Having finished second in the queen stage and lost a bit of time in the time trial, Thibaut Pinot finished the Bayern Rundfahrt in 5th overall. His FDJ team is pleased with the outcome as the Frenchman is in a preparation phase ahead of the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France.

This week Thibaut Pinot returned to competition after a short break and everything suggests that he is on track for a good showing in the Tour de Suisse and the Tour de France. In the queen stage he finished second behind Mathias Frank and he limited his losses well in the time trial.

After getting safely through the final sprint stage, he finished in fifth overall, making sports director Yvon Madiot pleased with the outcome.

"Our FDJ rider saw the sprint close up and they told me that it was very dangerous," Madiot said. "[Stage winner] Sam Bennett has interested me for a few season but his knee problems prevented him from showing us his potential.

"In this stage and the entire race, Thibaut and his team remained focused. Early on there were two small climbs that caused splits in the peloton but in both cases all our riders were in the first group.

"I think everyone is well and has the right mindset. This team forms a good group. They are all focused on defending their leader. This morning, since we did not have much hope for this stage, I suggested them to join the break but they preferred to stay with Thibaut.

"A fifth place is not bad at all. Thibaut was good and is not yet in top form but he has a good moral. He will take it easy for two or three days before doing a hard session before the Tour de Suisse. Regarding Arthur Vichot and Kenny Elissonde, I can say they will be good at the Critérium du Dauphiné. "