Pinot: ‘First I have to win Nationals’ before deciding about delaying retirement

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ)
Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) (Image credit: Getty)

France’s Thibaut Pinot has said that “first I have to win the Nationals” before he makes a decision on whether that means he will push back his retirement date by six months as a result.

Earlier this year, Pinot, 33, had announced that he would retire from racing at the end of this season, but back in the spring the Groupama-FDJ pro also told French radio that “the only chance that I would continue would be if I became national champion. To spend a year as French champion has always been a dream for me.”

Alasdair Fotheringham

Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The IndependentThe GuardianProCycling, The Express and Reuters.