Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Mon programme de fin de saison : Tour du Doubs, GP de Wallonie, Koolskamp, Tour du Gévaudan, Milan-Turin, 3 Valle Varesine, Tour de Lombardie.

Has ridden Lombardy since 2011 with the following results: 47, DNF, 12, 14. A top-10 would be a good result to end the season with!

Why not trying a crazy attack? A very unlikely win but very spectacular attack which stays in the minds of the fans is still better than a 10th place, because noone will know who finished 10th in the lombardy 2015 in one or two years.

Speak for yourself, I still have dreams about that Gesink 10th in 2013.

 

[Tonton]

Nice interview on CN:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/q-and-a-with-thibaut-pinot-taking-the-pressure-off-and-looking-forward-to-lombardy

Nice win at the Tour du Gevaudan against a serious field. I hope he has another win in '15.

 

[Metabolol]

I believe Pinot can do some really good results in the future but I'm afraid the Tour will be an anvil around his neck.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

I believe Pinot can do some really good results in the future but I'm afraid the Tour will be an anvil around his neck.

He's basically confirmed what so many here have said.

From the article:
CN: Is that crazy to always talk about the Grande Boucle?

TP: Yes, it is. This is a race I can't skip. I would love racing the Giro and trying to win it instead of the Tour de France, but this option is not possible at the moment. However, I don't complain, this is my job. I want to give my best at the Tour. But this is not everything. I came to the Tour du Gévaudan to enjoy a different atmosphere and show people there is a lot to do in a year. By the way I have had 70 race days so far this season and I'm not on my holidays yet.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

I believe Pinot can do some really good results in the future but I'm afraid the Tour will be an anvil around his neck.

+1, although Madiot should be a little smart, have him ride Giro-Tour, the first one for the GC, so Pinot would come to the TdF with the hype. Then "just" go for a stage and polka dot at the Tour. The sponsor would be happy, everybody would be happy.

 

[yaco]

My selection for Lombardia.

 

[Arredondo]

I don't know with Pinot. I expect a lot from Landa for Lombardia, but not so much from Thibaut. He was decent in 2013, but i can't see him fighting for the top-5.

 

[Simurgh]

Beast's gonna rock Il Lombardia Considering that he said that he would like to do the Giro, I hope does it, since it usually have the weakest field (unfortunately), because he'll be one of the favourites! Perhaps one day, if he moves to a foreign team..but I doubt it

 

[staubsauger]

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

The giro also has 3 iTT's according to the leaked route. The 10k opening iTT and the 40k flattish one will hurt him.

 

[Angliru]

Re:

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

Their French sponsors will want their French gc star at his best at the sport's biggest event, which just so happens to be in France. I think the only hope he has of ever doing the Giro is if he rides for a non-French team.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Isn't Pinot usually quite an accomplished time trialer?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

Isn't Pinot usually quite an accomplished time trialer?

Yes, he's decent.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

Their French sponsors will want their French gc star at his best at the sport's biggest event, which just so happens to be in France. I think the only hope he has of ever doing the Giro is if he rides for a non-French team.

But remember, Rolland did in it 2014 and rode a decently good Tour afterwards. I think its possible if you are just focussing on those 2 races

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

Their French sponsors will want their French gc star at his best at the sport's biggest event, which just so happens to be in France. I think the only hope he has of ever doing the Giro is if he rides for a non-French team.

But remember, Rolland did in it 2014 and rode a decently good Tour afterwards. I think its possible if you are just focussing on those 2 races

Rolland hadn't made the Tour podium at that point (and still hasn't come close). Expectations for Pinot are higher than for Rolland, IMO. To try to do the Giro before the Tour isn't exactly a recipe for success in the Tour gc. Would his team and sponsors want to handicap his performance in France by him having the Giro in his legs?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

Their French sponsors will want their French gc star at his best at the sport's biggest event, which just so happens to be in France. I think the only hope he has of ever doing the Giro is if he rides for a non-French team.

But remember, Rolland did in it 2014 and rode a decently good Tour afterwards. I think its possible if you are just focussing on those 2 races

Rolland hadn't made the Tour podium at that point (and still hasn't come close). Expectations for Pinot are higher than for Rolland, IMO. To try to do the Giro before the Tour isn't exactly a recipe for success in the Tour gc. Would his team and sponsors want to handicap his performance in France by him having the Giro in his legs?

By the same standard, would Europcar want to handicap Rolland's chances of top-10, polka and stage wins? They did. Lets also remember that Pinot choked GC-wise both in 13 and 15 while Contador and Froome chrashed out and thus made the podium possible in 14. I know Pinot generally is conceived to be the better rider and so he definitely is, but Rolland did it successfully and if Pinot really wants it, its doable. Maybe not this season, maybe not next either, but at some point while still in his prime.

If its not up for discussion at any means, there is always the possibility of him forcing himself out of FDJ or being allowed to ride Giro if he ultimately wants to race it. And I dont think Madiot is that stupid to let go off the biggest GC-talent France has produced since Moreau

 

[yaco]

Pinot has more chance of another podium at the Giro or particularly the Vuelta - Surely a second place in the Giro/Vuelta is better than a 7th in the TDF.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

Pinot has more chance of another podium at the Giro or particularly the Vuelta - Surely a second place in the Giro/Vuelta is better than a 7th in the TDF.

