“Today is definitely bittersweet” - Laurence Pithie impresses again but leaves Tour Down Under without stage win

In his second year at World Tour level with Groupama - FDJ, 21-year-old New Zealander, Laurence Pithie said pre-Tour Down Under "It's time to step-up." Although missing out on a stage win, he has been a standout performer in recent days. 

After finishes of 4th and 5th on stages 3 and 4, Pithie was again battling the big guns on the 6th and final stage atop Mount Lofty, finishing 5th. “In the last two kilometres, I didn’t think too much,” he explained post-stage to the official website of Groupama - FDJ. “I just knew I had to follow the best and be there. I felt good all day and I knew I could have a good finish in a climb like this. I’ve really improved my level on the climbs over the winter.”

Despite the impressiveness of his performances during the week, the Kiwi prodigy leaves the race feeling a tinge of what could have been. “What can I say? I’m pretty disappointed,” the 21-year-old admits. “I made the split-second decision to go when the group of favorites sat up a little bit. In hindsight, maybe I should have waited for the sprint, but you never know… I gave everything out there, and I can be satisfied to come fifth on this type of finish which isn’t really suited to me. I can be happy with my Tour Down Under overall, with some good top-5s, even if today is definitely bittersweet.”