Pinot on home turf but downplaying Planche des Belles Filles chances
FDJ rider loses time in order ෴to chase stages, but late⭕r in the Tour
La Planche des Belles Filles is a special climb for FDJ's 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Thibaut Pinot. The first summit finish of the 2017 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France is where the Frenchmꦍan learned to ski, but on Wednesday Pinot will be aiming to be the faster ascender rat﷽her than descender.
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168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Pinot: This is why I'm a bike rider
Demare and Pinot headline FDJ's Tour de Fran🐓ce squad
P🐼inot approaches🤪 Tour de France in a different frame of mind
Tour de Fꦿrance:ಌ Demare in pole position for green jersey
Tour de France: Fight for yellow swings back i𝓰nto view at La Planche des Belles Filles
Fourth at the Giro d'I꧅talia in May, Pinot is on stage hunt🅠ing duty this July - abundantly clear from his three-minute time loss on stage 3 into Longwy.
"It was with the eye on the rest of the Tour. I know well enough that I lack the form to ride top-five," Pinot told French media and Cyclingnews at the FDJ team bus in Mon🔯dorf-les-Bains of the time loss.
"I don't fancy a battle to finish eighth overall. That's why I prefer to lose time, so th♛at I can have fun and do great things in the remainder of the Tour."
Although ♕it is Pinot's home climb, the 27-year-old was downplaying his chances despite him placing second to Vincenzo Nibali when the Tour last visited in 2014.
"It's close by my home. I live at the foot, at 10km [Mélisey]🌊. The race passes by my house," Pinot explained.
"I've done the climb since I was a kid. I've probably climbed it abou🔜t 50 times. I know La Planche very well.🌳 It doesn't suit me too much. It's very irregular. The stage is very nice, with the mountain-top finish."
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Pinot, who has won Tour stages in 2010 and 2015, added that he believes theꦕ GC riders will be contesting the stage and therefore he's looking to later into the race for his opportunities.
"The favourites will fight each other, including Froome, who loves to win one of the first mountains stages. For me, the weekend🎀 might be better," he said.
With the Giro still fresh in the memory, Pinot explained that he needs a mountain stage in his legs to regain his 'rhythm' before proclaiming himself🔴 as favourites for a mountain stage win.
"It comes a bit too early after the Giro to hunt theꦚ stage win, I think. I rested a lot and trained, but most of all resting. I'm feeling average. I lack training and rhythm," ꦓhe said.
"Maybe after a week of racing, I'll go better. The stage on Sunday [stage 9] is monstrous. It's the 𒅌first real rendezvous, and a breakaway really stands a chance."
