Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[Tonton]

So what? A Vuelta stage, two if GFC has a very bad TTT. I can't wait to see his guts all over the place. Thibaut can do it. And II want a good Italian campaign after that. Yes .

 

[RedheadDane]

I do find it a bit funny that Feltet.dk is referring to it as his "race comeback", because he hasn't raced since the Tour. That can be said about several riders...
Meanwhile, he was away from racing for several months last year.

 

[RedheadDane]

Sorry for the depressive post, but I think this was his last-ever GT stage win:

Seems like such a long time ago, now.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Sorry for the depressive post, but I think this was his last-ever GT stage win:

Seems like such a long time ago, now.

I don't think so. He'll also have chances next year. It's not like he hasn't been in good form at some points during this season.

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't think so. He'll also have chances next year. It's not like he hasn't been in good form at some points during this season.

I hope you're right. The Giro next year would be great, maybe even trying for GC. The tactic of "Don't deliberately lose time, but don't sweat it if he does."

BTW, I'm starting to think that if things had turned out differently three years ago, and he had won the Tour, then he would probably have done much like what Vingegaard is doing; disappeared from public. He would probably have disappeared even earlier, as there wouldn't have been a big "Return to his homecountry" celebration.

 

[Bolder]

I don't think so. He'll also have chances next year. It's not like he hasn't been in good form at some points during this season.

He can absolutely win another GT stage. Can he ever be a GC contender again? It doesn't look like it, honestly. As much as I like Tibo, I think his peak is in the rear-view mirror...the back injury took away 2.5 of what should have been his prime years.

 

[Pinot's goat]

The final week of La Vuelta is by far the most consistent he has been since the injury issues.

 

[RedheadDane]

The final week of La Vuelta is by far the most consistent he has been since the injury issues.

And that's sort of a new thing, isn't it? Him just being sort of... consistenly average in GTs. I mean, to make a quick run-through of his GT career so far (Italics indicates finished GTs):

2012 Tour: Stage win + top 10.
2013 Tour: Slipped out of GC contention, ultimately abandoned.
2013 Vuelta: Top 10.
2014 Tour: Podium + white jersey.
2014 Vuelta: Never really in GC contention, ultimately abandoned.
2015 Tour: Slipped out of GC contention, but won a stage.
2016 Tour: Slipped out of GC contention, ultimately abandoned.
2017 Giro: Stage win + top 10
2017 Tour: Slipped out of GC contention, ultimately abandoned.
2018 Giro: Got sick while looking set for a podium, and had to abandon.
2018 Vuelta: Stage wins + top 10
2019 Tour: Stage win, looked like he could challenge for the podium - perhaps even the win - but then he got injured, and had to abandon.
2020 Tour: Got injured early on, and slipped out of GC contention, destroyed his back by continuing to Paris.
2020 Vuelta: Barely even started before he abandoned
2022 Tour: Never went for GC, tried to win stages, but didn't.
2022 Vuelta: Never went for GC, tried to win stages, but didn't.

 

[Pinot's goat]

And that's sort of a new thing, isn't it? Him just being sort of... consistenly average in GTs. I mean, to make a quick run-through of his GT career so far (Italics indicates finished GTs):

2012 Tour: Stage win + top 10.
2013 Tour: Slipped out of GC contention, ultimately abandoned.
2013 Vuelta: Top 10.
2014 Tour: Podium + white jersey.
2014 Vuelta: Never really in GC contention, ultimately abandoned.
2015 Tour: Slipped out of GC contention, but won a stage.
2016 Tour: Slipped out of GC contention, ultimately abandoned.
2017 Giro: Stage win + top 10
2017 Tour: Slipped out of GC contention, ultimately abandoned.
2018 Giro: Got sick while looking set for a podium, and had to abandon.
2018 Vuelta: Stage wins + top 10
2019 Tour: Stage win, looked like he could challenge for the podium - perhaps even the win - but then he got injured, and had to abandon.
2020 Tour: Got injured early on, and slipped out of GC contention, destroyed his back by continuing to Paris.
2020 Vuelta: Barely even started before he abandoned
2022 Tour: Never went for GC, tried to win stages, but didn't.
2022 Vuelta: Never went for GC, tried to win stages, but didn't.

His legs in the last week were quite good, stronger than he had been in the vast majority of race days this year.

 

[RedheadDane]

His legs in the last week were quite good, stronger than he had been in the vast majority of race days this year.

Yes, but ultimately he didn't have anything to show for it. Just interesting how - up until this year - his GT career seems to have been defined by extreme highs or extreme lows, and in some cases, both in the same race.