It has been a Tour de France of sharp contrasts for Alpecin-Deceuninck. What began as a dream opening—with consecutive stage wins and moments of glory in both the yellow and green jerseys—quickly took a harsh turn. Within days, the team lost both its talismanic leaders: Jasper Philipsen, sidelined by a broken collarbone, and Mathieu van der Poel, forced to abandon the race with pneumonia. The impact was not just strategic—it struck at the heart of the team’s identity.

This was no ordinary setback. Alpecin-Deceuninck have long been seen as a team built around Philipsen’s speed and Van der Poel’s aggressive flair. Their departures left a gaping void, both in the tactical plan and the team’s morale. For any squad in the Tour’s elite field of 23, such blows would be difficult to overcome. But for a team so heavily reliant on two standout names, the challenge was amplified.

Yet, in a sport where resilience often defines greatness, Alpecin found a new gear. As the peloton approached the final weekend—exhausted from weeks of punishment and racing across France—14 teams still hadn’t tasted victory. Alpecin-Deceuninck, against the odds, not only managed to recover but also collected their third stage win. This time, it came not from the headline-makers, but from the quietly consistent Kaden Groves.

The 26-year-old Australian timed his effort to perfection on the lumpy terrain of Stage 20, which wound through the Jura mountains and finished in the town of Pontarlier. He escaped with 15 kilometers remaining and capitalized on a moment of hesitation between fellow breakaway riders Frank van den Broek and Jake Stewart. Groves surged ahead alone—and never looked back.

“I am incredibly happy and incredibly proud of this team,” Groves said, visibly emotional at the finish. “We’ve had quite a rollercoaster Tour.”

That sense of emotional highs and lows has defined the race for Groves personally as well. By his own admission, he hasn’t felt at his best.

“On a personal note, I’ve not been sprinting super well—I’ve been missing raw speed,” he reflected. “But in the third week of the Grand Tour, I finished the mountains well and today we thought I’d try my chance in the breakaway.”

What followed wasn’t part of any planned script. With the peloton unable to mount a serious chase and the breakaway group unwilling to collaborate, Groves seized his moment. His solo ride to victory—crossing the line 54 seconds clear of the rest—was not just impressive; it was historic.

Groves became the 114th rider in cycling history to win stages in all three Grand Tours: the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España. A rare feat, and one that elevates him to a new level in the sport.

“I think that’s something that might not happen again for me—it’s incredible to win solo,” he said, describing the final moments of his ride. “It’s certainly a different emotion to a bunch sprint. In a bunch sprint, you don’t have time to think, and today was a situation I’ve never been in before.”

“I just focused on arriving to the line and thought that I’d enjoy it afterwards. The final kilometre was certainly not enjoyable,” he added with a tired smile.

For Groves, the journey to this win has been one of consistency and quiet determination. His last eight victories have all come in three-week races. That consistency, combined with tactical sharpness, has made him a rider for the big occasions—something that hasn’t gone unnoticed within his team.

Christoph Roodhooft, Alpecin’s lead sports director, admitted he didn’t fully expect the outcome but wasn’t surprised by Groves’ ability.

“It’s almost unbelievable,” Roodhooft said. “We know he’s a strong rider, but the way he did it was exceptional.”

“We knew winning today was within his possibilities,” he continued, “but I have to be honest and say I did not really believe in it. Parcours-wise, it was possible—and he proved it.”

Roodhooft acknowledged that Groves might not have the top-end speed of some elite sprinters, but his strength as a complete rider sets him apart.

“He’s more of a very strong rider than a pure sprinter,” he explained. “As a sprinter, he doesn’t maybe have the highest speed that’s needed, but as a normal rider, he’s extremely strong.”

Indeed, Groves’ ability to adapt and thrive without the shelter of his team’s usual sprint train makes this win even more significant. It was not just a personal triumph—it was a validation of Alpecin-Deceuninck’s depth and resilience in the face of adversity.

And while the Tour heads into its final stretch toward Paris, Kaden Groves has already answered the lingering question he’s often faced: whether he could step up on cycling’s biggest stage.

“Having won in the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, all I ever get asked is, ‘am I good enough to win the Tour?’” he said. “And yeah, now I have them.”