Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[Red Rick]

Bardet’s 2018 season was his best, and that was right after the infamous Marseille ITT.

I wouldn’t put too much worry after what was an ok-ish performance. Remember he fell yesterday.

How was it best other than the 2nd place at the WCRR?

 

[Alexandre B.]

How was it best other than the 2nd place at the WCRR?

2nd in Strade Bianche, 3rd in Liège, 3rd in Dauphiné, (2nd at the Worlds).

He had that one bad day in the Tour but he was also strong there. The competition was just stronger.

 

[Red Rick]

2nd in Strade Bianche, 3rd in Liège, 3rd in Dauphiné, (2nd at the Worlds).

He had that one bad day in the Tour but he was also strong there. The competition was just stronger.

Fair enough.

I do think he should focus more on one day races and he's way overperformed in by getting 2nd and 3rd in the Tour.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Fair enough.

I do think he should focus more on one day races and he's way overperformed in by getting 2nd and 3rd in the Tour.

I agree with this, but so should Pinot in my opinion. For some reason Pinot just can't seem to get it quite right either in Grand Tours or week long stage races. He's a great climber when he has one of his good days, and he showed in 2018 that one-day races are were he really shines.

 

[Red Rick]

I agree with this, but so should Pinot in my opinion. For some reason Pinot just can't seem to get it quite right either in Grand Tours or week long stage races. He's a great climber when he has one of his good days, and he showed in 2018 that one-day races are were he really shines.

For me the difference is that Bardet can't really seem to make the difference in the mountains when he's good either. So most of his weakness is time trial terror and just not being good enough uphill. Pinot has his inconsistencies, but his biggest woes have been freak illnesses and injuries. But on his best days, he's great and he can actually make the difference.

Overall, I think a problem for guys like this is actually the calendar. Even if you'd love to focus on one day races, there's just not many at all for a great climber without much of a sprint, and I have long wanted to see more mountainious one day races, especially after the Tour.

 

[RedheadDane]

And I suppose at the end of the day, if GTs are what Pinot enjoys doing - despite the pain - then that's what he should do.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

And I suppose at the end of the day, if GTs are what Pinot enjoys doing - despite the pain - then that's what he should do.

Sure, nothing is preventing him from riding GT's, and who knows, if he finally gets it right, he might content for a podium again at some point. All I'm saying is that I think he should focus more on one-day races. Heck, he hasn't even ever done the Ardennes, has he?

 

[Red Rick]

Sure, nothing is preventing him from riding GT's, and who knows, if he finally gets it right, he might content for a podium again at some point. All I'm saying is that I think he should focus more on one-day races. Heck, he hasn't even ever done the Ardennes, has he?

He hasn't. But the Ardennes don't exactly warrant skipping a GT. Instead they're probably a good replacement for either Romandie or Pais Vasco. It's just the way the calendar is. GTs don't really have an alternative, and there's not much else for a climber to do.

It bothers me that many of the 'new' races are these shortish stage races that usually come down to a few sprints and a weak MTF.

 

[RedheadDane]

He was supposed to have done them this year, wasn't he? But of course supposed to has gone rather haywire this season.
Of course, I suppose he can still do them, as they overlap with the Giro, which is the GT he's not gonna do.

 

[Simurgh]

Decent showing yesterday. He still has some way to go and perhaps a bit more than expected because of that root canal treatment, but that might turn out a blessing in disguise. What's the startlist for Dauphine?

 

[Hugo Koblet]

He hasn't. But the Ardennes don't exactly warrant skipping a GT. Instead they're probably a good replacement for either Romandie or Pais Vasco. It's just the way the calendar is. GTs don't really have an alternative, and there's not much else for a climber to do.

It bothers me that many of the 'new' races are these shortish stage races that usually come down to a few sprints and a weak MTF.

Why should focusing on the Ardennes, for instance, make him skip the Tour? I meant, like you're saying, that he should just skip Romandie/Pais Vasco/whatever stage race he's doing, and go for some one-day races instead, as he's doing much better in those. He has exactly 2 podiums in one week WT-stage races in 32 tries. But it's like he's too focused on GT's, which may simply not be for him. I just wished he'd figure that out before it's too late - whether he likes GT's or not

 

[RedheadDane]

I just wished he'd figure that out before it's too late - whether he likes GT's or not

It seems to me like he does like them. He just has awful bad luck with them... yeah... humans can be pretty illogical, huh?

