Young New Zealand talent Laurence Pithie wins the Cadel Evans Road Race 2024

Groupama-FDJ's very young New Zealander Laurence Pithie has won the final finish of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2024. The 21-year-old was stronger in the final meters than Natnael Tesfatsion (Lidl-Trek) and Georg Zimmermann (Intermarche-Wanty).

After the pace was pushed hard over the ascents of the Challambra Crescent, Israel - Premier Tech kept the pace high over the final lap with Nick Schultz and Stephen Williams.

There were several dangerous attacks in the run-up to the line including those of Luke Plapp, Quinn Simmons and already inside the final kilometer Bauke Mollema. It was a brutal finale that weighed heavy on the legs of some, and some of the fastest sprinters in the group arrived quite tired to the sprint.

At the final finish about twenty riders arrived and it was Lidl-Trek who tried to set up the sprint for Tesfatsion, but in the photo-finish thanks to a spectacular last kick of the kidney Pithie managed to win. Zimmerman came in half a wheel and two of the favorites finished fourth and fifth: Corbin Strong and Jhonnatan Narvaez.

The Ecuadorian of INEOS Grenadiers is always close to winning in this first tour of the year on Australian soil, but he never quite manages to do so.