Laurence Pithie may have been visibly frustrated after the final stage of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide when his attack from the leading group was pulled back in with less than 600m to go, but there was nothing but joy on the Geelong waterfront a week later when the rider from New Zealand claimed his first WorldTour victory at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
That stage in South Australia at the top of Mount Lofty last Sunday was followed by phone calls to family and friends as the Groupama-FDJ rider digested and processed the frustration of coming so close, analysing how he could have played it differently after finishing fifth as he was swamped by the catching four.
