Thibaut Pinot: Cepeda 'a big thorn my side' in Giro d'Italia mountain heartbreak

Thibaut Pinot chased down by Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost) on stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia
Thibaut Pinot chased down by Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (EF Education-EasyPost) on stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

A hundred metres or so past the finish line at Crans Montana, Thibaut Pinot stood slumped over his handlebars, his face pressed against his forearms and hidden. His Groupama-FDJ soigneur stood by his side in wordless solidarity, reluctant to encroach on the period of mourning at the end of stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia.

The moment called for privacy, but a ring of reporters had already tightened around Pinot. The moment called for silence, but a group of Colombian fans on the other side of the crash barrier was boisterously serenading the day's victor Einer Rubio as he rolled by.

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Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.