas Vingegaard. Barring any mishap on Sunday’s final stage to Paris, the Slovenian is set to celebrate a fourth Tour de France title.