This one will have to be digested. Thibaut Pinot did not hide “a big, big disappointment” after finishing second this Friday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, during the 13th stage of the Tour of Italy. Very offensive but too lonely, the Groupama-FDJ climber was surprised by Einer Rubio. The Colombian from Movistar didn’t give up and, more crafty in the final, won with a six-second lead over the Frenchman and 1 minute and 35 seconds over the main favorites who were neutralized.
Pinot had however distanced Rubio several times in the final climb of a shortened stage. The organizers had decided to plan the course by removing in particular the Grand-Saint-Bernard pass because of the bad weather and the general state of disrepair of the peloton, undermined by the Covid-19 and the diseases.
“I don’t calculate my efforts and they only did that,” regretted the future retiree, who will turn 33 on May 29. “It’s often the winner who is right but I’m disappointed, it was a great opportunity. Pinot was especially angry with the third rider in the breakaway, the Ecuadorian Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education), whom he accuses of not having taken “a single relay”.
Blue jersey recovered and return to the Top 10
“I don’t understand how anyone can hope to win this way. I didn’t want Cepeda to win, I would have put my guts not to let him go, “lamented Pinot, who took the blue jersey for best climber and joined the Top 10, in 10th place, 3 minutes and 13 seconds away. of the Geraint Thomas pink jersey.
But it’s a small consolation for this lover of the Giro, who dreams of winning a second stage in this event, after that in 2017 in Asiago, before folding the saplings. Instead, he finished second for the fourth time this season already. He has not raised his arms since his stage victory in the Tour de Suisse in June 2022.
Escaped very early
The Franc-Comtois was however the great animator of the day. But he wasted a lot of strength arguing with Cepeda all the time. The two men did not stop attacking each other and then inveighing against each other, while behind Rubio remained concentrated on his effort, without flinching.
“If I’m not riding, we’re treading water, I hope they’ll at least thank me for having been able to play for the victory”, fumed Pinot, very agitated during the stage and who also resented the rest of the group with which he had escaped from the foot of the Croix-de-Coeur, a few minutes after the start.
I knew I had to force fate in the first pass. I’ve been chomping at the bit for 15 days. I was sick, there I have the legs. With Bruno [Armirail, son équipier] I said: “let’s go, here we go”. I lose the general, it does not matter. Eighth, seventh, I don’t care. I wanted the step. »
To his sports directors, “in the headset I said: ‘leave me alone, I only do what I want. Maybe I do anything, but let me enjoy'”, he added. But it was ultimately Rubio (25) who benefited the most by pocketing the greatest success of his career. Pinot may be able to forget its bitterness in a particularly mountainous third week.