Three races in three days are coming up. in the Jura no less, and a fantastic way for Thibaut Pinot to thank his core fans, the Franc-Comtois.
Thibaut accepted the role of "Ambassador" for the Classic Grand Besançon and the Tour du Jura, which will be held on April 14th and 15th. The Tour du Doubs will now be scheduled on the 16th.
Three days of racing, easy on the teams in terms of lodging and logistics, this may be the formula to save these races moving forward.
Classic Grand Besançon - April 14:
Hilly, some climbs along the way, it will come down to the finish atop the Belvedère de Montfaucon, the local murito (although la Chapelle des Buis is a handful but narrow). It's a climb that Thibaut and Arthur Vichot rode a lot when racing as teenagers for the local club. It's a toughy...
Tour du Jura - April 15:
Le Mont Poupet! A dream come true. For the first time ever it will be featured in a pro race, the MTF of the Tour du Jura no less. For you it's nothing, for me it's so much. It was my late uncle Alain's weekly challenge. He was a postman on a bike in Salins in the late '70s and he could ride a bike. The dude was fit. I rode it twice and both times the upper ramp got the better of me and I had to put a foot down. It's a serious climb:
I hope that Thibaut wins this bike race on April 15: it would mean a lot to me.
Tour du Doubs - April 16:
The Larmont mountain is a training climb for the CC Etupes, Thibaut's team before he joined FdJ. 6.6 km at 5.3% average with a few steep sections and its profile is nowhere to be found, the Grand Taureau gets the attention with a higher finish but a smaller road....so I created one:
The turnout will be great, past winners are no "scrubs". Many fans roadside, and Pinot's farewell to them. If it makes it on TV or highlights, I will post them.
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