A crash ahead of stage five has ruled Irish cyclist Eddie Dunbar out of the remainder of the Vuelta Espana.
Team Jayco Alula rider was sitting in 42nd position overall, just over five minutes behind leader Remco Evenepoel crashed in the neutral zone before the 186km stage that begins in Morella.
Dunbar, who had a difficult start to the race on Saturday where he crashed twice during a washed-out team time trial in Barcelona, becomes the third rider to withdraw from the race.
It marks a premature end for the Cork man in his first time riding the iconic race. Earlier this year he finished seventh at the Giro d'Italia.
#LaVuelta23
— Team Jayco AlUla (@GreenEDGEteam) August 30, 2023
Unfortunately @EddieDunbar crashed in the neutral zone ahead of the stage 5 start and has been forced to abandon the race ❌
We'll provide a further update soon. pic.twitter.com/q1bKgQ7XZ8
Groves got the perfect leadout from his Alpecin-Deceuninck team in Burriana but found himself challenged by Ganna, with the Italian freed from his usual duties protecting Geraint Thomas to test himself in the sprint and coming within a wheel length of winning it.
Remco Evenepoel picked up six bonus seconds late on the 186.5km stage from Morella to extend his advantage in the red jersey to 11 seconds from Enric Mas, with Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard now 37 seconds down in fourth.
