At Red Bull, Pithie finally encounters English-speaking directors: "It was a major cultural divide"

Finishing seventh in your Paris-Roubaix debut is no small feat. For Laurence Pithie, it was the highlight of an already impressive spring season. At just 21 years old, the New Zealander cemented his reputation as a rider to watch. His talent caught the eye of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, who signed him from Groupama-FDJ.

Pithie first made waves during Paris-Nice, where he landed podium finishes in the opening two stages and unexpectedly donned the leader’s jersey. "Everyone on the team was thrilled I had the yellow jersey, but I was disappointed I didn’t win," Pithie told Cyclingnews. This sentiment defines the 22-year-old classics specialist, who was equally dissatisfied after The Hell of the North. "You wouldn’t even know I was there. I was super disappointed afterwards."

In Gent-Wevelgem, Pithie was at the front with world champion Mathieu van der Poel and eventual winner Mads Pedersen. "It was the same story in several classics. I was often in the decisive groups at the right time, but I ended up finishing 30th," he admitted. Reflecting now, however, Pithie sees the season as a valuable learning experience. "At the time, I was disappointed, but now I look back and see it as an incredible learning moment. I want to come back with a vengeance next year."

And so, there’s work to be done. The sprinter knows he still has a lot to learn. "There are plenty of things I can improve on. I’ve shown that I have the raw power to be there when it gets tough, but in the last 30 kilometers, I simply didn’t have enough left to follow those accelerations deep into the finale." His new team, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, is the perfect place for him to take the next step. "The main reason I came here is that I simply couldn’t say no to this opportunity."

Read more below the photo!

Pithie in the Paris-Nice leader's jersey after stage 2

At Red Bull, finally, team directors who speak English: "It wasn't easy"

"The project and vision that Ralph Denk and the team showed me were something I couldn’t turn down," Pithie continues. "It’s a super professional environment here, and with Red Bull involved, who wouldn’t want to ride for them?" At the top team, he will form part of a formidable classics squad alongside Danny van Poppel, Tim and Mick van Dijke, Oier Lazkano, and Jan Tratnik. It’s clear that the team is embarking on a new path: only Van Poppel was with the squad last year.

Pithie was recruited from Groupama-FDJ. "Leaving Groupama was a big decision. They gave me my chance, and they were the only ones willing to do that when I first came to Europe. They took a big risk. I can only look back with great memories and thank them for the opportunity. But it was time to move on and join an English-speaking environment."

Pithie initially spoke very little French, especially when he first joined the French outfit. "With the riders, it was okay because most of the classics team spoke English, but with the team directors, it was tough. There was a huge language barrier, but also a cultural barrier. The way I wanted to race didn’t align with their vision. It was very difficult to make my point when I was stumbling over French words. It wasn’t easy."

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