In Adelaide on the final stage of the Tour Down Under, Lawrence Petty may have been visibly frustrated when he was pulled back by an attack from the lead group with less than 600 meters to go, but a week later on the Geelong waterfront, the New Zealand native He took his first World Tour victory in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

The stage, held last Sunday atop Mount Lofty in South Australia, was followed by phone calls to family and friends. The Groupama-FDJ riders digested and processed the frustration of being caught up so close and analyzed how they could have raced differently after finishing in fifth place after being pushed back by a four-man chase. [It's] part of the sport, a way to reflect, learn from possible mistakes, and move on," Petit said.

And a week later, he moved forward in the best possible way.

"I was very disappointed the moment TDU ended, but looking back I think I rode really well. I had to make a split-second decision. ...... My decision was to attack, but in hindsight I probably should have waited. But that's racing, no regrets.

"I think I learned from the previous week's scenario, because Petit had a perfect run in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race," said Pitti, who was the first to finish the race.

"I was in the lead. The attack was going on and I knew I had to be patient," said Pitti, perhaps remembering the lesson of Mount Lofty. 'Otherwise, I wouldn't have the legs for the sprint.'

"I had to wait, wait, wait. Toward the end of the race, everyone was on the outside and I got trapped a little bit, but I managed to find a gap and made up for it."

As a result, Pitti had the tightest finish. Not only during the race, but also after a sprinting duel with Nathanael Tesfazion (Lidl-Trek), he stood by to make sure the prize money was his. He finished in the top five three times on the Tour Down Under and fifth at the Surf Coast Classic.

"It's a dream come true to finish like this," Pitty said.

Pitti was certainly the talk of the race at 176.5 km. He has stuck to the front of the pack so far this season, both in the climbs and in the sprints, and his form has never been stronger. Especially considering the attention his Israeli Premier Tech team has garnered by winning the Tour Down Under.

Strong's team played a key role in containing a late attack by U.S. champion Quinn Simmons (Lidl Trek). Strong finished fourth, with Pitti taking his place on the top step of the podium in the U23 and elite men's road race at the national road race championships in Timaru on Saturday, February 10. After competing for the national title, Pitti will head to Europe to continue his second year as a World Tour pro.

Pitti said he will start with the classics, but his big goal is a stage hunt at the Giro d'Italia.

"It's my first Grand Tour, and it's good to experience what a three-week race is like and see how I can run there," Pitti said.

Attention then turns to Paris, where Strong and Petit could change from rivals to allies if both are selected.

"As you can see, there is a strong Kiwi contingent on the World Tour. But if I can keep racing like this, I will certainly earn my spot. It's really great to go with someone like Corbin, they're both aggressive racers and it's very unique to race in a small group like that."