Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[Bolder]

A Giro stage win is definitely possible. But he probably won't win it from the break -- anyone who rides with him will force him to work as much as possible to tire him out before the climbs. He needs to pull a Jay Vine raid from the leading group. That said, I believe!

I'm not quite ready to do a post mortem on his career but my snap thought is he should have focused more on classics and less on GC. But I also think he didn't really have a choice on FdJ.

 

[RedheadDane]

I'm not quite ready to do a post mortem on his career but my snap thought is he should have focused more on classics and less on GC. But I also think he didn't really have a choice on FdJ.

Pretty sure it was his own choice to focus on GC.
And I can't help but wonder if his recent(ish) comments about maybe not actually wanting the life of a TdF winner is just after-rationalisation. Sometimes, people deal with disappointment by convincing themselves they never wanted something in the first place.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Him never racing LBL, mainly during the 2015-2019 time frame, is indeed a big blank spot on his career.

 

[Salvarani]

Him never racing LBL, mainly during the 2015-2019 time frame, is indeed a big blank spot on his career.

Yeah... he has never ridden it.

I guess he was very focused on preparing himself for the Giro these years, at least 2017-2018, and the race came at a bad time for him. He was just very focused on the GTs to care much about the classics other than Lombardia at the end of season, that suited him best.

Maybe he felt the climbs were too short and there was too many explosive efforts, that wouldnt suit him. Maybe he felt he had no shot against Valverde and some other guys here. Who knows. Im just speculating on why he has never even taken part in it or wanted to try.

I have no doubt he could have probably been on the podium in this race, if he had tried. He was that good.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Him never racing LBL, mainly during the 2015-2019 time frame, is indeed a big blank spot on his career.

A lot of those Liege were mild and wet as well. It's a shame we didn't see him try, in years like 2018 .

His ideal program most seasons would have been some French races in Feb (marseillaise, besseges, provence, haut var ) + strade + tirreno + trentino + Liege + Giro gc. Then try for stages at tdf or la vuelta and lombardia. I think he would win 2016 giro

 

[Panda Claws]

Before there was Tadej Pogacar, there was Thibaut Pinot.

 

[Mayomaniac]

A lot of those Liege were mild and wet as well. It's a shame we didn't see him try, in years like 2018 .

His ideal program most seasons would have been some French races in Feb (marseillaise, besseges, provence, haut var ) + strade + tirreno + trentino + Liege + Giro gc. Then try for stages at tdf or la vuelta and lombardia. I think he would win 2016 giro

Sometimes the team had him do both PV or Catalunya and Romandie during his Tour centric seasons, but no Ardennes classics (2015 &2016). That makes no sense to me, since he already raced around 5 stage races before Romandie in his usual Tour seasons. How can you get a Lombardia podium in 2015 and later win Lombardia in that way (by attacking with Nibali on the freaking muro and dropping everyone else before dropping Nibali himself on the Civiglio) and not think about trying LBL afterwards?

 

[Bolder]

Pretty sure it was his own choice to focus on GC.
And I can't help but wonder if his recent(ish) comments about maybe not actually wanting the life of a TdF winner is just after-rationalisation. Sometimes, people deal with disappointment by convincing themselves they never wanted something in the first place.

Indeed, that’s another likely scenario. What rider doesn’t dream of winning the Tour? But maybe he wasn’t offered much of a choice and just assumed Madiot knew what was best…I’m sure there’s an interesting dynamic between the two after 15 seasons.

 

[RedheadDane]

What rider doesn’t dream of winning the Tour?

Demare, probably.

 

[tobydawq]

Before there was Tadej Pogacar, there was Thibaut Pinot.

Then came Tom Pidcock.

What's up with those initials?

 

[Tonton]

L' Equipe had an article today about "the champion who didn't want to be a star". And on that subject, in context, Thibaut grew up wanting to win Le Tour. And also win ten straight GDL, and Sormano becomes Il Muro di Pinot forever. Deity level...

It won't happen, but what matters most to Thibaut Pinot is life, family, a few but good friends; cycling has given him the means to his end. He could have gone to Ineos and won a GT. We knew it, he knew it. He didn't do it.

There is work to do now...Il Giro. Thibaut is reluctant to lose time on purpose, and after all if you are 10th after stage 18 you can podium in the end.

What will happen? I don't know but I'll be watching.

 

[RedheadDane]

And on that subject, in context, Thibaut grew up wanting to win Le Tour. And also win ten straight GDL, and Sormano becomes Il Muro di Pinot forever. Deity level...

TBF, I guess lots of kids have crazy dreams.
Found the article, and while I couldn't read all of it - paywall - I did catch a bit about having done an interview when he was 7, is that when he made the comment about wanting to win 10 straight GDL?

 

[Tonton]

TBF, I guess lots of kids have crazy dreams. Found the article, and while I couldn't read all of it - paywall - I did catch a bit about having done an interview when he was 7, is that when he made the comment about wanting to win 10 straight GDL?

It was an attempt at a metaphor on my part: Thibaut Pinot always wanted and he still wants to win every bike race he enters. It tickles at the start. You don't get to be in the 1% of the 1% of the 1% if you don't harbor that fire. My statement wasn't directed at anyone of course, it was me being Mr. Obvious and we saw it again just days ago. The fire is still there...

L'Equipe described the video of a 7 year-old rolling his eyes (the link is somewhere in the thread, I posted it a few years back, and that look hasn't changed.) Little Thibaut is asked who his favorite rider is: Virenque was the answer. Maybe we should rename the thread .

PS: Pro Wins: Pinot 33 Virenque 21. Monuments: Pinot 1 Virenque 0, GT Stages: Virenque 8 Pinot 6. Best GT result Giro-Tour-Vuelta: Pinot 4-3-6. Virenque 14-2-5.

