Cycling Thibaut Pinot wants to confirm on the Tour de Romandie

Thibaut Pinot is back. After drawing on his mental reserves to win the last stage of the Tour des Alpes, the FDJ cyclist will be at the start of the Tour de Romandie this Tuesday and until Sunday when he intends to continue his momentum.

This 75th edition, more suitable for climbers, will also highlight the outgoing winner Geraint Thomas and the Swiss Marc Hirschi, who will act as the main opponents to the Frenchman.

A champion’s mind

The latter is making his return to Switzerland after six years of scarcity when he won a steep time trial in Sion and finished second overall behind the Colombian Nairo Quintana.

His return to Switzerland coincides with his sporting renaissance after the two struggling seasons that followed his success at the Tourmalet during the 2019 Tour de France, where he seemed so close to triumphing before giving up on injury. On the Tour of the Alps, he had won the last stage alone while the day before he had been beaten in the last meters, while victory was in his arms. One more proof of the Franc-Comtois mentality.

Hirschi, Thomas and Caruso also expected

With one of the most mountainous routes in its history, the Romandie race will begin on Tuesday with a prologue in Lausanne, before two stages for adventurers (La Grande Béroche-Romont on Tuesday and Valbroye-Valbroye on Thursday), separated on Wednesday by a probable finish in sprint at Echallens.

Behind the three main cyclists expected, the recent Italian winner of the Tour of Sicily Damiano Caruso, the Australian Ben O’Connor or the Russian Aleksandr Vlasov will be particularly expected.

With fourteen Swiss at the start, the hopes of finding a successor to Laurent Dufaux – winner in 1998 – will rest mainly on Marc Hirschi, who is gradually regaining his best level after a 2021 season poisoned by discomfort in his right hip.