"Never had such bad legs", Pinot recounts his ordeal

Thibaut Pinot is too handicapped in the back to shine on the Tour.

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'Thibaut Pinot is dragging himself as best he can on the roads of the Tour de France 2020. He managed to reach the Grand Colombier and the second day of rest.

In its current state, it is a lesser evil.

The leader of Groupama-FDJ came back on Monday on this back which makes him suffer and transforms his Great Loop into hell, forcing him to occupy a position in the peloton unworthy of his rank.

“Fighting not to be in the last group,” he said, “is pretty hard.

But you have to deal with it.

"

Rather paddle than give up.

In any case on the Tour, the only race on which he is forbidden to give up as long as his body allows him to advance a minimum.

“It's also out of pride that I don't want to give up.

My goal is to continue, to fight with the legs I have.

Those legs that don't even pedal at half their capacity because of that damn back that's been reduced since the first step.

The rest of his career?

He "may have reacted hot"

Will there still be a return to form by the end of the Tour?

"I only have stockings", regrets Pinot.

“Sometimes I hope it gets better.

I have an autonomy of 30 minutes of maximum effort where I can hold about the best.

But afterwards, I am quickly limited.

“For the stage victory, we will wait until 2021. If he comes.

This is perhaps the only ray of sunshine from this press briefing at the start of the week: the Frenchman wants to be less categorical about the end of his ambitions to come on the most beautiful race in the world.

"I may have reacted hot," he concludes.

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