Laurence Pithie may be only taking on his very first Grand Tour when he lines up in Turin on Saturday to debut at the Giro d'Italia, however such has been the meteoric rise of the Groupama-FDJ rider that he will be doing it with big aims and the support of his team.
The 21-year-old New Zealander, who can hold on through the hills and deliver a fast finish, has already capitalised on his strengths to capture one WorldTour win this season, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, and after regularly clinging on to key moves in the Classics he is now looking to taste victory again in Italy.
"Being at the start in Turin for three weeks of competition is a real opportunity, and discovering your first Grand Tour as leader is no mean feat," said Pithie in a statement from his French team.
"I'm arriving on the Italian roads with a lot of expectations, so we'll take one opportunity after another and give everything we've got, every day, to go for this stage win that unites us all."
The second year WorldTour professional may be untested at a Grand Tour, but has shown an ability to quickly analyse, learn and adapt and has garnered the unequivocal support of his team.
"With a strong, complementary team, we'll be supporting Laurence Pithie in his aim to win stages, whether flat or hilly," said Directeur Sportif Frédéric Guesdon in a team statement.
"Everyone will play an essential role around our sprinter to maximise our chances of winning, and I expect them to be dedicated to their leader. They're all very motivated to be at the start in Turin on Saturday."
The European spring emphasised the prowess on display in Australia in January, with Pithie twice on the podium on stages of Paris-Nice before regularly being in elite company through the toughest Classics. He may not have netted a big Classics result – with seventh at Paris-Roubaix the highest finish – but showed ample evidence of the potential to take victory on the biggest stages in the future. His Groupama-FDJ team are rallying to do what they can to make it sooner, rather than later.
"We know that Laurence is a strong guys who knows how to manage on his own in the final stages, but the adversity will be high and it will be in his interest to rely on us," said team captain Olivier le Gac.
The young leader will be surrounded by a young team, with four other Giro first timers and half the squad eligible for the youth category. As well as Le Gac, Pithie will be racing alongside Lewis Askey, Cyril Barthe, Clément Davy, Lorenzo Germani, Fabian Lienhard and Enzo Paleni.
"With the support of this great team, I know that anything is possible," said Pithie.
Get unlimited access to all of our coverage of the Giro d'Italia- including journalists reporting, breaking news and analysis on the ground from every stage of the race as it happens and more. Find out more.
