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Teams & Riders Thibaut Pinot discussion thread

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It has become abundantly clear through recent interviews, team website, that Thibaut wants one last crack at a GC,and win a stage. The KOM jersey isn't a priority (and to me, it's a mistake, for a goodbye tour you want the podium everyday, get the love. )

Tomorrow is huge then. Tibopino will need to show his bag, its color, and its size....
Frankly, that's the decision the race made for him.

San Bernardo has been canceled as the Cima Coppi. Now Croix de Coeur might be canceled. The anticipated stage for the mountains jersey simply doesn't materialize. He would've gotten 90 points today. Without making it until Crans Montana.

He has been ill also and might be in the shape to just hold onto the favorites rather than attacking & sprinting uphill.

At the Three Merlons it's not a given that a group goes and not the favorites. Even if, Bais has built a solid advantage until then.

Pinot should try to win the Dolomites stage and look were that leads him to at the general classification.

That would actually kinda save the Giro d'Italia like when Perez Cuapio won the Dolomites stage at the 2002 Giro d'Italia or De Gendt triumphed on top of the Stelvio in 2012!

Otherwise I'm 100% your opinion. Winning the mountains jersey is a certain podium spot!
 
Pinot is not too badly placed in GC, now. A couple minutes back. If he was fighting illness in the first week, maybe his form can continue upward down the stretch.
I hope so too but he should have ridden a bit smarter today, both in regard to potentially winning the stage and moving up a little bit on GC.

His many attacks were a bit futile. He was probably the most affected by them at the end and from doing most of the work on the climb.

He would saved a little bit of energy, for future stages, with a more even pace and final push in the last km or so.

Feel like he wanted to do a number on the final climb but underestimated the others.

I hope he gets a win in the third week instead now.
 
Pinot is not too badly placed in GC, now. A couple minutes back. If he was fighting illness in the first week, maybe his form can continue upward down the stretch.

The very first thing Pinot should do is... unretire. Like seriously, what's he doing? He can top 10 any GT & win stages. Someone needs to give this man some 'happy perspective' because he looks so miserable all the time when he's pushing watts most other riders can only dream of.

His ride was crazy strong today on stage 13 but somehow that gets overlooked. We all know he's an emotive rider but he should be pretty happy with his ride & confident he can grab a stage next week. He'll certainly be there or thereabouts.
 
The very first thing Pinot should do is... unretire. Like seriously, what's he doing? He can top 10 any GT & win stages. Someone needs to give this man some 'happy perspective' because he looks so miserable all the time when he's pushing watts most other riders can only dream of.

On one hand, I agree.
On the other, I understand if he wants to retire on his terms, while back at a relatively high level, rather than fade away in obscurity.
This is far better than if he'd given up on returning from his back injury. And apparently the "continue until next summer if he wins the nationals" thing isn't just an idea he got himself, but a bet with some teammates, so if he wins it he can't just change his might; you gotta honour a bet.
 
The very first thing Pinot should do is... unretire. Like seriously, what's he doing? He can top 10 any GT & win stages. Someone needs to give this man some 'happy perspective' because he looks so miserable all the time when he's pushing watts most other riders can only dream of.

His ride was crazy strong today on stage 13 but somehow that gets overlooked. We all know he's an emotive rider but he should be pretty happy with his ride & confident he can grab a stage next week. He'll certainly be there or thereabouts.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31I3L6luTfY
 
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On one hand, I agree.
On the other, I understand if he wants to retire on his terms, while back at a relatively high level, rather than fade away in obscurity.
This is far better than if he'd given up on returning from his back injury. And apparently the "continue until next summer if he wins the nationals" thing isn't just an idea he got himself, but a bet with some teammates, so if he wins it he can't just change his might; you gotta honour a bet.
I think this really is his last hooray. Not in a negative way. But to me it looks like knowing this is his final season Pinot one final time took the determination and the sacrifices necessary to be on this level despite all the setbacks.

It must be taking a toll on him mentally. You kinda saw that today. Frankly I don't think you can repeat that mentally. This pull oneself together against all odds.
 
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So as predicted, Thibaut showed the bag today. The color is KOM blue, and the size is not Nibali big, but quite big. Could this bag be magic and get bigger?

The dude declared post-race that he had been waiting 15 days for this stage and pushed on when his team asked him to wait in the valley. He wanted a win and 7th or 8th in the GC doesn't matter. In the end he spilled his guts to deny Cepeda the win.

Both flat ITTs are gone, he's very much alive. Bondone...

Vai Thibaut!
 
So why didn't he drop time before the stage?
When referring to a 7th or 8th place in the GC, Thibaut was evoking an exchange with his team car, implying that in the valley the DS asked him to save take his foot off the gas, probably by fear that Pinot would be caught and dropped by the GC group in the end. Thibaut disregarded the instructions and went for it, which may indicate that GFC wants the GC to be the main objective and Pinot wants a stage win above all.

Just off the bike, Tibo was a bit harsh towards Cepeda, but that's nothing compared to the expletives that I was throwing at the TV. Defending Carthy's interests is one thing, but that attack from Cepeda with 5 km to go?

If the team wants the GC and Thibaut wants a stage, how about the KOM?

Regardless, it's the best Tibopino since the fall in Nice in '20 and we'll see more of him in this Giro. As a fan, I can't wait until Monte Bondone.
 

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