Orcières-Merlette (France) (AFP)

First reassuring test for Thibaut Pinot: just three days after his fall which had raised fears of a difficult tomorrow, the French climber easily climbed, Tuesday, the first pitfall on the road to his yellow dream during the 4th stage of the Tour de France .

"It was important to be among the group of favorites. I would have been told that yesterday or the day before yesterday, I would have signed immediately", breathed the unfortunate hero of July 2019 after the first arrival at the top of this Tour de France, passed in eighth position.

The final climb to Orcières-Merlette, far from being as terrifying as the Ocana myth she carries with her would like, gave the leader of Groupama-FDJ a few chills on Tuesday morning, who fell on the first day of the 2020 Great Loop.

- "It is going much better" -

"After my crash, I had a lot of back problems and I've been dragging my misery for two days," said the three-time stage winner on the Tour.

Before reassuring: "Today, things are much better".

Arrived at the same time as the winner Primoz Roglic, Thibaut Pinot keeps his ambitions intact.

This is not the case for all general classification hunters: the German Emanuel Buchmann left 9 seconds, the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, Ineos' joker behind Egan Bernal, gave up 28 seconds.

Not to mention the 10 seconds bonus collected by Primoz Roglic.

Not enough to bury their hopes but Wednesday morning, it is better to be in the position of Thibaut Pinot.

"It went rather well, Thibaut arrives in the first group. It's a good day for us", confirmed his teammate Rudy Molard who was able to protect his leader up to 3.5 km from the line before pass the baton to David Gaudu who broke 500 meters further.

It was not yet the David Gaudu who had launched Thibaut Pinot towards his prestigious success at the Tourmalet on the Tour 2019 but the Breton, affected in the sacrum during his fall on the first day, shows a better face.

Much better than his mask of suffering from the start of the 2nd stage in Nice where, quickly left behind, the winner of the Tour de l'Avenir 2016 had "been very, very afraid" of a very early return home.

- "On the right slope" -

"I have less and less pain in the tendon of the knee and David is recovering well too," said Rudy Molard on Tuesday, who went down on Saturday like six of his teammates.

"It's a good sign, we are on the right track," he said.

In any case, on time compared to their plan.

Thibaut Pinot, who wants to be in contact with the favorites until the third week, "when it will be necessary to be offensive", drew the strategy the day before the big start in Nice: "It will be necessary to be present from Sunday (on the 2nd stage won by Julian Alaphilippe, editor's note) then Tuesday (in Orcières-Merlette). "

He is: fourteenth overall, 17 seconds behind Julian Alaphilippe, he only returns 10 to the man who seems to be the man to beat, Primoz Roglic.

"You have to get into the rhythm of the climbs, there is always apprehension among the riders, warned the boss of Groupama-FDJ Marc Madiot on Tuesday morning. We will see what is happening ... Before winning some time, we must avoid wasting it ".

It succeeded.

© 2020 AFP