Tour de France 2019: Distraught Thibaut Pinot forced to retire with injury during Stage 19

The favourite to become France's first winner of the race since 1985 saw his chances scrapped in heartbreaking fashion

Thibaut Pinot’s remarkable Tour de France ended in pain and tears within touching distance of Paris as the Frenchman was forced to abandon the race with a left leg injury on Friday.

Pinot, who brought excitement to the race in the Pyrenees last week with strong attacks and posted a prestigious stage win at the top of the Tourmalet, hoped to make the most of the last two Alpine stages to close the gap on race leader Julian Alaphilippe.

Two days before the race finishes on the Champs-Elysees, Pinot was 1 minute, 50 seconds behind Alaphilippe heading into Saturday’s Stage 19 to Tignes.

Pinot, who had built his whole season around the Tour, called for medical assistance in the small Montee d’Aussois climb, about 93 kilometers from the finish. The FDJ-Groupama leader had his thigh bandaged by the race doctor but his pedaling did not improve as he struggled at the back of the pack, with tears running down his face.

The 29-year-old Pinot then stopped on the side of the road and had the bandage removed by a team assistant. He rode for a few extra kilometers before calling it quits, tearfully resting across the shoulders of a teammate offering support and sympathy.

Pinot then got off his bike and disappeared in distress into a team car.

A third-place finisher at the 2014 Tour, Pinot skipped cycling’s marquee race last year to focus on the Giro d’Italia, where he was also forced to abandon because of pneumonia while fighting for the title.

With Pinot out of the race, French hopes of producing a homegrown Tour winner for the first time in 34 years fully rest upon Alaphilippe.

AP