Young Laurence Pithie from Groupama-FDJ took victory in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The race, which is part of the start of the Australian cycling season, ended in a sprint between a small group of cyclists. Natnael Tesfatsion (Lidl-Trek) and Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty) finished in second and third place respectively.
Start of the Race
The race started with an early attack by four Australian cyclists, BridgeLane’s Jackson Medway and Zac Marriage, as well as ARA’s Joshua Cranage and Dylan Proctor-Parker | Skip Capital. Despite the teamwork, the escape never presented a threat to the peloton.
In the last third of the race, Lidl-Trek took the lead with an attack from Mathias Vacek and Quinn Simmons. Later, Louis Barré attempted an escape, but without success.
Quinn Simmons is caught in the last km
In the last ten kilometers there were a series of attacks, including attempts by Luke Plapp, Ryan Archie and Jhonatan Narváez. The most impressive effort came from American champion Simmons, who led for a long time. However, it was caught in the last kilometer, allowing a small group of around ten cyclists to contest victory in a final sprint.
Finish line success for Pithie
In this final stretch, Laurence Pithie showed his skill, taking victory in the photo finish. This is the second professional victory for the 21-year-old New Zealand cyclist, following his victory at Cholet-Pays de la Loire last year.
Watch the arrival
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race results