 

[RedheadDane]

It was an attempt at a metaphor on my part: Thibaut Pinot always wanted and he still wants to win every bike race he enters. It tickles at the start. You don't get to be in the 1% of the 1% of the 1% if you don't harbor that fire. My statement wasn't directed at anyone of course, it was me being Mr. Obvious and we saw it again just days ago. The fire is still there...

I could just easily imagine some 7-year-old kid being all "I'm gonna win the Tour, and I'm gonna win Lombardia 10 times, and I'm gonna do the thing!"
20+ years later: "Did not do the thing..."

 

[tobydawq]

I could just easily imagine some 7-year-old kid being all "I'm gonna win the Tour, and I'm gonna win Lombardia 10 times, and I'm gonna do the thing!"
20+ years later: "Did not do the thing..."

Like Niklas Larsen's cycling dream when he was young. Winning the Tour 9 times, just to beat Armstrong by a healty margin.

 

[staubsauger]

It was an attempt at a metaphor on my part: Thibaut Pinot always wanted and he still wants to win every bike race he enters. It tickles at the start. You don't get to be in the 1% of the 1% of the 1% if you don't harbor that fire. My statement wasn't directed at anyone of course, it was me being Mr. Obvious and we saw it again just days ago. The fire is still there...

L'Equipe described the video of a 7 year-old rolling his eyes (the link is somewhere in the thread, I posted it a few years back, and that look hasn't changed.) Little Thibaut is asked who his favorite rider is: Virenque was the answer. Maybe we should rename the thread .

PS: Pro Wins: Pinot 33 Virenque 21. Monuments: Pinot 1 Virenque 0, GT Stages: Virenque 8 Pinot 6. Best GT result Giro-Tour-Vuelta: Pinot 4-3-6. Virenque 14-2-5.

It was an interview when he attended the 1997 Tour de France wasn't it? You posted it either last year or 21. Not too long ago as I still remember it.

 

[dercuforever]

Such a pleasure to watch Pinot race this Giro without any complex or pressure.
He is confident in the fact that he did not make more efforts by chasing some KOM points. Hence it becomes the truth.
He did not fall on a wet descent.
He did not lose time in that hectic finish either.

Remco will be disminished, Roglic and Geraint will probably find a way to crash again.
Ineos and UAE will drill the mountain with their train most likely, perfect for Pinot to sit there until last Km.
His punch is better than Almeida and probably than Tao.

The hype is growing in me. May the gods of cycling protect him for once.

 

[Tonton]

I expected a 23' finish in the opening ITT and I was only 1" off (true), The subsequent 19" loss was a bummer and today he dodged bullets that would often have hit before like in Nice in '20 and shattered his dreams. All in all,today, Thibaut is OK.

His declared objective was "one stage, any stage" a few months ago. A few days ago, Pinot stated that he was going for the GC, making the argument that you have 2+15 and it's true; the field is not very deep and some of the strong riders will be end-up being doms for others.

KOM? Not a goal according to Il Grandissimo Tibopino. Really? You can't do much better than being on the podium every day for a farewell tour.

Many stages have a profile that can help him keep the jersey: tomorrow's first climb is early. He was second on Gran Sasso last time around, and why not a mythic win?

Stages 13, 14, and 15 have early climbs with good points. And on Rest day #2, I can imagine GFC and Thibaut having to make a choice between KOM and an 8th place in the final GC or no KOM and a 4th or 5th place. A podium is unlikely unless Remco and/or Primoz are hurt. I don't wish that.

To keep the jersey, it would take an 80-100 pt lead if Roglic and Evenepoel go at each other on stage 19 and destroy the field on stage 20. Stage win, KOM, GC, give me one.

 

[Pinot's goat]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1657766984178606080

View: https://twitter.com/GroupamaFDJ/status/1657766984178606080?cxt=HHwWgICxxb6SyYEuAAAA


He is ill unfortunately. Good news is that he has been ill for a few days so with the easy days to come, hopefully he can recover. Makes his performances the last couple of days look ok.

 

[Tonton]

Hot, cold, hot cold, chamomile tonight, and as long as Thibaut doesn't play soccer tomorrow without a proper warm-up, he''ll be good to go.

At 5+ minutes down, I feel that taking the break on the way to Crans-Montana is the next logical step: many KOM points along the way, a stage win from the break is possible and if the break sticks and he doesn't win, he can regain a little time. After the Croix if the gap isn't that big, easy downhill, regroup, and stay with the GC guys.

L'Equipe is overreacting: a podium is a possibility only if all stars align and they don't, they won't. Trust me: I want to believe it.

Chamomile tonight and tomorrow, and no soccer. Give a shot at stage 13 and the KOM points. Then we'll see.

The race is long but at some point, going for the KOM has to be considered seriously. Stage 13? The question mark is what Ineos and JV will do: Remco looks good but not Eddy Merckx good. They know now...

 

[Mayomaniac]

Honestly, I actually consider making a "hot goat summer" flag for him for the Tre Cime stage. If not, I'll write it on the road or the walls next to it up to the Tre Cime.

 

[Jagartrott]

I have him on a podium spot in a Giro poll, so he still has some work to do.

 

[RedheadDane]

Honestly, I actually consider making a "hot goat summer" flag for him for the Tre Cime stage. If not, I'll write it on the road or the walls next to it up to the Tre Cime.

Do it!

 

[Mayomaniac]

Do it!

I kinda have to look if I can make it that day, since it's a normal week day and not on the weekend.

 

[Tonton]

I kinda have to look if I can make it that day, since it's a normal week day and not on the weekend.

You can do anything...like the song, "ain't no mountain high enough".