Thibaut Pinot on polka dots after stage 10 at the Tour de France.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) chasing back after a crash with his team(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
France's Thibaut Pinot (L), wearing the best climber's polka dot jersey, shakes hands with Slovakia's Peter Sagan (R), wearing the best sprinter's green jersey as they wait with England's Adam Yates (C), wearing the best young's white jersey prior to the start the 178 km twelvelth stage of the 103rd edition of the Tour de France
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ)
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) has abandoned the Tour de France with bronchitis. The 26-year old finished over 28 minutes down on Thursday's Mont Ventoux stage and was 34th overall. He had worn the polka-dot mountain jersey for three stages before losing it on stage 12.
Pinot first made his mark at the Tour in his debut, at the age of 22. In 2012 he won a stage and finished 10th overall. He made his major move in 2014, when he finished third overall and won the best young rider's jersey.
This year he won the overall title in the Criterium International, including two stages, as well as the French national time trial title. However he lost time on several stages in the opening week and crumbled on the first stage in the Pyrenees.
"With all of the difficulties he's had these past few days, it was becoming difficult for him. He's undergoing tests now. We came to this decision even though we felt it was preferable to stay in the race. He already had the first symptoms of bronchitis at Arcalis in the hailstones and going to the podium ceremony for the polka dot jersey didn't help. Then there was the accumulation of problems on the last stages. It became complicated. When you abandon the Tour, your morale is never very good," Pinot's team manager, Marc Madiot Madiot told L'Équipe.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
