France’s Thibaut Pinot has said that “first I have to win the Nationals” before he makes a decision on whether that means he will push back his retirement date by six months as a result.
Earlier this year, Pinot, 33, had announced that he would retire from racing at the end of this season, but back in the spring the Groupama-FDJ pro also told French radio that “the only chance that I would continue would be if I became national champion. To spend a year as French champion has always been a dream for me.”
However, Pinot partly rowed back on that comment earlier this week, telling news agency AFP that “I was joking when I said that,” but also adding, “even so, it could make me think. But in any case we’re not there, first you have to win.”
Discussing his current race program, Pinot said he is heading to the French National Championships road race with “a sole aim. To win. That said, there will be a race strategy for our team, and the important thing is for the squad to bring the title home. We’ll be one of the strongest sides.”
Asked if the 2023 Nationals circuit at Cassel in northern France suited him, Pinot said “yes, because it’s a very tough one. If it had been just 200 kilometres and then a final climb, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“But when it’s got 4,000 metres of vertical climbing, it’s made for a different kind of puncheur. It’s more about resistance. And when you come out of a Grand Tour like me, having just done the Giro, you always have that sort of distance in your legs. That’s maybe the small advantage I’ll have.”
While Pinot was cautious about saying whether a victory would finally signify a delay on his retirement of six months, as originally promised, he had no doubts about how he felt about his upcoming participation in the Tour de France.
“For my last season, I’d have regretted not being able to go. I want to enjoy it, and look on it as a party, but at the same time, give the best of myself and hope to have legs as good as I had at the end of the Giro. I could have some nice surprises before we reach Paris.”
Gino Mäder: 'I was deeply shocked'
In a separate part of a wide-ranging interview, Pinot said he had been seriously affected by the death of Gino Mäder last week in the Tour de Suisse.
“I was really shocked,” he told AFP, “I was out training when I heard the news and it was really hard to complete my ride.
"We’d often cross paths at races and I liked him a great deal.”
Pinot explained that he and Mäder - like Pinot a hugely gifted climber - were both fond of sitting at the back of the bunch and would talk there a great deal, but were also together in a break on the second last day of the Vuelta a España last year.
“After the accident, I thought about it on almost every descent when I was training. But I wasn’t even at the Tour de Suisse. For those who were there it must have been even tougher.”
“I’m a rider who takes a few less risks, because I’m really aware of the danger. People often say you have to disconnect your brain when you’re on the bike and I have a lot of issues with that idea. We’re taking part in a dangerous sport.”
