Almost four months ago to the day, Thibaut Pinot concluded the Tour des Alpes in agony.
Blame it on a painful back since the 1st stage of the Tour de France 2020, he said goodbye to the Giro, to the Olympics, and even considered lowering the curtain of a black season.
Suffice to say that the ease displayed this Tuesday afternoon by the Franche-Comté climber is invaluable.
The leader of Groupama-FDJ had a quiet day for the first stage of the Tour du Limousin, won in the sprint by Christophe Laporte in Sainte-Feyre (Creuse).
A reassuring return to competition, along the 183 km of a tense race that he sometimes even spent at the forefront.
“It was a bit of a brutal recovery, but I expected it.
I did not choose the easiest race, he said at the microphone of La Chaîne L'Équipe.
For a 1st step, I'm happy.
"
To read also "To read that my pains are imaginary, that makes me crazy", enrage Thibaut Pinot
Serene and on the legs, Thibaut Pinot was so good as to roll for several seconds on the grass to grab a few places.
"There is a good little trick missing to play with the best, but it feels good to do that again, to go rubbing and get back to my bearings in the peloton", he added, aware that he must " more kilometers than ten years ago to
get
back on the road ”.
Four months of suffering and doubts
Relief was not faked on the face of the 31-year-old Frenchman, who experienced a convalescence as long as it was tormented.
At the Parisian, he confided at the beginning of the summer that he had thought of saying stop.
“How many times have I gone crazy, alone in my car.
There was even one day, on the Paris ring road, where I burst into tears so I couldn't take it anymore.
So, yes, I thought about it, ”he whispered to us.
Finally !
🤩
-Tour du Limousin
-Tour du Poitou-Charentes
-Classic Grand-Besançon
-Tour du Jura
-Tour du Doubs
It's time for the recovery and it will be 100% French 👀 See you
soon 😘 pic.twitter.com/ dBTWw8tNPF
- PINOT Thibaut (@ThibautPinot) July 30, 2021
While the cadors are currently riding the Vuelta, Thibaut Pinot will spend the next three weeks on the roads of France.
On the program, five races (Tour du Limousin, Tour du Poitou-Charentes, Classic Grand-Besançon, Tour du Jura and Tour du Doubs) and one objective: to shine in the Italian races this fall.
The Tour of Lombardy, scheduled for October 9, trots in a corner of his head.
He won there in 2018.
While waiting for the last challenge of the season, he will have the opportunity to test himself on bigger drops from this Wednesday.
The second stage of the Tour de Limousin will take place from Agonac to Payzac (Dordogne) and will end with a climb of 1.5 km at 5.1% average.
