Annie, André, Cécile and Pascal (de guache on the right), all come to support Thibaut Pinot at La Planche des Belles Filles.

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T. Gagnepain / 20 Minutes

  • This penultimate stage of the Tour, starting from Lure and with La Planche des Belles Filles as the finish, was to be that of Thibaut Pinot, the local of the stage.

  • The Franc-Comtois supporters were there, even if it was sometimes necessary to look for them.

    But the passage to Mélisey, in the village where Pinot lives, was a beautiful moment.

  • The runner, unlucky from the start,

From our special correspondent at La Planche des Belles Filles,

"You are tall, you are very tall, you are very very tall!

“On the back of their t-shirts, this legendary stroke of blood from Marc Madiot last year at the Tourmalet.

At the front, only one name: Pinot.

For Thibaut, their favorite.

The one they came to support in spite of everything this Saturday at La Planche des Belles Filles.

"Of course we are disappointed that this Tour went like that", regrets André, the famous white fabric on his back.

“From the first week, his work for a season was put down” The fault was a fall on the day of the start in Nice which then largely handicapped the rider.

Until he plunged on the climb to Port de Balès, during the 8th stage.

Dreams flown, back loose, his suite was only suffering.

Jérôme and his support t-shirt for Thibaut Pinot.

With this famous quote from the sports director of Groupama-FDF, Marc Madiot.

- T. Gagnepain / 20 Minutes

"It's courageous to hold on as he did, reacts Jérôme, also come to applaud the Haut-Saônois as a neighbor.

“I was at the movies Thursday to see a documentary on him.

His father was there and said Thibaut would never have made it to the end if it had not been for this step at home.

This penultimate round of the 2020 Grande Boucle which was to be his.

With an almost perfect “Pinot Tour”: departure next to his high school in Lure, passage through his lifelong village, Mélisey, and finally arrival at La Planche des Belles Filles, on his training routes.

"He is only 30 years old, he will have other opportunities"

The poor passage of the local of the stage, pushed back to 30th place and more than two hours overall, changed the situation a little.

Hard to believe that the party couldn't have been even more beautiful.

Yes, there was indeed a real excitement, banners, photos and even a cracked smoke when he passed in his town.

Until the last few meters of the final slope, his name was still painted and repainted on the road ... But the Franc-Comtois was not the only attraction of the day.

At La Planche, you had to look for your supporters in the crowd and many had also come for Alaphilippe and… Roglic.

“I hope he will come back to the Tour,” Jerome continues, lucid about the cascading disillusions experienced by his protégé.

"It seemed like the year or never for him…" An opinion not really shared by Annie.

"He is only 30 years old, he will have other opportunities," believes the supporter, who often meets the cyclist on his training routes.

"Last year, we had even deposited a card at the town hall of Mélisey (where Régis Pinot, the father of is mayor) to thank Thibaut after the Tour he had done", continues next to her André.

“We had the good surprise to later receive an autographed card from him.

We would like to thank him in person.

This Saturday, the runner certainly did not hear them passing a few meters, very close to the finish line.

He was in full swing to complete this 20th stage in just over an hour.

Not so far from the best, for once in this Tour: “It was a bit scary for all those people who strayed at the last moment in Melisey.

It was so good, Pinot recognized afterwards.

I don't know if I will relive such emotions in my career, in any case they are in my head ”.

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