Tour de France 2023 – Thibaut Pinot will be present alongside David Gaudu, Arnaud Démare left out

Marc Madiot has decided. And if he invoked the collective interest when RMC questioned him this weekend on the Thibaut Pinot case, it is perhaps not him that the boss of Groupama-FDJ was targeting. In a press release published on Tuesday, the French formation confirmed the presence of five riders on the Tour de France: David Gaudu, Kevin Geniets, Stefan Küng, Thibaut Pinot and Valentin Madouas. Absent from this list, Arnaud Démare will not be in the Grande Boucle despite his marked return to form in recent weeks.

Slipped into the middle of the others, it is the name of Thibaut Pinot that is of interest in this list. Author of an excellent Giro (5th and best climber) although he did not win a stage, the Franc-Comtois had proclaimed his desire to participate in the Tour for what is his last professional season. Since the start of the year, and again for a few days, Madiot had cast doubt: was Groupama-FDJ going to unite around David Gaudu or allow itself the possibility of having a more protean team? The second solution was chosen.

“Our team will be mountain-orientedexplains the general manager. The objective is of course the general classification with David Gaudu. We will also allow ourselves to be offensive with Thibaut Pinot, Valentin Madouas or even Stefan Küng. “Three riders will thus have a few openings to play for stage victories while Groupama-FDJ is a team that wins little at World Tour level (a success this season). Pinot has notably won its bet, that of proving that he had the level to be one of the eight who will participate in the Tour de France while having carte blanche to be offensive, as he had been in 2022.

Starts failed

Raise his arms, Arnaud Démare knows how to do it, especially on the Grande Boucle (2 stages) but the Picard already knows that he will have to, as in 2022, do without the July mass. However, having returned to a completely correct level in recent weeks, the sprinter remains at the dock. “It was a difficult selection to establish, in particular the decision not to retain Arnaud Démareexplains Madiot. I can understand his disappointment. I have affinities with the riders but the interests of the team must come first. It’s a sporting choice.”

Leaving aside his sprinter, the manager of Groupama-FDJ made a clear choice: that of having a team 100% geared towards the mountains, thus being able to help David Gaudu in his quest for a podium in the general classification while aiming for the stage victories, especially if the Breton were to experience a crippling failure. This choice will mark the departure of Arnaud Démare, at the end of his contract, at the end of this 2023 season. The French public will have one last chance to see the idol Thibaut Pinot on the roads of the biggest race in the world. .