Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[Alexandre B.]

Interview in La Croix: objective at Il Giro: better GC than last year. Worlds, GDL.
Le Parisien: no French Championships...but twitter contradicts this.

Perhaps he'll take part, but not really training and targeting them?
They are inbetween the Giro and the Tour, when he actually needs to rest, not go full gas, if he wants to perform well in July.

Anyway, his participation in the Giro makes the Corsa Rosa more and more interesting. The field of top riders looks quite strong, barring any Froome's ban.

Froome
Dumoulin
Pinot
Chaves

He will not race the Nationals.

 

[huge]

Interview in La Croix: objective at Il Giro: better GC than last year. Worlds, GDL.
Le Parisien: no French Championships...but twitter contradicts this.

Perhaps he'll take part, but not really training and targeting them?
They are inbetween the Giro and the Tour, when he actually needs to rest, not go full gas, if he wants to perform well in July.

Anyway, his participation in the Giro makes the Corsa Rosa more and more interesting. The field of top riders looks quite strong, barring any Froome's ban.

Froome
Dumoulin
Pinot
Chaves

He will not race the Nationals.

Is he allowed to make such a choice?

In Italy the Nationals are compulsory.
Any rider refusing to participate will be temporary banned from the National team.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Interview in La Croix: objective at Il Giro: better GC than last year. Worlds, GDL.
Le Parisien: no French Championships...but twitter contradicts this.

Perhaps he'll take part, but not really training and targeting them?
They are inbetween the Giro and the Tour, when he actually needs to rest, not go full gas, if he wants to perform well in July.

Anyway, his participation in the Giro makes the Corsa Rosa more and more interesting. The field of top riders looks quite strong, barring any Froome's ban.

Froome
Dumoulin
Pinot
Chaves

He will not race the Nationals.

Is he allowed to make such a choice?

In Italy the Nationals are compulsory.
Any rider refusing to participate will be temporary banned from the National team.

He can do whatever he or his team wants.

FDJ will field 20+ riders anyway.

 

[Netserk]

Interview in La Croix: objective at Il Giro: better GC than last year. Worlds, GDL.
Le Parisien: no French Championships...but twitter contradicts this.

Perhaps he'll take part, but not really training and targeting them?
They are inbetween the Giro and the Tour, when he actually needs to rest, not go full gas, if he wants to perform well in July.

Anyway, his participation in the Giro makes the Corsa Rosa more and more interesting. The field of top riders looks quite strong, barring any Froome's ban.

Froome
Dumoulin
Pinot
Chaves

He will not race the Nationals.

Is he allowed to make such a choice?

In Italy the Nationals are compulsory.
Any rider refusing to participate will be temporary banned from the National team.

Afaik, Nibali didn't ride in '16, and he rode the OGRR not long after...

 

[Nirvana]

It's a (nonsense) new rule of last season.
http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/2017/06/05/101923/tricolore-obbligo-di-partecipazione-campionato-italiano

 

[yaco]

Seems like Pinot and FDJ are worried about the first week in the TDF, hence the decision to do the Giro/TDF double.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Seems like Pinot and FDJ are worried about the first week in the TDF, hence the decision to do the Giro/TDF double.

...only one of the reasons, and I agree with Marc Madiot. Not putting all your eggs in this TdF basket makes sense: in '14 the favorites were decimated week 1, and although Tibopino did really well, in '15 he wasn't so lucky. This year, some riders with high GC aspirations will be out of contention comes the first rest day. Even without TP's participation at the nationals, I still don't like the Giro-Tour thing. Fingers crossed...

 

[portugal11]

Re: Re:

Seems like Pinot and FDJ are worried about the first week in the TDF, hence the decision to do the Giro/TDF double.

...only one of the reasons, and I agree with Marc Madiot. Not putting all your eggs in this TdF basket makes sense: in '14 the favorites were decimated week 1, and although Tibopino did really well, in '15 he wasn't so lucky. This year, some riders with high GC aspirations will be out of contention comes the first rest day. Even without TP's participation at the nationals, I still don't like the Giro-Tour thing. Fingers crossed...

c'mon... he wasn't so lucky? he was completly off shape, he dropped and lost a lot of time in the mur du huy stage. did he have bad luck? No!!! just bad legs.

 

[Tonton]

You are something else portugal11 ! Stage 3, Mur de Huy, is when William Bonnet almost dies in this horrific crash, it shook Pinot. Look at his pre-Tour results: he was in great shape. Stage 4, flat on the cobbles, then dead battery. and he found himself at 6'30" in the GC. Then stage 5, crash. I don't under-estimate your cycling knowledge, but on this one, you are wayyyy off. C'mon, man...

 

[portugal11]

You are something else portugal11 ! Stage 3, Mur de Huy, is when William Bonnet almost dies in this horrific crash, it shook Pinot. Look at his pre-Tour results: he was in great shape. Stage 4, flat on the cobbles, then dead battery. and he found himself at 6'30" in the GC. Then stage 5, crash. I don't under-estimate your cycling knowledge, but on this one, you are wayyyy off. C'mon, man...

you are always making excuses for his bad performances... I may agree with you in stage 4 and 5 but never in stage 3... if he was so mentally broken he would have quit the tour after that... and after all the crash was ugly but very far of being deadly...

