"It's a moment that I will remember forever" - Thibaut Pinot moved by the crowds that came to cheer him on his last mountain Tour de France stage

We have just witnessed a moment that will remain engraved in the history of cycling. Rare are the riders who can bring together so many people on the side of the road. In recent years, we have had Wout Van Aert at Leuven, Primoz Roglic at Monte Lussari... and now Thibaut Pinot at Petit Ballon.

Alone, in the lead, carried by the crowd, the Frenchman from Groupama-FDJ did everything to resist the peloton and his fellow breakaway comrades, but finally cracked in the final ascent of the Platzerwasel.

"It was extraordinary, I experienced incredible feeling today," explains Pinot on arrival. "I rode this stage to win it and I think it was the right tactic, but I just lacked a bit of legs to accompany the group that fought for the stage. On the Petit Ballon it was madness, just indescribable. I had the best supporters in the world, I wanted to experience these last emotions," continues the most combative rider of the stage.

"Finishing on the podium on the Tour here is incredible for me. La Route des Crêtes is my favorite. In any case, it's a moment that will remain in my mind forever. All of this goes well beyond the result, it's more than a victory. I'm also happy to finish with such a level and to show that I can be a protagonist in my last Tour de France," concludes very moved Pinot.