Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[memyselfandI]

Yeah. But Pinot winning a stage is more then Gaudu finishing fifth overall. It's just the natural order.

C'mon. Pinot is history. Life goes on.

 

[CyclistAbi]

C'mon. Pinot is history. Life goes on.

Not today.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Is he developing a rather strange habit, of only being able to win races outside the race in question's homecountry?
His most recent victory was a win in Tour de Suisse, in Liechtenstein. Before that he won a stage in Tour of The Alps - an Italian race - in Austria. Today was a stage in Tour de France, which mostly took place in Switzerland, but went back into France with around 10 Ks to go...

Your argument falls apart, because the Tour of the Alps isn't only an Italian race. If it had been a Lienz stage in the old Giro del Trentino, I wouldn't have said anything.

But since the ToTA stage started and finished in a country with a red/white flag and the TdS stage started in a country with a red/white flag but finished in a different country, his next win will obviously be on a stage that starts in a country without a red/white flag, but finishes in one with such a flag, meaning FdJ should have put him in the break yesterday.

 

[RedheadDane]

Your argument falls apart, because the Tour of the Alps isn't only an Italian race. If it had been a Lienz stage in the old Giro del Trentino, I wouldn't have said anything.

Both PCS and FC has it listed as being Italian. But I'll be happy if it turns out he can indeed still win races in their home countries.

 

[dercuforever]

He still isn't 100% according to the post-race ITW. But he feels it coming back. If he doesnt waste energy early by taking too many pulls, he'll win either Granon or Huez.

 

[Salvarani]

Yeah. But Pinot winning a stage is more then Gaudu finishing fifth overall. It's just the natural order.

GC > A stage-win.

With that said, Pinot looks to be having a free-role to go for stages and potentially the KOM jersey. Todays performance was very good and he seems to be in good form. Promising going into next week.

Gaudu still has Storer, Küng, Madouas and Geniets as support that could get over some mountains. Should be enough to support their GC ambitions with him.

I think they are hoping Gaudu will be able to be a contender for the podium. Would be a great confidence boost for him and for the team going forward. He has always had potential and is entering his prime.

What Pinot does would only be a bonus here and something to be happy about if he succeeds.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Both PCS and FC has it listed as being Italian. But I'll be happy if it turns out he can indeed still win races in their home countries.

But the Tour and TdS won't visit other countries/the same other countries every year unlike ToTA, which is supposed to cover the whole of Tyrol and Trentino.

 

[skippo12]

I love it. Completly collapsed on the final climb. Tells us that the climb wasn´t hard enough and he lost his rhythm. That´s the right attitude even though it makes no sense. If the climb is a little bit harder the GC guys catch him.

 

[CyclistAbi]

In my defense i was enthusiastic about Pinot performance today.

 

[Tonton]

I love it. Completly collapsed on the final climb. Tells us that the climb wasn´t hard enough and he lost his rhythm. That´s the right attitude even though it makes no sense. If the climb is a little bit harder the GC guys catch him.

That's not what Pinot said: it's the Pas de Morgins that he said wasn't hard enough for him to make up his deficit on Jungels. Which is true. He had to catch BJ before the top to have a chance.

 

[Tonton]

So my post in the stage thread

C'mon. Pinot is history. Life goes on.

Fake News!

 

[Tonton]

Some posts are either misinformed and/or fake news, here's one that makes/made a little more sense:

"Pinot got Covid the week before Le Tour, and by his own admission, now is about the right time. Thibaut Pinot commented after the PLanche that in the climb, he paid the price for his unsuccessful attempts to go in breaks early on. It would have been a great story. But Madiot was right: Pinot wasn't far enough in the GC then...well now he is."

Yes, I quoted myself , this was the first paragraph of my post in today's stage thread. "About the right time". Post-race interview Tibopino said that today was "the first day when I had just about the right sensations" .

I'm catching myself looking (not at myself but) at his GC rank, when only time matters, as in "is he far enough to go in breaks?". Others remember GC Pinot and post on the spur of the moment and say: he's done. The reality is that Thibaut started his new breakaway-artist career this spring. He's enjoying the Lone Ranger lifestyle, two wins to show for, and then he got Covid. Pinot had to get himself back in Tour shape. Now he is. The biggests (yes with an "s") prizes are yet to come. The saga continues. The knight pursues his quest.

