You hear him coming. The roar of the crowd follows Thibaut Pinot as he passes, so you know the Frenchman is on his way, wherever you are. At the start of stage 20 of the Tour de France in Belfort on Saturday, the roars were almost cacophonous in the arena that was provided by the walls of the Citadelle for the sign-on.
The Groupama-FDJ rider is loved by the fans, fans who were using one of their last opportunities to cheer him before he exits stage left. Pinot is retiring at the end of the year, so stage 20 was the last time that many of the roadside will see him before he heads to his farm, and leaves the public world.
