Thibaut Pinot looking to "win against the best" at Giro d'Italia mountains at he leads Groupama-FDJ

Thibaut Pinot has always been a fan of racing in Italy and in 2023 he has confirmed that he will be targeting the Corsa Rosa in a shot to experience the success he's had in the past.

"I will be back on the roads of the Giro d'Italia next May and I am very happy about it," Pinot said in a press release at the Groupama-FDJ presentation today. "Five years after my last participation and my retirement, I must take my revenge on this legendary race." Pinot finished fourth in 2017 winning the final mountain stage, and in 2018 exhaustion saw him implode in the very final mountain stage whilst he was inside the podium. That was a heartbreak, that was followed by a very identical situation in 2019 where an injury saw him pull out of the Tour de France whilst in the fight for the yellow jersey.

"The Giro will be the main objective of my season, with a clear goal: to win against the best, on the pedals, on mountain stages. Overall, it's a mountainous route that awaits us, like in previous years: this difficult Giro d'Italia will probably be the hardest of the three Grand Tours of the year, and therefore the one that will correspond to me the better," he believes.

Pinot has since became a stage hunter, taking wins at the Tour of the Alps and Tour de Suisse this year. That mountain range holds a lot of value for the Frenchman, who will be seeking success on it once again in 2023. "Time is running out and the preparation has already begun, to do the best possible outcome," he concluded.