While most of the Catalunya Volta sprinters were languishing in last place on stage 6, which had a fast start and a series of climbs, Kayden Groves, followed by Richard Calapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) and Sergio Iguita (Bora-Hansgrohe), the 40-man chase He succeeded in maintaining his position in the group. However, with the fast finishers still in the group, BikeExchange-Jacco took the podium.

Saturday's Volta a Catalunya was by no means an easy day. A downpour in Salou started the 168.6 stage with the first of three categorized climbs just 41km from the start. Add to that a tough GC battle with the top three riders all within 7 seconds of each other, and one could not have predicted the grueling 3,013-meter climb that awaited them.

"It was a very difficult stage. But the combination of weather, GC position, and parcours really made it a race and a half," BikeExchange-Jayco sport director Gene Bates said in a statement." It was exciting from kilometer zero to the very end."

The race was a "great experience.

As the finish line in Cambrils approached, riders such as Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) and Ethan Vernon (Quick Step Alpha Vinyl), with whom Groves had been competing in the sprint the day before, were more than 20 minutes behind, and by the end of the day, 18 riders retired.

However, Groves held on in the climbs, and the 23-year-old, who had won his first WorldTour race earlier in the race, crossed the finish line in a chase group of about 40 riders. Carapas and race leader Higuita had already taken the top two spots on the podium, but the third was still up for grabs. It soon became clear that there was no one in that dwindling peloton who could match Groves. [They] kept defending me and trying to bring the racers back for the sprint finish. They really showed their strength." I was lucky to make it to the finals today in good shape, it's a real shame to finish third, but I lost to two strong riders today.

"If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything from today and there was nothing more I could have done."

Groves may have been disappointed that he was not third in the sprint on stage 6 and not in contention for the win, but this result was a result of Michael Matthews finishing in first stage and Groves won the second stage, adding another podium finish to the team's already impressive record of two Volta a Catalunya stage wins. Michael Matthews won the first stage and Groves won the second.

"I think we saw something in Kayden this week that we haven't seen before. 'It's not often that a sprinter of his caliber can run a course like that with such ease.'