Cycling: This great hope who wants to continue the legacy of Pinot

During an interview he gave on the Groupama-FDJ team website, Romain Grégoire, one of the great hopes of French cycling with Lenny Martinez, took stock of his first year at the level WorldTour. And expressed his desire to follow in the footsteps of Thibaut Pinot to honor his legacy.

On the website of the Groupama-FDJ, Romain Grégoireone of the great hopes of French cycling, whose qualities as a puncher could lead him to take over from Julian Alaphilippe at the top level of the world, took stock of his first season at World Tour level: “ I saw that Yvon Madiot hesitated between 6.5 and 7 out of 10 for the team. On a personal level, I would also place myself in these waters. It’s still a successful season because I fulfilled my objectives, and especially my number 1 objective which was to raise my arms. I was even able to do it five times, and win general classifications, which I perhaps did not imagine at the start of the season. I surprised myself from this point of view. […] On the other hand, I know where I can do better: in the WorldTour. I wasn’t where I hoped and I would have liked to be more useful to the team at this level. (…) The Strade Bianche remain the great memory of my year. I said that I hadn’t been where I wanted to be at the WorldTour level, but it’s the exception that proves the rule ».

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“I think Thibaut was an exception in cycling”

The verdict he falls on himself still appears very harsh knowing that for his first season at this level, after a first year with the Continentale de la Groupama-FDJ, Gregory has already won major races, such as the 4 days of Dunkirk or the Tour du Limousin, not to mention his 8th place at the Strade Bianche, one of the peaks of the international season, or his 2nd place during the 11th stage of the Vuelta.

“I will try to follow the words he mentioned on the bus”

In the meantime, the great hope of Groupama-FDJ has clear ideas about the rest of his career, as well as the philosophy he intends to adopt, in line with the legacy offered by Thibaut Pinotas he explained during this interview: “ Will anyone be able to convey the same emotions as Thibaut? Certainly not. I think Thibaut was an exception in cycling, even in sport in general. On the other hand, I will try to follow the words he mentioned on the bus, to remain true, authentic, to try to maintain this family spirit in the team, and we will see where that will take me ».