After a five-year gap, Thibaut Pinot will make his return to the Giro d’Italia in 2023, the Groupama-FDJ team announced on Friday, while David Gaudu will once again make the podium in the Tour de France his goal next July.
When Pinot last rode the Giro d’Italia back in 2018, it culminated in a heart-breaking finale for the Frenchman. He came within a whisker of making the podium then had to abandon due to a sudden illness after losing 40 minutes on the second last stage.
Gaudu , meanwhile, has seemingly usurped Pinot as the team’s leading Grand Tour general classification rider. The 26-year-old finished fourth in the 2022 Tour de France and has high hopes of going at least one better in 2023.
Pinot said on Friday that his goal of 2023 in the Giro d’Italia will be, at the bare minimum, to repeat his stage win in 2017, captured during his only previous participation in Italy’s Grand Tour, where he also took fourth overall.
In the process, he also hopes to settle some unfinished sporting business that clearly remains close to his heart.
Gaudu wins battle with Quintana to move up to fourth at Tour de France Thibaut Pinot: I’m not at my best but I’m fighting at Tour de France Pinot misses out in Chatel but shows he is ready for Tour de France mountain stages Thibaut Pinot struck in face in feed zone collision with Trek-Segafredo soigneur
"Five years on from my abandon, it’s time I got revenge […]
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