Pinot is better than 7th, more like 5th. But yeah, 2/3rd in Giro/Vuelta is more impressive than a top 10 at the Tour, in all countries except France.

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

Their French sponsors will want their French gc star at his best at the sport's biggest event, which just so happens to be in France. I think the only hope he has of ever doing the Giro is if he rides for a non-French team.

But remember, Rolland did in it 2014 and rode a decently good Tour afterwards. I think its possible if you are just focussing on those 2 races

Rolland hadn't made the Tour podium at that point (and still hasn't come close). Expectations for Pinot are higher than for Rolland, IMO. To try to do the Giro before the Tour isn't exactly a recipe for success in the Tour gc. Would his team and sponsors want to handicap his performance in France by him having the Giro in his legs?

By the same standard, would Europcar want to handicap Rolland's chances of top-10, polka and stage wins? They did. Lets also remember that Pinot choked GC-wise both in 13 and 15 while Contador and Froome chrashed out and thus made the podium possible in 14. I know Pinot generally is conceived to be the better rider and so he definitely is, but Rolland did it successfully and if Pinot really wants it, its doable. Maybe not this season, maybe not next either, but at some point while still in his prime.

If its not up for discussion at any means, there is always the possibility of him forcing himself out of FDJ or being allowed to ride Giro if he ultimately wants to race it. And I dont think Madiot is that stupid to let go off the biggest GC-talent France has produced since Moreau

Europcar also has Colnago with them and did their first Giro for years back in 2014 so that might have played a role. Also that Giro obviously suited Pierre are lot. As well they still had Voeckler and the Coq for the Tour.

Bernadeau as well as Lavenu and AG2R seem to be not that singly focused on the Tour like especially FDJ is and has been in the past. Well except when McGee did his gc top 10 back in 2004. They also send Demare and Soupe in was it 2012? But they weren't their absolute number one riders back then. Well, arguably McGee was. AG2R sent Gadret and Dupont as leaders to the Giro in 2011. They signed Pozzo and Betancur as leaders for the Giro in 2013. So if one of the new French gc prospects would realistically go to the Giro, it would be Bardet. But his desire seems to be more to become the new Virenque which ain't bad at all, too.

Things could still change, though. Maybe suddenly one of them (Rolland, Bardet, Pinot) gets the strong vision he can be a dark horse for the Giro podium / overall after the route presentation. It ain't likely to happen, but it ain't totally out of world either.

Fignon won his last gt with the Giro in 1989. Hinault, Anquetil, etc. also raced the Giro. Barguil showed twice at the Vuelta that it can be helpful to look beyond one's own nose. Things have changed sadly enough since the years of the golden guys, but it can change again as the case of Warren shows.

 

[Tonton]

All good points. FDJ is the French lottery, so skipping the Tour is not an option. Having said that, Pinot's contract expires at the end of next season iirc. That should give him leverage. If he sees a course that fits him really well (IMO the '16 Giro doesn't fit - Pinot is better at ITT later in the race), he can probably strong-arm the team/sponsor.

 

[Valv.Piti]

All good points. FDJ is the French lottery, so skipping the Tour is not an option. Having said that, Pinot's contract expires at the end of next season iirc. That should give him leverage. If he sees a course that fits him really well (IMO the '16 Giro doesn't fit - Pinot is better at ITT later in the race), he can probably strong-arm the team/sponsor.

Exactly my point. Say, if he really wants to ride Giro this year, he probably gets to ride the Giro and if he isnt allowed, he leaves. Its that simple since he has the possibility of leaving.

And agree on the route, it doesnt suit him super well and Nibali is going to win that races by minutes

 

[Scarponi]

Re: Re:

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

Their French sponsors will want their French gc star at his best at the sport's biggest event, which just so happens to be in France. I think the only hope he has of ever doing the Giro is if he rides for a non-French team.

Is a grand tour Win worth less to a french sponsor then pinots tour this year?

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

If next years Tour has got enough tt miles Pinot might be able to force a Giro start from Madiot.

Their French sponsors will want their French gc star at his best at the sport's biggest event, which just so happens to be in France. I think the only hope he has of ever doing the Giro is if he rides for a non-French team.

Is a grand tour Win worth less to a french sponsor then pinots tour this year?

I know it doesn't make sense from our standpoint, yet, for the French Lottery, the TdF is everything. This year they even had scratch-off FDJ games . But bluntly, without TdF exposure FDJ has no reason to sponsor a cycling team. On the flip-side, without Pinot there's no FDJ. So I believe there's leverage for Pinot, and the most realistic way for both sides to win is for Pinot to do the Giro and get a podium, the hype kicks in leading to the TdF, and in July he goes for a big stage and/or the KOM.

 

[Alexandre B.]

And in France, there is basically only one road cycling event : the Tour de France.

This year, even Paris-Roubaix has been beaten by a shitty Ligue 1 match on L'Equipe headline. Despite Degenkolb's achievement.

 

[Metabolol]

So one could ask is the TDF actually killing French cycling? Has too many eggs been put in the same basket? Or is it just a symptom of the well drying up?