Pinot wins 2019 Tour du Haut Var

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) won the final stage of the Tour du Haut Var to the summit of Mont Faron, securing overall victory in the three-day early-season stage race in the south of France.

Pinot used his climbing skills and power to make a late attack on the steep climb to the finish. He managed to overhaul late attacker Hugh Carthy (EF Education First), go after French rival Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) and then edge clear to win alone. Carthy finished third at four seconds.

Pinot finished second on stage 2 and so gained enough time on Mont Faron to secure overall victory and take a moral boosting victory.

“This was perfect after the events of the first day,” Pinot said, returning to stage 1 when mimosa pollen on a technical descent sparked crashes and he finished behind Sep Vanmarcke (EF Education First) in the sprint.

“We really wanted to go for it and the team rode well. The goal, from the very first day, was to arrive at the foot of Mont Faron in the same time as the best riders, so that everything was decided on the last climb.

“I wanted it so much today, we raced hard but missed out at the recent Tour de la Provence. I had to win today.”

The final 136km stage rolled through the hills of the south of France but the stage was all about the finish on Mont Faron. The climb overlooks the port of Toulon and is famous for decisive stage in the Tour of the Mediterranean and Trek-Segafredo made sure they never gained more than three minutes.

Antomarchi, Burgaudeau, Finetto, Ista, Mauerlet and Ourselin stayed away until the Corps du Garde climb, just 13km from the finish but their lead was down to just 20 seconds as the five-kilometre climb of Mont Faron started.

Antomarchi was the last to be caught with three kilometres to go as rode hard to set-up Pinot. Stage 2 winner Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) was dropped at two to go, offering Pinot a double objective.

Seven riders remained up front after the steepest sections of the climb: Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie), Pinot, Kilian Frankiny (Groupama-FDJ), Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R La Mondiale), Hugh Carthy (EF Education First) and Nicolas Edet (Cofidis).

Vuillermoz set the pace until Carthy attacked with 800 metres to go and France’s biggest rivals – Pinot and Bardet were the only riders able to go after him. Bardet as strong but Pinot was stronger after a spell at altitude and surged clear to win the 30th race of his career.  

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