 

[Chrispol]

Here is a article on Pinot that I always wanted to share, but I lost it, and now find anew !

http://www.liberation.fr/sports/2017/05/07/thibaut-pinot-l-echappee-bele_1567890

Sorry this is in French, I hope that google traduction is pretty accurate.

For those who wants to know more about the man behind the cyclist, this is good stuff, and the anecdotes are funny.

 

[Poursuivant]

I wish he would just swerve the Tour. Go all in for Giro, Vuelta as a secondary target.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

I wish he would just swerve the Tour. Go all in for Giro, Vuelta as a secondary target.

Thibaut is always very strong beginning at the GP La Marseillaise, remains competitive throughout the spring. With a lighter program, he may show up at Il Giro with the form he had at La Ruta last year, or Tirreno, or Romandie '16. I agree he should go all-in at Il Giro. And rest. I hate the Tour proposition, in spite of the extra week in between and skipping the Nationals. It's a gamble, and even if he goes for (and wins) a stage, for many it won't be enough. Anything short of what Barguil did last year would be criticized. Week one is a lottery. But the sponsors want it. Vuelta would make a lot more sense.

With less mileage in his legs, the extra rest week, there's still a chance to get a top-form PInot to be himself and mix it up for the GC. The extra week makes it just about the same as a TdF-Vuelta bid. The only (and it's a major) difference is that the TdF riders will be fresher and spend more time scouting. Mastering the Portet and knowing each meter of the ITT will make a big difference down the stretch for a podium.

 

[yaco]

Will Pinot accept offers from other WT teams ? Move and he can fairly much target the Giro every year.

 

[Nirvana]

Apparently Bahrain wants him as long term replacement for Nibali that will likely focus more and more on the classics toward the end of his career.

 

[yaco]

It's a matter of whether Pinot will accept less dollars or similar dollars - French leader's in French teams are paid extremely well.

 

[staubsauger]

Re:

Apparently Bahrain wants him as long term replacement for Nibali that will likely focus more and more on the classics toward the end of his career.

That sounds not only like a very good solution for both Nibali and Pinot. But for cycling in general!

 

[Chrispol]

Since FDJ got a increase budget with Groupama and that Pinot is not the type of rider who likes change, for me there is almost no chance for this transfert to happen.

 

[Tonton]

Since FDJ got a increase budget with Groupama and that Pinot is not the type of rider who likes change, for me there is almost no chance for this transfert to happen.

I agree with you, although the other posts are making a ton of sense. Thibaut likes his routine, his farm, animals, fishing, he's a free spirit, living the life he wants, How many people can say that? He could have moved 50 km eastwards and saved millions in taxes. He did not.

At first I was a fan because of the hometown thing: I was born in Haute-Saone from Jurassiens, I'm a Comtois and damn proud of it.

But there's more: the crash when he was 15, broken arms, the human part. I can identify. Doubts. Fear. Demons. How refreshing, in the age of the terminators, he's human. He posted his data, no games like others did, that;s transparent, exemplary.

Tibopino doesn't have the Michael Jordan killer instinct, mental strength... some have more I confess. But to be at his level, you are not weak. You dig deep and suffer: like dropping Valverde and Landa, catching Contador and axe-murdering him. Many more.

I'm digressing here. Throwing stuff at portugal11 maybe.

What's not to like about Thibaut Pinot? Really. A good guy. Just wish him the best...please.

I'm turning into LaFlo >

 

[Valv.Piti]

I just read the Madiot-interview on CN. He sounds very optimistic and I agree on every point he made about Thibaut. Fewer race days before the Giro and 2 more weeks before Tour (when you consider he rode the NCs last year) should do him very well, at least he won't be as dead as last year in the Tour. With the WC in mind I think that is a great schedule.

 

[Tonton]

Tibopino just completed the 59km cross country skiing race "La Transjurassienne", 50th in 2h42'. Bravo Tibo!

 

[Netserk]

I didn't know he was spelled with a d.

 

[Simurgh]

Wary about the fact, that he is to do the Giro-Tour double again. Skipping the Tour would have been better imo, but you can't have it all. Hoping for a Giro podium and some victories in the late Italian autumn races, which I have fallen in love with!

 

[staubsauger]

He's mainly doing the Tour for pr reasons to please the teams sponsors. He might try to win a stage, but furthermore Giro d'Italia & the Italian fall classics should be the his main season goals.

 

[Tonton]

Let's party like it's 1987 lads! And the Pinot is Irish .

"17 was Thibaut back on the GT map, in a very convincing fashion, '18 is the crossroad: as his #1 fanboy here, I get to set the expectations .

Three preparation stage races: an early win as a bonus, Trentino (I can't call this TdA) is the first true test. Win or like last year, second and a stage. Build up.

No ifs, no buts, podium at Il Giro. In the predictions thread, I have Tibopino second: I don't want to jinx him. But...

Tour: I hate this, hated it last year. More recup, still...very scary proposition. Week one will be a lottery and luck is fickle: good in '14, bad in '15...I'm happy with a stage, dreaming of a polka-dot in Paris, maybe more.

RRWC: small group for a sprint: Valverde. Pinot to medal?

Late season: one win.

We'll see...