Rest day, and please Thibaut don't play soccer or your quad will hurt sometime next week...

 

[RedheadDane]

A few years ago, the fact that he finished the cobble stage with the main group of favourite would have been a cause for celebration. Now, I found myself wondering why he didn't just shed loads of time. Of course, it probably wouldn't have made a difference if he'd been half an hour behind on PdBF, not with Pogacar having set his sights on the stage.

 

[memyselfandI]

So my post in the stage thread

Fake News!

Yes, now as I think about it, maybe you're right about his free role for the breakaways. I was mostly thinking his gc career. And also the fact that Gaudu is thereabouts podium contender in gc game, but lacking support in big mountains endgames. Pinot support role for Gaudu?

 

[ciranda]

tibodino

 

[RedheadDane]

GC rider Pinot is indeed history. In his place has emerged the new stage hunting Pinot.

 

[sir fly]

GC rider Pinot is indeed history. In his place has emerged the new stage hunting Pinot.

What does it make of your soft spot?

 

[RedheadDane]

What does it make of your soft spot?

Absolutely nothing!

 

[sir fly]

Absolutely nothing!

The spot disappeared?

 

[RedheadDane]

The spot disappeared?

Nope. Still there.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Looks like the flatter parcours is still killing him today.
Duchesne is clearly better at multitasking.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1546555743259721728

View: https://twitter.com/GroupamaFDJ/status/1546555743259721728

 

[Tonton]

Yes, now as I think about it, maybe you're right about his free role for the breakaways. I was mostly thinking his gc career. And also the fact that Gaudu is thereabouts podium contender in gc game, but lacking support in big mountains endgames. Pinot support role for Gaudu?

That was my fear. The team narrative, echoed by Pinot and Gaudu in June was that after Pog and Rog, there is a podium spot up for grabs. Then GFC officially set a podium finish as a major objective. At some point, Thibaut said "non", went to the media , saying that he didn't feel capable of, once again, carrying the weight of a nation.

He was ready to dom for Gaudu, given a chance or two to pull a De Gendt, maybe get the KOM. And he forced Madiot's hand. And truth be told, there is no need to get Pinot in a GFC train when history has shown us that being the second best train is useless: ask Movistar. Moreover, putting all your eggs in a podium quest/basket has burnt GFC several times. Gaudu's day off at the Dauphiné probably rang alarm bells.

Let Thibaut fly. Madiot knows that he will deliver. Set him free. There are four diamonds of stages left, a couple of rubies, Il Grandissimo Tibopino can take one. He'll give everything.

And for his GC career: if I know Thibaut Pinot as much as I think I do after 12 years following him, he'll give Il Giro at least one more crack.

 

[RedheadDane]

He was ready to dom for Gaudu, given a chance or two to pull a De Gendt, maybe get the KOM. And he forced Madiot's hand. And truth be told, there is no need to get Pinot in a GFC train when history has shown us that being the second best train is useless: ask Movistar. Moreover, putting all your eggs in a podium quest/basket has burnt GFC several times. Gaudu's day off at the Dauphiné probably rang alarm bells.

I hope that if he is utilised as a domestique for Gaudu, it will be a situation where he (Gaudu) has a chance to climb in the GC, not to prevent him from dropping placings.

 

[RedheadDane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1545823738893049859

 

[Tonton]

Here it is...what I think about Thibaut Pinot's performance in this Tour and my impressions:

I'm disappointed. It was the '15 Tibopino minus the AdH win. As he put it the night before Hautacam, Thibaut was not peaking, felt like he was letting the team down. The next day, the break was doomed. His last shot was on the road to Foix and he didn't go. Before that, Pinot had two real opportunities: close but no cigar...

That wasn't the best Thibaut. The comeback, if we look at '18-'19 levels, is not complete. But Hautacam was encouraging: and what I like most is that Pinot was smart enough not to burn everything in a losing effort and instead give Gaudu a pull when David needed it most. That contribution mattered and in the end of that mythic stage, Thibaut still finished 10th, s.t. as Meintjes and a minute ahead of Quintana, both having so much at stake. Not that bad.

Now what? Ride the first 9 stages of the Vuelta and get one? Focus on the fall in Italy? Both? The FDJ team will leave the Tour with some swag. The season is not over. And please, now that Gaudu is coming of age, send Tibopino to Italy next spring.