After two tough years, Thibaut Pinot intends to go up the slope in 2022. Embarrassed for a lot of months by back ache, the emblematic chief of the Groupama-FDJ had already returned to an accurate stage on the finish of final season, and he intends to begin this new train at 100% of his means. With the deal with Tour de Francethe place he’ll share the management of his staff with David Gaudu and Michael storer.
Video – Thibaut Pinot discusses his targets for the 2022 season
“Of course I missed the Tour de France …”
“It’s an important year for me. Last season was complicated, luckily I was able to resume with good feelings in August and September, even if I finished with a lot of fatigue. But here I am. the new season with a lot of desire, I am really motivated. The feelings have returned this week, for the moment I am not physically worried for the rest of the season and I hope to be operational from the month of February “has defined Pinot throughout a digital press convention this Tuesday.
“The ambition is simple, I want to win back races”
Used to profitable nearly each season since 2011, Thibaut Pinot has not raised his arms since his well-known victory on the high of the Tourmalet on the Tour de France 2019. Obviously, his first need is to discover the trail to success. “The ambition is simple, I want to regain races, regain my level after a difficult year. I want to win from February to October as soon as I have the chance”he assured.
“The podium on the Tour, we are all concerned by this objective”
Marc Madiot introduced, the target of the Groupama-FDJ on the Tour de France would be the podium. Thibaut Pinot shall be one of many leaders, however he won’t have all the burden of the race on his shoulders since he can have by his facet David Gaudu and Michael storerdefector from DSM Team. “We are all concerned by this objective. It is an objective that has been posted by the team. We will have a strong team in the mountains and if we are all at our level, there is no reason why we should not. ‘can’t do it. Afterwards, we know how the Tour is, but clearly, collectively, we will have a strength in the mountains that we have rarely had in the team. We are lucky to have three big cards for the general and it will have to be used. If something happens to me, or if something happens to David or to Storer, we know that behind it, there will still be people. It gives freedom and it takes a lot less pressure to share this role “did he declare.
“We are fairly close riders, we are a close-knit team. Egos will be put aside on the Tour de France, we will be there for the team. It’s a good thing for everyone, but for me it is It’s really easier to have several leaders in a team. We will start with less pressure but that does not mean that we will perform less, so for us it is really a good thing to share this role “he added.
“I want to go back to mythical places”
Thibaut Pinot additionally talked about his program earlier than the Big loopa program he used to do a couple of years in the past. “I will do my recovery on the Tour du Haut-Var, then Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour du Jura, the Tour des Alpes, the Tour de Romandie, the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France. It’s a program that I was doing very regularly before 2018, so I’m going back to my basics a bit. I’m very happy to be back in Switzerland, it had been several seasons since I had been there. The Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse are races that I like it. “
But in fact the Tour de France stays his foremost goal, and he hopes to relive these magical moments that solely this race can provide, like when he gained on the Tourmalet or Alpe d’Huez. “I certainly missed the Tour de France. 2020 and 2021 have been two difficult years, and it hurt me not to do the Tour last year. The goal this year is to arrive 100% at the start of the Tour. I have already shown things in the past, I nevertheless won three stages on the Tour, I finished 3rd overall, I played quite high so obviously, we have immediately want to rediscover these sensations and rediscover the joys of a stage victory in the Tour de France. I want to return to mythical places as I was able to do, I miss it and I want to find that again this year “he concluded.