Escaped on the 12th stage between Roanne and Belleville-en-Beaujolais, Thibaut Pinot did not win but took 3 minutes from the favorites in the general classification.
He arrived exhausted at his team’s bus, at the end of the finish line in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, Thursday July 13. Sixth in the stage, Thibaut Pinot took the breakaway for the first time in this edition of the Tour de France, but failed to follow the attack of Ion Izagirre, winner of the day. The future retiree, who claims to have “given everything”n / A “no regrets”.
The Franc-Comtois, who had until then mainly supported his leader David Gaudu, had a good exit to go to the front, and seized it, without however succeeding in imposing himself. “I didn’t really have a good feeling today, I was flat out. We made an effort at the start of the race, where we were trapped, to come back, and I never recovered. was really courageous, and there I died. When Izagirre left, I was at full speed for a long time. It’s a stage that will leave a lot of fatigue I think “he commented at the end of the stage.
“It’s nice to play up front, we’re here for that”rejoiced the manager of Groupama-FDJ, Marc Madiot, while his team had not always managed to place a rider in the good shots so far. “Thibaut has had his chance since the start of the Toursaid David Gaudu. When he is not in front, he repatriates to me. On a stage like today, it’s not an easy task to take the breakaway. I think he wanted to have some fun up front and he still has other stages in mind where he will want to escape.”.
“I don’t care about the general classification”
If he did not raise his arms in Belleville-en-Beaujolais, Thibaut Pinot offered himself a rise in the general classification, going from 15th to 10th place, taking 3’01 ” from all the favorites placed in the general. So much so that he is now on the heels of his leader David Gaudu, only 32 seconds behind the one who experienced small failures in the puy de Dôme and towards Issoire. “It’s not going to change anything. David is a step above me overall. Tomorrow it’s going to be tough for me and I expect to lose places, so I’m not too concerned about the general classification”cut Thibaut Pinot, who remains focused on his personal goal: a stage victory.
“Having two riders in the Top 10 is not bad, but it doesn’t change anything for us, it opens the doors for us a little more”supported Marc Madiot, the manager of the Groupama-FDJ team. “In the bus, they are like two brothers, and if you had heard what David said to Thibaut in the headset when he left… It was nice, he really encouraged him, I got goosebumps”said Philippe Mauduit, sports director of the team, as if to ensure that the two riders will not be rivals in the rest of the Tour de France.
Thibaut Pinot also sees himself passing a stage “a little cooler” Friday, with the arrival at the Grand Colombier, when David Gaudu ticked off this day to go on the attack. “I’ve had the Grand Colombier in my head for two days and I want to perform up there”said the Breton.