La Groupama-FDJ a annoncé sa sélection pour le Tour d'Italie ce mercredi. Ayant fait le choix de n'aligner aucun de ses deux principaux grimpeurs David Gaudu et Lenny Martinez, réservés pour le Tour de France et La Vuelta, l'équipe française n'aura aucune ambition le classement général pour ces trois semaines de course du 4 au 26 mai prochain. Après une édition 2023 sans succès malgré un Thibaut Pinot déchaîné et 5e du général, la formation de Marc Madiot visera cette année exclusivement les victoires d'étapes, avec en unique chef de file Laurence Pithie. Impressionnant depuis le début de saison, le Néo-Zélandais a déjà levé les bras en World Tour cette année sur la Cadel Evans Road Race et pourrait continuer à faire des merveilles sur les routes italiennes, s'il parvient à apprivoiser son premier Grand Tour en carrière.
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00:00What do you know about your team's history with the distinctive jersey at the Giro d'Italia?
00:08You are forgiven if you don't know that the first Maglia Rosa was also from Oceania,
00:12Bradley McGee, but what has your team told you about the recent conquest of these distinctive
00:19jerseys?
00:21I remember vividly watching Arno when he won the Maglia Ciclamino and took four stage wins
00:31I think, or three. I remember this very well, just from watching the racing. It was really
00:39cool to see him and his train be so successful here. The team has good experience in the
00:45sprints here, so I'll try and use that experience and really take it on board. I think it's
00:55a beautiful jersey, so if we can get our hands on it, we'll definitely try.
01:01How extraordinary is it that for your first Grand Tour, you are the leader. How did that
01:08happen and how do you handle those responsibilities?
01:14It's really a great privilege to have support from the team and have leadership in the stages
01:22that suit me. The team is there to help me succeed and to handle those responsibilities.
01:32I've taken on a new role this year, so I knew I would have some more leadership, but to
01:38have leadership in a Grand Tour, it's really a big step up. I take it day by day. I don't
01:46feel too much pressure, but I really want to succeed and do well for myself and my teammates
01:54and for the team. It's a great privilege to have leadership in my first Grand Tour.
02:02What would be a good result for you in this first Grand Tour and what does it scare you the most?
02:10I think for me, winning a stage would be a huge result. I was able to go close in the
02:21World Tour level at Paris-Nice in the sprint stages, so I think to really be successful
02:29here, we're here to win a stage and maybe even chase the Ciclamino jersey, if I can
02:36have consistent results each day and I'm not too fatigued. It's a long race and something
02:46I've never done before, so we're not too sure how I'll respond. What I'm most scared about
02:53is probably the unknown of a Grand Tour. I've never done a three-week race or anything
03:00longer than 10 days, really.
03:03How did your preparation went after a long sprint?
03:07It was not too bad. It wasn't as smooth as I would have hoped it to be. Having crashed
03:16at the end of Paris-Roubaix, I ended my classic season with a nice result there, but for sure
03:24it's never nice having to crash. It took some time to prepare and really get back into shape,
03:34but I think I'm here with a good level and I'll take it day by day to see where I'm at.
03:44It might take me some time to find my feet in the stages and really soak up the atmosphere,
03:50but I think I'm ready and super motivated.
03:54If you have any ambition for the first stage and for the first Maglia Rosa, or do you think
03:58that it will be too hard?
04:01I think it could be too hard now. Looking at the stage with the new finish, I think
04:07it might be a little bit too far. With the old stage, the original plan, I definitely
04:13would have been going for it and had that as a big goal, but now I think it could be
04:19too hard for me just with the climb so close to the finish. If Taddei wants to make the
04:28race hard, I don't think I'll be there anymore.
04:32Why did you choose the Giro to start your Grand Tour career?
04:36I think with the parkours this year, it suits me quite well with the sprints and the harder
04:44stages that could finish in a reduced bunch. For my first Grand Tour, I think it's going
04:52to be a good experience and parkours that can suit me well. That's why we decided to
05:01come to Italy.
05:02How old were you when you first watched the Giro d'Italia on TV and who were your first
05:11Giro d'Italia heroes?
05:13Good question. I think I must have been quite young. I could not tell you an exact age,
05:25but I think the thing I remember most about the Giro and the stage that sticks with me
05:34is the stage where Chris Froome did the great solo to take the pink jersey. I also vividly
05:44remember Tom Dumoulin when he was in the pink jersey as a big figure. That was when I really
05:52first started taking notice of cycling and watching the racing was when Tom Dumoulin
05:59won the pink jersey at the Giro.
06:03Did you ever play rugby or aiming to become an all-black?
06:05I'll start with the second question first. I did play rugby growing up at primary school.
06:14I was on the left wing. I had a little bit of speed. I think most kids in New Zealand
06:21grow up playing rugby. For me, being an all-black was not my dream. For sure, it was almost
06:32every boy's dream in New Zealand, but the main goal for me was an Olympia. I did a lot
06:40of other sports. The Olympics was more of a dream than being an all-black.
06:48Can you do the haka if you win a stage?
06:51I could do a haka. I know my high school haka still quite well, so maybe for a few people
06:59I could do a haka.