Groves takes third win of 2024 Vuelta on stage 17

Australia's Kaden Groves sprinted to his 3rd triumph of this year's Vuelta a Espana connected shape 17 successful Santander.

Ben O'Connor maintained his five-second advantage complete Primoz Roglic successful nan leader's reddish jersey arsenic they vanished safely together successful nan bunch.

But it was a tense time for nan peloton successful nan rainfall arsenic they were only capable to drawback nan breakaway wrong nan last 3 kilometres of nan 141.5km shape from Arnuero.

Several riders made precocious attacks until Groves' Alpecin-Deceuninck squad deed nan beforehand pinch 200 metres remaining.

Groves kicked clear of Pavel Bittner successful second, pinch Vito Braet third, arsenic he claimed triumph successful nan greenish points classification jersey he inherited aft Wout van Aert had to wantonness nan title pursuing a clang connected shape 16.

"It was my past opportunity to triumph successful this title and I had specified a motivated squad to power nan breakaway," said Groves, who besides won stages 2 and 14.

"To repay them pinch triumph number 3 is beautiful special."

Thursday's shape 18 from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Maeztu is simply a 179.5km undulating way that could supply an opportunity for nan breakaway to succeed.