The French media have been focused on the big duel between the two French talents Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot but the latter doesn't see the Ag2r rider as one of his main rivals for the podium. In fact he is more focused on Alejandro Valverde, Tejay van Garderen and Jean-Christophe Peraud whose better time trial skills make them a bigger threat.

In the last few days, the French public have been talking a lot about their two French climbers Thiabut Pinot and Romain Bardet who are involved in a hard fight for both the white jersey and a spot on the podium in the Tour de France. Having revised his goals upwards, however, Pinot refuses that the Ag2r leader is his biggest threat for a spot in the top 3.

“For me, [Alejandro] Valverde, [Tejay] van Garderen and [Jean-Christophe] Peraud are the most dangerous,” he said on the rest day. “He [Bardet] has a 16-second advantage on me now but there’s a 54km time trial to come and I hope I will be better than him there. The others I’ve named are stronger in the time trial than me.

“We’re the same age, we know each other well. On the bike Romain is a rival but off it he’s still a friend."

Two days ago, Bardet and Peraud tried to attack Pinot on the descent from the Izoard. The FDJ leader suggested that it would be a good idea for the Ag2r duo to keep their eyes on other riders as well.

“I read that their aim on the Izoard was to drop me," he said." They wanted to drop me but not the others, but they really needed to drop Valverde and van Garderen because at the moment, they’re the most likely to finish on the podium .They’re the riders I most want to distance in the Pyrenees.

“My real objective is the podium but I’d be broadly satisfied with a place in the top five. After that, if Bardet is second or third and takes the white jersey, I’d be very happy for him. For me, the podium is a bigger objective than the white jersey.”

Pinot faces another stern test of his descending skills tomorrow when the riders tackle the tricky descent from the Port de Bales in the finale.

“It doesn’t worry me, because the climb of the Port de Balès will do damage before hand, so I hope to be in front at the top and able to take the descent without taking any risks,” he said. “I’m not afraid. The stage to Pla d’Adet will be a bit like the day to La Planche des Belles Filles, the same kind of quite short and quite steep climbs. But I rode well at La Planche des Belles Filles so there’s no stage to come that frightens me. It’s more the prospect of serious heat that I’m worried about.

“Attacking on the Tourmalet [in stage 18] would be a bit suicidal. If you go from distance you’d have to have other guys from GC with you. We’ll see how it goes but I don’t want to take big risks. The best thing would be to have three big days, and take a bit of time – 15 or 30 seconds – on each one, like I did in the Vosges and Alps.”