"It was an honour for me just to be wearing it" - Laurence Pithie passes on Maillot Jaune at Paris-Nice after just one stage

After just one day in the Maillot Jaune at Paris-Nice, Groupama - FDJ's Laurence Pithie has been forced to pass on the race lead after the stage 3 team time-trial on Tuesday.

"It was a really hard day," the New Zealander reflected post-stage to ITV Sport. "The boys did a really good job, we kept it together really nicely. Pushed hard on the climbs and yeah, we brought it home quite strongly I think."

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Sadly for Pithie, Groupama - FDJ and most of the teams who took off on the second half of the stage, a rain shower hit most of the course. after leaders UAE Team Emirates had already finished. "With the rain coming down there I could feel it in the face and it got really cold actually!" Pithie explains. "It's just unfortunate for us that we had wet roads."

"We had to take it a bit easier because it definitely slippery out there," he concludes. "It was pretty cool to be in the yellow. It was an honour for me just to be wearing it because I didn't expect it so it's just been a bonus."

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