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Tour of the Alps: Thibaut Pinot does not reassure

2021-04-20T18:42:48.899Z


The Frenchman, still plagued by back pain linked to his fall on the first stage of the Tour de France 2020, appeared to be struggling,


Almost 8 months after his fall in the first stage of the Tour de France 2020, Thibaut Pinot has still not become himself.

Weakened by this mess on the road, transformed into an ice rink, at the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, the Frenchman from Groupama-FDJ still suffers from back pain.

These pains handicap him each time the race accelerates or climbs.

The Franc-Comtois is counting on the Tour des Alpes which takes place this week between Austria and Italy to take stock: “I hope, at the end of the Tour des Alpes, to be eight on a scale of ten in terms of my sensations and feelings.

It will therefore depend entirely on this race, ”he said on Friday.

Philippe Mauduit reacts after the day of Thibaut Pinot, arrived at 12'11 behind the winner Simon Yates ⤵ pic.twitter.com/575IF2JRwk

- Groupama-FDJ Cycling Team (@GroupamaFDJ) April 20, 2021

The Tour des Alpes is the Italian Giro's equivalent of the Critérium du Dauphiné for the Tour de France: it is the preparatory race.

Pinot, which has long since given up competing in the Tour de France 2021, is scheduled for the Giro (May 8 to 30).

But on one condition: that the Tour des Alpes goes well for him.

And for the moment, it is not reassuring.

He arrived 12 minutes after the winner of today's stage

He found himself in difficulty Tuesday in the second stage of the Alpine Tour.

He crossed the line more than twelve minutes behind the winner of the day, the Briton Simon Yates: “Thibaut came to test himself and today, we see that after his cut and his treatment, he is still in pain. », Deplores its sports director, Philippe Mauduit.

The runner therefore does not seem to have tamed all his demons yet. The discomfort and back pain are still there and as long as the ailment is not gone he will be a runner to the trouble. And he's sick of it. “This morning

(Editor's note: Tuesday morning),

we did not have the certainty that everything was going well, but neither the certainty that everything was going wrong.

This is not what we wanted but we are there, and it is like that.

We will discuss it and we will be there on Wednesday to race, ”insists Philippe Mauduit.

"I am scheduled for the Giro, but I will only go if I am 100%," said the rider again last Friday.

If I'm only 95%, I won't go, that's for sure, because the Giro is the most difficult event.

I don't want to relive what I experienced on the Tour and the Vuelta in 2020 there. So, no, I'm not sure I'm doing the Giro yet.

I will take stock after the Tour des Alpes, which is a race lasting only five days.

"

PODCAST.

His goats, his victories, his bad luck ... why Thibaut Pinot is the darling of bicycle fans

Thibaut Pinot has a few hours and three stages left to reassure himself: "I want to have fun in mountain stages," he confirmed on the eve of the start of the Tour des Alpes. My best victory would be to regain my level and not have this damn pain anymore. I realize that the season is passing very quickly, it is mid-April and I am very impatient to get back to my level. I don't ride a bike to be fair in the rankings, as I have been since the last Tour de France. To be at your best would already be a great success. This does not seem to be won yet and it is worrying.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-04-20

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