Tour de France 2019 news – Tearful Thibaut Pinot out of Tour after suffering injury during Stage 19
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Updated 26/07/2019 at 14:05 GMT
Thibaut Pinot’s GC hopes came to a devastating end in the Tour de France after the Groupama-FDJ rider was forced to pull out with an injury during Stage 19.
Thibaut Pinot qui abandonne lors du Tour de France
Image credit: Getty Images
The Frenchman – who was fifth in the GC standings and 1’50” behind compatriot and yellow-jersey holder Julian Alaphilippe – required treatment on his left leg with more than 90km to go on Friday, but he could not last much longer as he tearfully entered a team car and abandoned the Tour.
"Thibaut Pinot in tears," said Rob Hatch on Eurosport's commentary. "This is horrible to watch... Somebody stop the suffering. The highs and the lows of professional sport, the drama of the Tour de France, the camaraderie... and that is it - Thibaut Pinot says goodbye to the Tour de France. In tears.
Heartbroken. He was one of the favourites to win the whole race this morning. It has all ended in a car on a hill in the middle of the Alps.
"He started the day with the best chance in his life to take the yellow jersey to Paris. The man who was supposed to bring it home if Alaphilippe cracked for France."
Sean Kelly added: "It's hard to see that he will have a chance as good as this one. He looked so good in the Pyrenees. We thought he was going to cause a lot of problems but it has all fallen apart. I'm shocked, we didn't expect anything like that."
Pinot initially tried to persevere after a dressing was tended to by a member of his team, but the pain proved too much, with the 29-year-old embracing team-mate Mathieu Ladagnous before dismounting his bike.
Wiggins: The brutality of the Tour
With Bradley Wiggins taking to the bike for Eurosport's coverage, the 2012 Tour de France winner spoke of the moment Pinot's dream of winning the yellow jersey was ended.
"Thibaut Pinot is sat in the passenger seat behind me. It was heart-breaking to watch actually, he’s a lovely kid," said Wiggins.
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'He's in big trouble' - Tour hopeful Pinot receives treatment for knee injury
"His Tour de France has gone from the highs of winning last week on the Col du Tourmalet to sitting in the passenger seat of the team car.
Bad left knee from what I understand, saw him taking that bandage off… but that’s the brutality of the Tour de France: the race has gone on without him, his race is over.
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