Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

[Escarabajo]

He was doing back stretches at the back of the peloton which is slightly worrying.

Something is very wrong here. And I have the gut feeling that is not going get repaired nor is going to get better by staying on the race.

 

[BlueRoads]

Something is very wrong here. And I have the gut feeling that is not going get repaired nor is going to get better by staying on the race.

Agree.

 

[BlueRoads]

This is sad, looks like he can forget the Giro.

Maybe already plan for the Vuelta?

 

[Pinot's goat]

They say he can't push for extended periods and has to take breaks before going hard again which seems to be supported by his strava as he was only 3 seconds slower than Pogacar in the final km.

 

[Tonton]

I'm getting very worried, hope that he is playing games, but that's unlikely knowing him. Finishing the Tour definitely was a bad idea. I'm dying here.

 

[JosefK]

I'm getting very worried, hope that he is playing games, but that's unlikely knowing him. Finishing the Tour definitely was a bad idea. I'm dying here.

It's not looking good, is it? Back issues can become chronic. A tough situation in a sport as relentless as cycling, especially grand-tour cycling.

 

[RedheadDane]

Team appears to have a "Could be worse, but could certainly also be better." view on things:

Benjamin Thomas in the break, Rudy Molard moves up in GC (equipecycliste-groupama-fdj.fr)

Also, this stage was for Thibaut Pinot the most anticipated one in Tirreno-Adriatico, since it could allow him and the team to know more about the evolution of his physical condition. His ranking (34th at 4’58) enabled his sports director Sébastien Joly to take stock of the situation. “There was no miracle,” he said, “but we could expect it. We figured he was going to be in this range, between 30th and 40th place. He’s where we expected him to be. It follows logically with the Classic de l’Ardèche and the Trofeo Laigueglia. Thibaut manages to make efforts, but comes a time when he needs to recover a little before getting back to his pace. His level is stable. It’s not disastrous, but it’s obviously not going the way he would like.”

Though, judging from those articles, it seems like it really never was the plan that he should be the GC guy in T-A.

 

[carolina]

There's a night and day difference between FDJ and Ineos approach if we compare Pinot and Bernal, who both had back issues.

I'm honestly sad about this. The team seems lost about what to do. Why would he be competing if he can't even handle long efforts? It's not like you need a race to find that problem.

I'm not optimistic at all about this year.

 

[Pinot's goat]

Today was surprisingly good.

 

[johnymax]

Yes. Has he become a better TTer than climber nowadays? Although Pinot and the whole FDJ often do very well in the San Benedetto del Tronto ITT, if I remember correctly.

 

[Oldermanish]

It's not looking good, is it? Back issues can become chronic. A tough situation in a sport as relentless as cycling, especially grand-tour cycling.

It's particularly troubling if the foundation for his troubles is due to the position he's had as a developing, younger rider. Some trained-in back defects can't be fixed by surgery easily or at all and I'd suggest Bernal appears to be on that track. Only a long period of rest and physical therapy can straighten some hyper-developed conditions closer to normal. Training a new, appropriate posture which can take years and the pressure is always on results, NOW. It's always the risk when riders get early success and are pushed for results where proper weight training and position development would succeed for a longer career. It's really exciting to see all the new talent but you have to wonder what the risk will be to some of them.

 

[TMJ]

I watched T-A all week and couldn't believe it when I saw his name on the TT finishers.
I didn't even know he was in the race!

 

[RedheadDane]

Yesterday was definitely an encouraging sign. Not only did he have the motivationen to go full-on in the ITT, but also the legs to finish in a decent position.
At least I'm assuming he went full-on.

 

[tobydawq]

Yesterday was definitely an encouraging sign. Not only did he have the motivationen to go full-on in the ITT, but also the legs to finish in a decent position.
At least I'm assuming he went full-on.

He even beat Pozzovivo.

 

[Netserk]

I'm aware that different taxation means that you cannot compare it 1:1, but when did Pinot sign his current contract? Pretty nice wage, on par with Roglič.

Source: https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20210318_97270665 (h/t @velofacts)

 

[Rackham]

I'm aware that different taxation means that you cannot compare it 1:1, but when did Pinot sign his current contract? Pretty nice wage, on par with Roglič.

Source: https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20210318_97270665 (h/t @velofacts)

That list is an horrific example financial mismanagement & teams living in the past. Pogacar, Alaphilippe & van Aert are worth their top 10 salary, whilst the rest? No. And the fact all those other names are ahead of Roglic is pretty shocking tbh.

Ineos must have money growing in their back garden (or a magic well) because Adam Yates is having a laugh on 2 million. And the less said about Froome & Israel, the better. Bardet at 2 million with DSM is also shocking considering his form over the past 24 months.

It used to be said a bike rider was paid based upon his present & future potential... but looking at this list of "big names" without any results for years, it's apparently no longer true.

 

[tobydawq]

It used to be said a bike rider was paid based upon his present & future potential... but looking at this list of "big names" without any results for years, it's apparently no longer true.

When was that ever said?

 

[Rackham]

When was that ever said?

By pretty much everyone with sense in the professional road cycling business for like... decades & decades? But hey, if you want to nitpick & be contrarian for contrarian sake, be my guest.

Overpaying aged former stars who haven't won diddly-squat in years was certainly never the norm.

 

[Bonimenier]

By pretty much everyone with sense in the professional road cycling business for like... decades & decades? But hey, if you want to nitpick & be contrarian for contrarian sake, be my guest.

Overpaying aged former stars who haven't won diddly-squat in years was certainly never the norm.

That's just false. Riders', and in general athletes', salaries were and are based largely on what they accomplished before.

 

[Rackham]

That's just false. Riders', and in general athletes', salaries were and are based largely on what they accomplished before.

And that's just false on your behalf.

What am I even reading? This stuff was common knowledge for a very long time. Cycling isn't (at least wasn't) football. Overpaid stars without results aren't (weren't) the norm in Europe.

 

[BlueRoads]

I suppose both is true: They like to say it's about present and future, because that would be the right way to do it from a sportive side. But then there are sponsors you need and they care about big names, so you spend a lot of money on big names.

Thomas is on a really good wage, but I guess his contract was done after his Tour win?
Wasn't Alaphilippe's contract done before the 19 Tour and the WC title? That's a pretty good contract for a DQS rider, as well.
Crowd favourites are definitely rewarded here, too, so Bardet and Pinot are explainable. Roglic looks a bit "underpaid".

 

[RedheadDane]

Anyway, only 5 old guys out of 20 on that list. So... not that bad.

 

[tobydawq]

And that's just false on your behalf.

What am I even reading? This stuff was common knowledge for a very long time. Cycling isn't (at least wasn't) football. Overpaid stars without results aren't (weren't) the norm in Europe.

No, it's the way it is. Maybe not the way it should be but you're simply not saying the truth.

 

[Netserk]

Riders sell brand value for their sponsors. It's not like the income of teams depend on results very much compared to what sponsors bring. Even if Valverde is dog *** atm, he is obviously still valuable to sponsors.

 

[Breh]

"Cyclists are usually payed two years too late and two years too long."

-José De Cauwer