Cyclingflash
Better late than never: Dylan Groenewegen confirmed third in Clásica de Almería

Better late than never: Dylan Groenewegen confirmed third in Clásica de Almería

Dylan Groenewegen finished fourth earlier this month in the Clásica de Almería. At least, that was the verdict for the Dutch rider after a chaotic finale and sprint finish, but the photo finish afterwards seemed to provide no clarity. What turns out now: the Unibet Rose Rockets rider actually crossed the line in third place in the Spanish one-day race.

Initially, Matteo Moschetti was listed as the third-place finisher, and so the Italian sprinter from Pinarello-Q36.5 joined winner Biniam Girmay and runner-up Milan Fretin on the podium afterwards.

The French team with Dutch roots, however, already had their doubts about the final result. "Can someone share the photo finish? I’m asking on behalf of a friend," the team wrote with a wink on social media. It stayed quiet after that, but on Tuesday—more than a week after the race—the Clásica de Almería organization made a striking announcement.

"Podium spot secured! After a review of the Clásica de Almería photo finish, we received confirmation that Dylan actually finished third instead of fourth, turning a strong sprint into a podium place! Pinarello Q36.5, you haven’t thrown those flowers away yet, have you?" Bas Tietema’s team joked.

Groenewegen thus already has three podium finishes in 2026. The new signing at Unibet Rose Rockets started his season with victory in the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana and took second place in a stage of the Tour of Bessèges. For his team, these are also welcome extra UCI points.