Aussie Groves wins Catalunya bunch sprint

Australia's Kaden Groves won a mass bunch sprint for the line on stage four of the Tour of Catalunya on Thursday on a largely flat run to Sabadell.

Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel remain locked on the same time atop the overall standings with three stages remaining, including a summit finish on Friday.

Groves, who rides for the Alpecin team, pipped Frenchman Bryan Coquard at the line by using a late-thrust, bike-throw move to win by centimetres.

?? Torna a vibrar amb el darrer quilòmetre i la victòria d'etapa de @kaden_groves a @Aj_Sabadell

?? Relive the last km and the stage win of @kaden_groves at @Aj_Sabadell #VoltaCatalunya102 pic.twitter.com/KHKnZObJj9

— Volta a Catalunya (@VoltaCatalunya) March 23, 2023

The race left the Pyrenean thermal spa village of Llivia at 1200m altitude for a 188km run to Sabadell.

A five-rider break never got too far ahead and Evenepoel's Soudal-Quick Step team made sure the race ended in a mass sprint.

Cofidis rider Guillaume Martin of France leads the King of the Mountains rankings on 40 points.

However, Friday's stage five from Tarragona winds back into the mountains for a run that culminates in a giant climb to a summit finish where stamina may start to sap.