Thibaut Pinot: What makes me dream is to win a mountain stage at Tour de France

Thibaut Pinot is one of the most loved riders in the peloton, and he is gearing up to head into the Tour de France with a level similar to what he's shown in the past. He's talked about his ambitions going into the race.

However, he also reminded how he has been close to retiring from pro cycling at the same time: “I remember that a year ago, I was living perhaps the most difficult period of my career. I remember May, June 2021, when there were days when I thought a lot about giving up the bike, because I felt that there was no improvement, that we were not moving forward."

With the rise of a new generation which has taken the level in the mountains higher than ever, Pinot has found himself in a hard place, with health issues bringing further difficulties: "I had seen many specialists, I passed many exams and then I saw that I was not advancing, so you ask yourself many questions in which you say to yourself: I may be going to stop, there is no point in continuing."

With that said, he has been clear on his goal for the Tour de France: "What makes me dream, before thinking about a general classification, is to win a mountain stage."

“I rediscovered pleasure because I fought so hard for a year that riding a bike in good condition again is really good,” he said. This year he's taken a win at the Tour of the Alps, and with a strong performance at the Tour de Romandie he's confirmed his return to a very high level. He'll be testing his legs at the Tour de Suisse this coming week, however the big goal lies ahead next month.