'Racing at home is not the same as racing in Europe' - S'annara Grove interview
Global Peloton speaks to South African rider at the Tour of Britain Women
Of the 93 riders who started stage four of the 2025 Tour of Britain Women, only one of them arrived in the mixed zone with almost full winter-gear on, despite the fairly mild temperatures for a June morning in Glasgow.
S’annara Grove admits to not being a fan of Northern Europe’s colder climate. It’s something she has struggled with since moving from South Africa to race with Irish team Torelli in 2023.
No wonder, then, that the 31-year-old calls stage three “the hardest race I’ve ever done” as she reflects on the previous day. Riders crossed the line as if they had been at war with the elements, as heavy downpours lashed down on the peloton as they fought their way over the toughest climbs the Scottish Borders had to offer.
Grove did fairly well considering. She managed a mid-pack position in 44th on stage three, which was also her final GC position after the race finished.
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Grove signed for British continental outfit CJ O’Shea in 2024 after one year with Torelli, in which she finished a solid 10th at GP d'Isbergues, still to date her highest placing in a European UCI race. She spends most of her time racing in Belgium, but the move to CJ O’Shea came with opportunities to race higher-level events like the WorldTour Tour of Britain Women.
A late-starter in the sport, Grove made the move to Europe at age 29. She explained to Global Peloton in Glasgow why it had taken to that point for her to be able to take the plunge.
“I've sort of wanted to come over in the past, but I was always like if I come over, I'll just get my ass kicked,” Grove laughs after being announced to the crowd before the final stage.
“But a friend of mine who raced here with me, she said the kind of racing at home is not necessarily the same as racing in Europe. So she actually helped get me on to [Torelli] in 2023, and yeah, it's been really, really good.”
“I think the biggest thing for most South Africans actually is how financially difficult it is to come over because our money's worth, well, it's worth nothing. So it ends up quite difficult on that front as well.”
Self-funding is not a new phenomenon for riders from non-European nations, and means many have to take on part-time work or secure extra personal sponsorship in order to race.
Grove also explained the challenges presented by having to move so far away from family.
“It's also difficult because we're away from home. Everybody else gets to go home at the end of their races or even in between things, they get a much longer break. They go back to their families. I'm home in July to see my family for a month, but I'm away from home for a long time.”
Her best year yet
The weather is one challenge that the 31-year-old has had to get used to, but for any rider making the journey to Europe the racing style is always a big adjustment. Roads are narrower, often more twisting, pelotons are larger and the fight for position is always fierce.
Grove has been without a major result in Europe in 2025, but says that after three years she is now getting used to European racing and it is helping her to step up and be competitive.
“This year's been an improvement. I was hoping for this kind of a step-up last year, but to be honest, last year was worse than the first year. I really struggled with homesickness and I crashed, I just crashed so much. I couldn't even get to the finish line to sprint. It was a problem.”
“But this year's been a lot better. I’ve felt like a lot better on the bike in general. I struggled with form last year.”
Grove’s best result this season was 18th at the UCI 1.1 GP Immo Zone, where she finished in an elite leading group.
This year started with perhaps the highlight of her entire career at the South African National Championships, where she won the road race for the first time. Grove took the sprint in a leading group of nine which included fellow European-based riders Tiffany Keep and Maddie Le Roux.
The win means that Grove has been proudly sporting the South African flag all season.
“It means a lot,” she said with a smile. “I mean, there's no guarantee that I ever get to do it again, so you want to sort of show it off and have that opportunity to do that.”
“I'm really glad that this South African jersey gets to come to Europe this year because it doesn't every time. So, that's just so nice. I think a lot of the riders are always happy when that happens.”
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