Laurence Pithie wants to win a lot in 2024: "The bar is high, but I think it is realistic"

Laurence Pithie is one of Groupama-FDJ's golden generation - a group of riders promoted to the World Tour team in 2023. And it goes without saying that the New Zealander certainly didn't disappoint, taking his first professional victory at the Cholet-Pays de la Loire in March. For 2024, the Kiwi hopes to level up his game, ideally during his Grand Tour debut.

But how did he see the past year himself? "I think it was a season that I can be happy with. It was my debut in the WorldTour and I managed to win straight away. That was fun. I was also able to achieve some other nice results, such as fifth place in the BEMER Cyclassics," he said on his team's website.

Capable in bunch sprints as well as hard and hilly stages, there's no wonder Pithie is listed among favourites for the upcoming Tour Down Under. "I am extremely motivated to start the season well, with some great results. The team has shown a lot of confidence in me through my leadership in the sprints. I feel ready to start strong and keep the momentum going in the European races."

What are the goals for 2024? "Winning again, but now at a higher level. Instead of a .1 race, I would like to win a Pro Series race. Or maybe even in the WorldTour. The bar is high, but I think it is realistic. Of course, you have to work extremely hard. I also want to discover new competitions. Maybe I'll do some classics this year, like the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Within the team I can learn a lot from Stefan Küng. Maybe I'll discover a Grand Tour too. The plan was to do the Vuelta first, but now I think I will do the Giro. There will be great opportunities there to achieve good results."