Thibaut Pinot will tackle the Tour de France once more in 2022
Frenchman aims for podium again eight years after he last achieved the feat, will be joined by David Gaudu and Michael Storer
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Thibaut Pinot will return to the Tour de France for the first time since 2020 this year, with sprinter Arnaud Démare heading to the Giro d'Italia instead.
Groupama-FDJ announced their leaders for the Tour and Giro at a team presentation on Wednesday, where much of the Tour squad was also revealed.
Alongside Pinot, who has won three stages at the Tour and finished third in 2014, will be David Gaudu, Stefan Küng, Valentin Madouas, and new signing Michael Storer.
The Frenchman crashed heavily in the first week of the 2022 race, which aggravated a back injury which has plagued him since. He did not compete in any of the grand tours last year, riding just 38 race days.
In 2019, he looked set to be a strong contender for the overall at the race before he innocuously injured his knee; he was 1:50 behind race leader Julian Alaphilippe with a stage win already in his pocket when he abandoned stage 19. Pinot hopes to be back to his best for this year's race, which begins in Copenhagen on 1 July.
“I want to regain my level and win races," he said. "I want to become the rider again before my fall on the Tour 2020. The Tour de France will be the highlight of my season with this common goal: a podium on the Champs-Élysées."
Pinot will be joined by Gaudu, who finished 11th at the 2021 Tour. The pair will vie for leadership along with Storer, the Australian who joined from DSM over the winter.
Team boss Marc Madiot said: "For the Tour de France, we’re going to go with extremely high ambitions. We want to fight for the podium...
"We’re six months away from the Tour, and it will be the evolution of the riders’ physical condition, along with the circumstances of the race, that will influence things. I can’t say right now who the main leader will be."
On Storer, the Frenchman said: "We’ll see how the race unfolds but, from what we saw of him in the mountains, notably at the Vuelta, he can be taken into consideration."
The Australian won two stages of the Vuelta a España last year and the mountains classification.
"In the first place, the squad is built around David and Thibaut," Madiot continued. "But when you look at the general classification in recent years, ok, Pogačar has won, but when you look at some of the guys below him, how many would you have put on the podium or in the top-five six months beforehand?"
Gaudu has ambitions for finishing higher up the GC this year, with the 25-year old expressing a desire to finish on the podium too.
"I want to transform the top ten into top five, the top five into podiums, and the podiums into victories," he said. "The Tour de France will be the major goal of my season, I’m going with the team to aim for the podium in the general classification."
At the Giro, Démare will aim for sprint victories, which he won four of in 2020 along with the points jersey. He will be joined by Attila Valter, who is aiming to impress again after spending time in the pink jersey last year. The race begins in Budapest, and the Hungarian riders has spoken of his desire to impress on home roads.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Adam is Cycling Weekly’s senior news and feature writer – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing, speaking to people as varied as Demi Vollering to Philippe Gilbert. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.
-
-
Pfeiffer Georgi wins Brugge-De Panne solo after aggressive race splits in crosswinds
Brit claims her first WorldTour win by out-foxing some of the fastest riders in the world
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
Kaden Groves sprints to victory on stage four of the Volta a Catalunya
Australian takes first win for new Alpecin-Deceuninck team ahead of Bryan Coquard
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Crash at Vuelta a Extremadura after spectator moves into road
Spectator was attempting to film the action at Spanish race
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
First glimpse at Netflix's Tour de France documentary shown in teaser trailer
The series, thought to be coming in June, was presented to the audience at the Mobile World Congress on Tuesday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
CW Live: Romain Bardet to lead Team DSM at Tour de France; Mark Cavendish robbery accused 'learning to walk again'; Van der Poel reveals his road racing schedule & Extinction Rebellion plan to target Tour Down Under
All the need to know news in cycling today
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
I don't like it, I love it: Cricket at the Tour de France
Adam Becket recounts one of his oddest days covering cycling - so far
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Denmark dreaming: Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and the country's cycling resurgence
The FDJ rider and her male counterparts, from Jonas Vingegaard to Mads Pedersen, are at the top of the sport
By Adam Becket • Published
-
CW LIVE: Primož Roglič confirmed for Giro d'Italia 2023; Track rider hits 2,271 watts; NCL announces first two teams; Van Aert to ride cyclo-cross Worlds; Sram and Oakley team up with Jumbo-Visma; Rwanda unveils pump track: Evenepoel eyes Pogačar showdown
Join us as we round up the day's cycling news
By Tom Davidson • Last updated
-
'My suitcase is always a bit heavy': The professional cyclists who read on tour
Off the bike, there are some pros who turn pages to relax
By Adam Becket • Published
-
CW Live: Julian Alaphilippe to begin season with Faun-Ardèche Classic; Caleb Ewan confirmed for Milan-San Remo; autopsy confirms impact with truck killed Davide Rebellin; Remco Evenepoel to start 2023 at Vuelta a San Juan and UAE Tour dates confirmed
All the need to know news in cycling on 21 December
By Tom Thewlis • Last updated