The penultimate pass of the day’s stage was the scene of an outpouring of love for the French rider, who will conclude the last Tour de France of his career on Sunday.
It was only for him. Songs to his glory, dozens of signs and above all, more than a thousand spectators massed in a single bend. For the penultimate stage of his career on the Tour de France, Thibaut Pinot was treated to a giant farewell, Saturday July 22. If the “Tibopino” earthquake spread over the entire route from Belfort, the epicenter was located at “Pinot turn”located two kilometers from the summit of the Petit Ballon, the penultimate difficulty of the day.
To mark the occasion, everyone had come together at the initiative of the “Fédération Française de la Lose”, humorous media on the misfortunes of the French, who had often mocked Thibaut Pinot with tenderness, as well as the “Collectif Ultras Pinot”, a small group of runners’ fans who had hijacked the name given to the PSG ultras. “VSIt was decided recently, because we didn’t know if he would do the Tour, and behind it, we didn’t know if he would finish it”smiles Guy-Laurent, one of the members of the CUP.
A specially chartered bus, the family in the front row
Some arrived the day before, already heating up the Vosges bend at nightfall. Others arrived by bus from Paris at midnight. “There were about forty of us on the bus, we sang a little, shouted Thibaut all over the night”, reveals Alexandre, selected for the trip thanks to a special poster. “The goat is for both: it’s our GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) to us. And seeing him with his goats every time makes us smile, because he is at home, in his own world. That’s what suits him the most.”he continues.
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From Saturday morning, the atmosphere was already burning. The five letters of “Pinot” scarred the roads of the Petit Ballon by the hundreds, the imaginative placards were agitated: “Some believe in God, others in Thibaut Pinot” . Crossed on their arrival at noon, the Pinot family had a smile on their faces. “These are good times, and we tell ourselves that we must take advantage of them because they are the last where it happens like that. He knows we’re there, we sent him messages to tell him that there were people in certain places he knows by heart. I hope he will be in the running. He wants to be an actoranticipated his brother and trainer Julien.
“It’s impressive. We suspected, but not really at this point. There, it’s really madness, since Belfort, it’s just that. It’s moving. It’s a great story that will end”adds his father Régis.
Arthur Vichot luxury ambience
If Julien and Régis did not take the megaphone to launch the songs to the glory of Thibaut, his former teammate, close friend, Arthur Vichot took care of it, he who was already present the day before. “At first, we didn’t know how it was going to take, but it was incredible, I’ve never seen that. I hadn’t specifically planned to come, but I told myself that it wasn’t far from home, I had to be there. It’s awesome”explains the double champion of France.
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From 10 a.m. until the passage of their hero, his tireless supporters sang nonstop, haranguing the gendarmes present to celebrate with them, taking up the chants of supporters to give a football stadium atmosphere, or booing aloud any Jumbo-Visma vehicle that passed, after the hazardous exit of Richard Plugge, the manager of the Dutch formation, on Friday, chanting with irony “udon’t beer for Jumbo!”
T-shirts, bucket hats, flags and scarves specially made for the occasion even overshadowed the caravan. “It’s impressive what they have organized. We saw something never seen on the Tour. Several have already done stages, and they are unanimous: they have never seen an atmosphere like this”welcomes Alexander.
Pinot alone in the lead in the bend
At the stroke of 4:20 p.m., the earth finally shook. Thibaut Pinot appeared, alone, at the head of the race, as if the symbol had to be total. The moment was fleeting, the Frenchman did not celebrate, focused on a possible stage victory. Some, like Benoit Cosnefroy who joined hands to thank them, or Quentin Pacher, who touched those of all the supporters, took care of it for him. “It was incredible from all points of view: the people, the enthusiasm, the sharing, and Thibaut who gets a kick out of walking past us, alone. I think it will remain one of the best memories of his career.”enthuses Arthur Vichot, placed in the middle of the bend.
A day of waiting for ten seconds of happiness, this is what Thibaut Pinot fans experienced on Saturday. Finally 7th in the stage, the Frenchman could not hold out until the end, despite the encouragement of the supporters repatriated to the nearby inn to follow the end.
Sunday evening, Thibaut Pinot will definitely close his great story with the Grande Boucle, and the joy quickly gave way to a certain bitterness. “VSIt’s my best day of the year, but I know it’s all going to fall violently, because it stops, and Thibaut, it’s twelve years of my life”, loose Guy-Laurent of the CUP. “It is clearly the mark of a new stage in my life. He screwed me up, with everything that happened to him! I’m not sad, I’m in a rush. I wouldn’t want him to do more, I want him to be happy”remembers the one who discovered it at random in a mountain pass in 2009, when Pinot was not yet a professional.
“I’ll never have this crazy thing again, this electricity that I had for this guy. It’s going to make me a big void, I’m going to have to go see a shrink!”
Guy-Laurent, member of the Ultras Pinot Collectiveat franceinfo: sport
Not everyone present on Saturday knew Pinot from 2012. Some discovered him during his podium in 2014, or during his contrasting Tour in 2019.”All his galleys, that was destroying me, but it also made me ‘love’ this guy, and I say ‘love’ because I have no other definition”, continues Guy-Laurent. “Since I stopped, I realize that people like this kind of runner: he doesn’t cheat, he is simple, he gives emotions, in the positive and the negative, and the French public likes that. You can write a novel about his career, he has a personality apart, and he’s a great champion”adds Arthur Vichot, retired since 2020.
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Around 6 p.m., the Pinot bend began to empty, as the sun began to fall on the Vosges peaks. The chartered bus left for Paris, the cows present resumed their rights in the trampled meadows, and the fans resumed the course of their lives, after a festive day, sometimes alcoholic, but successful. “From a sporting point of view, it is true that it is an emblematic figure of French cycling who will stop. He is iconic now. I also have the friendly look, so it also makes me happy that he stops. That way, we’ll be able to do things we couldn’t do before.”welcomes Arthur Vichot.
The Ultras Pinot Collective had an unforgettable day. Pierre, the president, lost his voice after shouting at himself all day singing the songs. After the retirement of their champion, what will become of their collective? “It’s going to be nothing: there is no Gaudu, no Molard, no Laporte. We need someone who makes us dream, but no one will make us dream like Pinot. It’s over, we lived his end with him”, concludes Guy Laurent.