Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[Tonton]

...well, the answer may be on the Groupama-FDJ website, citing how Tibopino was stressed out at the perspective of a after rest-day ITT like many here including Netserk, remembering his bad performances of last year. Self-fulfilling prophecy. Negative thoughts beforehand (he felt like cr@p all morning), bad start, then I bet the "here we go again" feeling. Pinot's worst enemy can be himself. Demons. So human, maybe too human to dominate a sport which demands a cro-magnon, smash the beast with your mace approach.

Good news, today he was looking good. Being the optimistic fanboy, I could see Thibaut 3rd after the ITT and defending his spot for the next three days, which he was very capable of. But now he has to earn his prize, go get it. The average of the Froomes that we have seen can be beaten. Pozzo could be a different story. Whatever happens happens, but I'm looking forward to it.

Many intrigues, WTF moments, this Giro may have more in stock. The race is not over. We can slice it and dice it all we want, but the design is delivering. Many things will happen down the stretch. Will I like them? I hope so .

 

[Koronin]

Alexandre B, yeah, don't remind me about that 4th. That was a not very good TT by Valverde either.

Tonton, I think you may very well be right about a self fulfilling prophecy with Pinot's not very good ITT. Hopefully he'll attack and try to get back towards that podium spot.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I think that a change of teams would do him good, but I also think that he should start considering changing his focus to something else than Grand Tours. He will never win a Grand Tour and chances are he might never podium one again either. He's simply way too inconsistent, his time trialing is horrible and he's not a good enough climber to take back the lost time. When he has a good day, he's really strong though. Perhaps he should target some more one day-races instead?

 

[Rollthedice]

He needs to go to a non-MPCC team, shed a few kilos whilst improving his TT.

 

[fauniera]

Bad time trial, now a bad climb. Not looking good. Maybe he likes the harder stages better, but then he was very good at the one-climb-stages last year (Blockhaus and Piancavallo).

 

[LaFlorecita]

Tibo is fading, he was much stronger in the first two weeks he must have peaked too early

I wish he'd try again next year with a different build up but he'll focus 100% on the Tour

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

Tibo is fading, he was much stronger in the first two weeks he must have peaked too early

I wish he'd try again next year with a different build up but he'll focus 100% on the Tour

Probably peaked too early in Trentino, he's not the first and surely not the last rider who has won that race only to fade durning the Giro (Pozzo in 2012 for example).

 

[Alexandre B.]

#FreeReichenbach

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Tibo is fading, he was much stronger in the first two weeks he must have peaked too early

I wish he'd try again next year with a different build up but he'll focus 100% on the Tour

Probably peaked too early in Trentino, he's not the first and surely not the last rider who has won that race only to fade durning the Giro (Pozzo in 2012 for example).

Maybe he did that deliberatey though? Tour of the Alps is the biggest stage race win of his career; he might have thought better to go all in for that and at least have something on his palmares, and hope there's enough left for the Giro.

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

Tibo is fading, he was much stronger in the first two weeks he must have peaked too early

I wish he'd try again next year with a different build up but he'll focus 100% on the Tour

Probably peaked too early in Trentino, he's not the first and surely not the last rider who has won that race only to fade durning the Giro (Pozzo in 2012 for example).

 

[movingtarget]

One of those riders that can look very good for two weeks but has trouble with the three weeks which eventually creates issues about which races to target. He looked even better in last year's Giro and couldn't finish it off while a veteran like Pozzo looks like he could podium. He is still young but has to change his prep and maybe his team. Maybe a sports psychologist wouldn't hurt either. He seems to have lost confidence in his TT.

 

[skippo12]

Re:

One of those riders that can look very good for two weeks but has trouble with the three weeks which eventually creates issues about which races to target. He looked even better in last year's Giro and couldn't finish it off while a veteran like Pozzo looks like he could podium. He is still young but has to change his prep and maybe his team. Maybe a sports psychologist wouldn't hurt either. He seems to have lost confidence in his TT.

Last year he was great in the third week. I think only Nibali was marginally stronger on the last mountain stages. He even won a stage.

 

[yaco]

I suspect Pinot was under-cooked so he can perform at the TDF - The vagaries of a French rider who wants to ride in Italy.

 

[DFA123]

Re:

I suspect Pinot was under-cooked so he can perform at the TDF - The vagaries of a French rider who wants to ride in Italy.

Not sure how winning Tour of the Alps on great form, two weeks before he Giro, lends much support to that theory.

 

[Tonton]

This is a ruse: we got them exactly where we want them ...

Two stages to finish strong...

 

[AnatoleNovak]

Pinot's worst enemy can be himself. Demons. So human, maybe too human to dominate a sport which demands a cro-magnon, smash the beast with your mace approach.

Exactly! That's why I like him (and a lot of people don't): he's got the physical gifts of a champion but the mental of an ordinary man. I find it easier to relate to him.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

One of those riders that can look very good for two weeks but has trouble with the three weeks which eventually creates issues about which races to target. He looked even better in last year's Giro and couldn't finish it off while a veteran like Pozzo looks like he could podium. He is still young but has to change his prep and maybe his team. Maybe a sports psychologist wouldn't hurt either. He seems to have lost confidence in his TT.

Last year he was great in the third week. I think only Nibali was marginally stronger on the last mountain stages. He even won a stage.

The TT was miserable.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re: Re:

One of those riders that can look very good for two weeks but has trouble with the three weeks which eventually creates issues about which races to target. He looked even better in last year's Giro and couldn't finish it off while a veteran like Pozzo looks like he could podium. He is still young but has to change his prep and maybe his team. Maybe a sports psychologist wouldn't hurt either. He seems to have lost confidence in his TT.

Last year he was great in the third week. I think only Nibali was marginally stronger on the last mountain stages. He even won a stage.

The TT was miserable.

That's not about form, it's about managing your time before the start in late afternoon.

 

[carton]

Good ride by Pinot. I was wondering why he was working so much but he clearly showed he's the third strongest rider in the race.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

He was looking good today. It made no sense to do anything but follow wheels once Pozzovivo was gone, so clever ride by him. And he even put in a little dig to see if he could put some more time into Lopez.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

I'm pretty happy for him that he might get 3rd. After yesterday, I was starting to fear another 4th/5th place, but I don't see any signs from Lopez, that indicates he can overtake Thibaut in the GC

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

I'm pretty happy for him that he might get 3rd. After yesterday, I was starting to fear another 4th/5th place, but I don't see any signs from Lopez, that indicates he can overtake Thibaut in the GC

I agree.

After Lopez and Carapaz antics today I really hope Pinot will get 3rd.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Carapaz will attack Lopez for white so he knows which wheels to follow.

 

[Bardamu]

Apparently he passed the curse of being the worst descender of the peloton to Reichenbach.

 

[silvergrenade]

I do not understand why he helped Dumo.
Very questionable tactics.
Lost second because of it. Sad.