Will Thibaut Pinot be present at the 2023 edition of the Tour de France (1-23 July)? Nothing is certain. This is in any case the message sent by Marc Madiot this Sunday. The manager of Groupama-FDJ spoke about the possibility of seeing the rider very appreciated by the French public be lined up one last time on the Grande Boucle. And the mystery remains. "I can very well put it on as not put it, indeed, he agreed on RMC. Yes, I will assume until the end." As a reminder, Pinot, 32 years old and present on the Giro, announced the end of his career at the end of the season.
To discover
- Tour de France 2023: the map and ten things to remember about the route
- The general classification of the Tour de France
On the biggest cycling race in the world, Marc Madiot and his team will aim for a place on the podium with David Gaudu, the announced leader. What about the role of Thibaut Pinot? Asked about the prospect of a final farewell tour of his protégé, the emblematic manager revealed the bottom of his thoughts. Without tongue in cheek. "If there's one thing I'm not going to consider, it's this," he said without beating around the bush. I have one goal: to make the best possible team with the best riders possible. If Pinot, or Demare, or another are among those riders who are likely to be extremely effective for the team, then they will be at the start of the Tour de France.
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Eleventh overall in the Giro, Thibaut Pinot could have a role to play in the Tour de France. As a stage hunter and model Gaudu teammate, especially in mountain meetings. "I'm not saying it's easy or enjoyable, but the role of the coach is to make the best team possible," concludes Madiot. The soap opera has only just begun.