One of the big questions prior to the 2023 Tour de France was around the makeup of the Groupama - FDJ team. Would Thibaut Pinot make the lineup in his final career Tour? If so, would David Gaudu and/or Arnaud Demare be sacrificed? Now, it seems we have the answers.
After his impressive Giro d'Italia, finishing 5th in the general classification and winning the King of the Mountains jersey, Pinot has been granted his shot at one final Tour de France. With Gaudu maintaining his position as the leader of the team and the main general classification hope, Demare misses out on selection at the Tour de France for the second straight year.
"The interest of the team must come first. It's a sporting choice," Marc Madiot, boss of the Groupama-FDJ team explained in a statement. "There are strengths and weaknesses. I assume these choices."
Awkwardly though, it seems Demare was the last to find out about this. "The choice was made a long time ago but they did not have the frankness to tell me before. It's a punch," he tells L'Équipe. "Usually, when I was told that I was not doing the Tour, it was recorded in December, we weren't talking about preparation."
Only time will tell if the correct choices have been made. Let us know your thoughts on the matter.
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