It is perhaps the tricolor cyclist of the last 20 years who has come closest to winning the Tour de France.
Some would even say that Thibaut Pinot deserved at least one.
But at 32, the Groupama-FDJ rider will never taste a triumph on the Grande Boucle.
This Thursday, the climber announced that he would end his professional career at the end of the 2023 season, the year in which he must line up for the Giro next May - "the main objective of his season" as he announced it - and on a last Tour de France.
"2023 will be my last season and I will do everything to finish in style", announced the runner on his Twitter account.
If he did not register his name on the list of winners on the Champs-Élysées, the Frenchman wrote some of the most beautiful pages of the Tour.
Whether it's thanks to his results like his podium in 2014 with a white jersey for best young rider or his victory at Alpe d'Huez in 2015 ahead of Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde or even Christopher Froome.
“A victory that we remember in his career” according to the words on the arrival of the main interested party.
2023, enjoy, give everything to regret nothing.@groupamafdj @groupama @fdj pic.twitter.com/0RqZqjtPvi
— Thibaut PINOT (@ThibautPinot) January 12, 2023
The most beautiful but also the saddest pages like this July 26, 2019. Favorite of the Tour de France after flying over the Pyrenees (winner at the Tourmalet), Pinot is forced to dismount, in tears, during the 19th stage, in the Alps.
A left thigh injury put an end to his yellow jersey dreams.
"It was the longest hours of my career," said the tricolor runner at the time.
The symbol of a cursed story with the Grande Boucle.
In nine editions, Thibaut Pinot has let go four times.
The most beautiful line of his prize list will therefore remain the Tour of Lombardy won in 2018. Barring a last victorious Lap this year…