Thibaut Pinot selected for last ever Tour de France, Arnaud Demare omitted - 'I'm angry and disheartened'

Thibaut Pinot has been selected by the Groupama-FDJ team for his final ever Tour de France – but Arnaud Demare has been overlooked. Pinot, making his 10th appearance at the event, is one of eight riders selected. Ad The 33-year-old Frenchman will be full of confidence after finishing an impressive fifth overall at the Giro d’Italia and taking the King of Mountains classification.

Giro d'Italia'Shake your hand, take your watch!' – Healy’s cheeky attack after handshake26/05/2023 AT 13:06 «I'm very happy to be doing my last Tour de France,» Pinot said. «With the form I was in coming out of the Giro and the form I'm still in a fortnight later, it would have been really frustrating not to be part of this team. »I hope to have the best Tour de France possible and to have the same legs I had in the last week of the Giro.” Jonas Vingegaard warns Tour de France rivals he can get better Highlights: Mattias Skjelmose clinches Stage 3 victory to take overall lead at Tour de Suisse However, there is disappointment for French sprinter Demare, who will miss the Tour for the second consecutive year.

«Our team will be focused on the mountains. The objective is of course the general classification with David Gaudu,» said team manager Marc Madiot. «We'll also allow ourselves to go on the offensive with Thibaut Pinot, Valentin Madouas or Stefan Kung.

Following the omission, Demare told L’Equipe that he would leave Groupama-FDJ when his contract expires at the year's end. »This was the second hard blow," Demare said. «At the Boucles de la Mayenne, [Madiot] announced that it was the end with the Groupama.