"My ears were ringing for 48 hours" - Thibaut Pinot's epic climb up the Col du Petit Ballon recalled in new documentary 'Virage Pinot'

The career of one of French cycling's modern icons, Thibaut Pinot, almost had a fairy-tale victory to bring it to a close at his last Tour de France. Although things didn't quite transpire that way, a new documentary reflects on the Groupama-FDJ figurehead's epic climb of the Col du Petit Ballon.

“My ears were ringing for 48 hours,” he remembers in the new documentary, 'Virage Pinot', that drops on Eurosport in France on the 28th of December, looking back upon Pinot's heroic efforts on the 20th stage of the 2023 Tour de France. “There’s so much noise and so many people, you just have the impression that it’s unreal. You can see that I get chills, it transcends me, it nourishes me."

Arriving alone at the foot of the Col du Petit Ballon, the crowds flocked to say goodbye to the man who made French cycling fans dream. Although he was unable to cap off his incredible career with a farewell stage win, the hero's welcome he received ensured that Pinot remains the main talking point whenever people reflect on that stage.