Thibaut Pinot had to leave the Tour de France because of a viral infection. He lost a lot of time during the first week and e decided to abandon before reaching the Alps. FDJ general manager Marc Madiot hopes to see him at the start of some races at the end of this season and perhaps the Vuelta a Espana.

"It's always important to know what's up. After that you have to let time take its course. Then you get back on your feet physically, in the first instance, and then psychologically – because they're both linked," he told Cyclingnews. "Hopefully that will allow him to recover 100 per cent and have a strong end of the season. We'll be back next year. And there are still big races towards the end of the season – we know he likes the Tour of Lombardy so we'll try and focus on that."

"In life, in a cycling career, there are highs and lows. At the moment we're in a delicate moment, but in general when you hit the bottom you bounce back, and that's the case for all riders, whether they're called Pinot, Dumoulin or whatever. You go through more difficult moments, naturally, when things don't go well, but fortunately human nature knows best and you bounce back quickly", Madiot explained. "I've never had a concern about that. He, too, has had difficult moments in the past, and he was able to bounce back rapidly. So that's the case this time again."