 

[Tonton]

Fourth yesterday, third today...that's progress .

 

[SHAD0W93]

Fourth yesterday, third today...that's progress .

Slow and steady wins the race. As long as he maintains the first places.

 

[Tonton]

Slow and steady wins the race. As long as he maintains the first places.

Tibopino can make 2020 great again . Years ago, I was one of the few who saw something...yes, I was born a short bike ride from his hometown. I'm biased. Always have been, always will be, and you know it. I'm LaFlo and he's my Contador. Pinot is my hometown guy, and as it turns out a good, decent human being, someone I can relate to. Human. Not perfect.

Ups and downs, magic, heartbreaks, the People's Champion is not the winning machine and the most consistent rider there is. But his story is one that Homer, Shakespear, Stendhal or Hugo could have written. His saga is a roller coaster, he makes you sheer, he dares, he fights, and sometimes he fails. He's not a hero, but he tries.

Last year I cried. In the Covid year when we need to celebrate life and justice, a big Pinot win would bring back faith in the most basic values that we share: resiliency, hard work, breaking ceilings, and not see the scum rise to the top again in 2020.

Bernal is the one to beat. Ineos just put us on notice. Jumbo is an elephant. But sometimes the gazelle wins...

 

[Tonton]

...worth mentioning: GC results in 2020 for Thibaut Pinot:
Tour de la Provence - 7th
Tour du Var - 6th
Paris-NIce - 5th
Occitanie - 4th

7-6-5-4...next are:

Dauphiné
Tour de France
Vuelta

I'll take the 3-2-1

 

[Koronin]

...worth mentioning: GC results in 2020 for Thibaut Pinot:
Tour de la Provence - 7th
Tour du Var - 6th
Paris-NIce - 5th
Occitanie - 4th

7-6-5-4...next are:

Dauphiné
Tour de France
Vuelta

I'll take the 3-2-1

LOL, sure why not.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I still think he should race lbl, if he comes out of the Tour with great legs.

 

[Simurgh]

Still going under the radar. Looked decent today, sat at the front until the very end, let INEOS pull the attacks back and just sitting in their wheels instead of following the vicious accelerations. That being said, it would have been a great showing if he could/did, but one shouldn't read in too much into this performance anyway. Would be a great improvement if he could sit with Bernal and Roglic the coming days, but even a minor deficit is fine at this point I guess.

 

[Simurgh]

Very good today! I actually think that if Roglic had waited just a bit before attacking, then Pinot would have been able to hang on. This just shows, that Roglic is still a level above everyone else...but our favorite Frenchman isn't behind by that much. While Roglic looks to be at his very best and perhaps peaking a tad too early, we know that Pinot still has some room for improvement...one may dare hope

 

[bob.a.feet]

Have to say there is no rider in the peloton I admire more than Pinot. People talk so much sh*te about his mental toughness but it's all nonsense. Time and time again he falls and comes back stronger. Setbacks aplenty in his career but they have done nothing to stunt his development. Last year he was on his best ever form and had to watch his Tour hopes evaporate, yet this year he comes back even stronger AGAIN.

Second strongest climber today. He looks great right now and although Roglic is the man to beat, Pinot still has a chance. If he's on form and in contention, this man will give it absolutely everything on La Planche. Who knows? Certainly not me - but I believe.

 

[Red Rick]

Feel like mental weakness became the deal after the descending issues at the 2013 Tour and since then he's basically just been unlucky but fought back every time.

 

[Jspear]

He’s doing good. Stage win and top 5 is what I think he will realistically manage in a 3 week race.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Feel like mental weakness became the deal after the descending issues at the 2013 Tour and since then he's basically just been unlucky but fought back every time.

This and even in 2013 he already bounced back durning the Vuelta. He has bad luck and often fails because of it, but he always manages to bounce back, that"s the appeal of Pinot.

 

[bob.a.feet]

Feel like mental weakness became the deal after the descending issues at the 2013 Tour and since then he's basically just been unlucky but fought back every time.

The descending issue is another great example of him bouncing back actually. He's no Nibali in that regard (though he held him off in Lombardia), but his descending is no longer a significant weakness of his.