Cholet - Pays de la Loire: New Zealander Pithie wins first race of career

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Perez and Manzin complete podium from bunch sprint

ADELAIDE AUSTRALIA JANUARY 14 Laurence Pithie of New Zealand and Team Groupama FDJ competes during the 23rd Santos Tour Down Under 2023 Schwalbe Classic Mens Elite TourDownUnder on January 14 2023 in Adelaide Australia Photo by Tim de WaeleGetty Images
Laurence Pithie of New Zealand (Groupama-FDJ) won Sunday's Cholet - Pays de la Loire (Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) has staged a searing last minute attack to capture his first pro win in the Cholet-Pays-de-la-Loire.

Second in the Classic Loire-Atlantique on Saturday, Pithie was perfectly positioned in a chaotic, crash-marred finale where no team seemed able to take control of the brutally hilly, technical finishing circuit.

After a six rider break was brought back with in the last four kilometres thanks to a ferocious pursuit by Arkea-Samsic and AG2R Citröen,  the 20-year-old first year pro made his move up the left hand side of the road.

It looked as if the New Zealander was set to be reeled within sight of the line. But a desperate last-minute effort allowed him to stay clear, just a few metres ahead of French counter-attackers Anthony Perez (Cofidis) and TotalEnergies Lorenzo Manzin. 

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Alasdair Fotheringham
Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The Independent,  The Guardian,  ProCycling, The Express and Reuters.

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