• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

All big names in cycling, and even lesser riders (often for the wrong reasons :rolleyes: ) have a thread on this forum, but I couldn't find one dedicated to this very young rider with (already) three top-10 in GTs, my fellow Franc-Comtois Thibaut Pinot. Obviously the French public is starving for French GT contenders/winners. I like to mess with Netserk's signature, so: is Thibaut Pinot like Rubber Soul, really good and way underrated? He seems to have room for improvement, real talent, and he comes from a place where people work hard and are resilient. What is the ceiling? What do you think of his performances, what he did yesterday, today, and what do you anticipate tomorrow?
 
Jan 24, 2012
1,169
0
0
Visit site
I'd like to see him target the Giro and/or Vuelta, also some short stage races, especially the big 7. I believe it would be a mistake to just target the Tour every single year without getting a few wins beforehand.
 
He is the forgotten rider in this year's Tour. He did well last year but this will be much harder as I can't to see the top four all going out of contention like last year and Nibali was much to good for him in 2014. But he is young and will improve. At his best could make top 5 but will have to beat Valverde and Rodriguez which might be easier than finishing ahead of TJVG and a few others. To make the top 7 this year won't be easy for anyone outside the best four riders. Valverde will be working for Quintana anyway and Rodriguez has seen better days. Talansky is possibly an outside chance as well of making the top 5 as well.
 
I expect him to be good tomorrow, but nothing to crazy. Last year in the Tour de Suisse he was so so and then we all know what he went on to do. I think he'll be better tomorrow than he was at this time last year; but surely he won't be as good as he will once July comes. I think Fuglsang and maybe Majka could beat him tomorrow.

At the Tour it will be interesting to see what he can do. Even if he is better than last year he'll have a hard time podiuming. I do think he'll be the best after the big four.
 
Re:

Sciocco said:
I'd like to see him target the Giro and/or Vuelta, also some short stage races, especially the big 7. I believe it would be a mistake to just target the Tour every single year without getting a few wins beforehand.
He won't have a choice, but you're right. I think he would have podiumed the Giro. Not won it: Bertie was a bit too good for him...yet. But he's so young.
 
Re:

Jspear said:
I expect him to be good tomorrow, but nothing to crazy. Last year in the Tour de Suisse he was so so and then we all know what he went on to do. I think he'll be better tomorrow than he was at this time last year; but surely he won't be as good as he will once July comes. I think Fuglsang and maybe Majka could beat him tomorrow.

At the Tour it will be interesting to see what he can do. Even if he is better than last year he'll have a hard time podiuming. I do think he'll be the best after the big four.
What scares me is that if he or Bardet suck wheels, 5th, 6th is the max that they can do. Unless favorites drop like last year. There will be a guy (or two) taking a chance/breakaway and sneaking into 3rd or 4th place. I love what I see in Switzerland so far and the way he built up. Tomorrow's stage will be interesting indeed. If he goes all out and wins big, the surprise factor in the TdF will be gone. He'll be a marked man. He needs to remain a non-threat to the big 4, so he can put an attack in July that no team will want to pursue at all cost. He needs a breakaway to mitigate the TTT: French teams usually $uck in the TTT.
 
I really hope that he can finish top 5, which is certainly possible, and hopefully hang on to the big 4 on 1-2 mountain stage(s), or take a stage win! Have been rooting for him since 2012, and was so sad to see him fail in the 2013 Tour, but he got over the "trauma" (as he called it) very well.
 
Re: Re:

Hugo Koblet said:
Arredondo said:
Hugo Koblet said:
Arredondo said:
So we have the big six now ;)
Who's the fifth?

You know who i mean. The spanish explosive guy who will finish on the podium :p
Yeah, he might have a decent chance if he collects some bonus seconds in the first part. However, I think he will have to sacrifice himself for Quintana.

Was thinking of that man too :D
 

TRENDING THREADS