Groupama-FDJ
Looking for: Podium a possibility for Pinot
French cycling fans love a noble failure, and few defeats have struck as much of a nerve as Thibaut Pinot’s heartbreaking collapse at the Tour last year. On the back of a triumphant victory atop the Col du Tourmalet, Pinot entered the final three days with a very real possibility of becoming the long-awaited first French winner of the yellow jersey for 24 years. However, in distressing scenes, the overwhelming pain of a freak muscular injury in his thigh forced him to dismount his bike and abandon the race in tears.
He was utterly distraught. But now, no doubt with the help of his paternal team manager Marc Madiot, he’s daring to dream, using the devastation at what happened and the nagging sense of what could have been as extra motivation to fulfil his destiny and win the yellow jersey.
So can he do it? For much of last July he was climbing quicker than any other rider in the race, Egan Bernal included, but the question remains whether that was once-in-a-lifetime form, or a level he can replicate again this year. His team certainly believe in him, and one of the most significant indicators of this is the fact that they plan not to select French sprinter Arnaud Démare, a two-time stage winner at the Tour. Instead Démare will ride the Giro d’italia and Vuelta a España, and in his place at the Tour Groupama will field a line-up made up exclusively of domestiques. These will likely include last year’s white jersey runner-up David Gaudu, underrated Swiss super-domestique Sébastien Reichenbach, rouleur Stefan Küng, and new signing Valentin Madouas.
Back in March, Pinot had voiced concern about a potentially lost season due to the coronavirus lockdown during what he said was the peak of his career. But he will get his wish, riding first the Tour and then the Vuelta at the end of this post-pandemic season. And the 30-year-old has recorded a solid start to his Tour run-in, with fourth overall at the Tour d’occitanie, ahead of Bauke Mollema, Richie Porte and Romain Bardet. It was won by Egan Bernal.
After finishing fourth on the mountainous queen stage to Rocamadour, 31sec behind winner Bernal, Pinot declared himself “reassured”, telling l’equipe he was only needed a “smidgen” extra to be able to take the race to the Ineos rider.
With the race for yellow set to culminate at a time trial near his home town, is the narrative written for a glorious homecoming for Pinot?
STAR: Thibaut Pinot (Fra)
Six years ago, a 24-year-old Pinot was hailed as the great new hope of French cycling by finishing third overall. He has, however, failed to improve upon that finish, abandoning on three of his four appearances since. But last year’s performance, although it ended badly, will have given him confidence that he has what it takes to mount a serious bid.
HITTER: David Gaudu (Fra)
Pinot may find that his young lieutenant doesn’t stay his young lieutenant for much longer. Bespectacled Breton Gaudu has been touted as a hot prospect ever since winning the Tour de l’avenir in 2016, and 13th overall at the Tour last year suggests that we may not be waiting for the 23-year-old to make the leap to greatness for much longer.