“There are a lot of emotions" - Stage 20 marks Thibaut Pinot's final chance at taking farewell Tour de France victory

For the penultimate time in his career, Thibaut Pinot is set to be at the start line of a Tour de France stage. With the traditional ceremonial ride around Paris to follow, stage 20 is the Frenchman's final chance at taking a farewell stage win.

"On Saturday, the stage is on roads I know by heart, so there's still a lot of motivation,” the much-loved Groupama - FDJ rider told CyclingNews. “There are a lot of emotions, I'm thinking about a lot of things. I think I've come full circle.”

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Groupama-FDJ's sports director Philippe Mauduit also commented, giving Pinot plenty of praise and reasons to be optimistic. “He’s a completely different rider this year," he says. “It’s all about enjoying what he’s doing, it’s all about freedom and enjoying his last year. He wants to achieve it in the right way and that’s what he is doing, actually. Now, he just deserves to have that big victory before he quits cycling…”

Pinot came close to victory at the Giro d'Italia, winning the King of the Mountains classification and finishing in the top 10 of the GC. A stage win eluded him however. “I think we just have to be thankful to life for giving us these emotions. We are just living in the present at the moment," concludes Mauduit. "What are we doing? Where are we? With you? It’s just fantastic to be with him at the moment in the team. He brings so much, and way more than in the last 15 years, because he’s a man now. He’s not just a kid riding his bike and trying to perform.”

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