Tour de France: Unchained (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Episode #1.3 - full transcript
Look, look, look! Look who's coming.
I want a selfie.
I want a selfie for my boys.
There he is, our hero.
Not even out of breath. Great job!
Incredible.
Incredible.
Thibaut's a great guy too.
He's not just a cyclist.
- It's our lucky day. Yeah, our lucky day.
- Yeah, we're lucky.
For me,
the Tour is all about France.
When you're French and on a French team,
you know the pressure's
going to be intense.
My goal for the Tour is to win a stage.
The French expect a victory.
But we know the country is behind us
so, naturally, that gives us wings.
Thibaut! Thibaut! Thibaut!
Winning a stage of the Tour
was a real dream for me.
I managed to win three.
Thibaut Pinot!
Come on! You can win, kid!
Thibaut Pinot
claims his second Tour de France win.
Those moments
are engraved in my mind forever.
This will be a win
for Pinot and for Groupama FDJ.
Thibaut! Thibaut!
Come on, man! Yes!
Just thinking
about it gives me chills.
Yes!
Thibaut! Thibaut! Thibaut!
TOUR DE FRANCE: UNCHAINED
THE WEIGHT OF A NATION
Let's go to preview, see what we've got.
Live from the seventh stage
between Tomblaine
and the Super Planche des Belles Filles.
We expect another
great show this afternoon.
It's the first stage in the mountains.
We're a third of the way through
this year's Tour de France and, so far,
France still hasn't had a stage win.
The next three stages
offer a chance to change that
because the French are known
for being strong climbers.
There's a Bernaudeau section now.
Really?
I don't think
he's ever raced Paris-Roubaix.
Oh, that's jealousy talking!
- No! It's...
- Ooh, he's jealous!
- I think it's the second last...
- He's jealous!
- So there's a fight today or what?
- Going to fight big time!
Hey, win a section,
and you might get it named after you.
That's my dream.
Oh, you'll get a summit.
Don't you have a bend in the Alps?
- Yeah.
- Which one?
- Number 13.
- Oh yeah.
Marc Madiot really is
like a protective dad.
A father to the whole family,
the Groupama-FDJ family.
And he defends us
like a mother hen defends her chicks.
He shields us. He's never let us down.
Here comes Marc Madiot!
Look at that!
It's my life. When I was a kid,
I was called to cycling
the way a priest is called to the Church.
I was racing from
the day I first rode a bike.
I felt something in me that would...
determine my life.
A spectacular moment!
Once I reached
the final stage of my career,
I wanted to create a team
from a blank canvas.
Marc, you wanted to be
a sports manager and now, here you are.
I had zero experience,
had just come out of peloton and all that,
but this is what I wanted.
That's what really matters.
Thibaut Pinot!
Come on. You can win this, kid! Come on!
I want everyone on the team to want this.
Whether they're sitting behind a desk,
on a bike, downstairs in the workshop,
they have to want this.
Come on, Thibaut! Come on Thibaut!
Now, when I get in the track car
with a sports manager, I'm with my team.
I want the guys to get in the game.
You have to be hungry, have an edge.
That's what matters.
We may not be the best,
but with determination and drive,
you can beat anyone.
Pressure is building
for the French teams,
especially for the local rider,
Thibaut Pinot.
He's carried French cycling
for the last ten years.
He even managed to reach the Tour podium.
EX PROFESSIONAL RIDER
YOU'VE GOT THIS
YOU'RE HOME!
Thibaut Pinot!
It's the perfect opportunity
to hit the ball into the net
and come back
with France's first stage win.
I'm lucky
to have Thibaut on the team.
The French love him because he's genuine.
He's spontaneous,
sometimes too spontaneous for my taste.
Thibaut! Thibaut! Thibaut! Thibaut!
He has this ability
to offer something that others don't have.
In today's peloton,
there aren't many riders like him.
Pinot is a romantic rider
lost in the modern world.
He's incredibly talented, but...
he's had some
challenging moments during the Tour.
In 2019,
many thought he'd win.
Three days before the finish,
he had to drop out
because of an unusual injury.
A torn muscle in his thigh is causing
too much pain, and everyone is in shock.
Then, in 2020, he fell
during the first stage
and was hit by another rider.
But he stayed in the Tour.
That was an incredible mark of respect,
not necessarily doing him any good because
his back and pelvis were badly injured,
preventing him
from riding in the 2021 Tour.
Stop putting your feet in there,
that's where your food goes. Come on...
I find comfort in being around my animals,
and, well, it's a joy to spend time
with my goats and donkeys.
Let's just say, they give me something
no human being can give me.
I reckon
this one needs some Strepsils.
It does take up a lot of my time, but...
THIBAUT PINOT'S PARTNER
It's not really...
It's not really a chore.
Although it has its ups and downs,
it's still a joy.
When I fell, I couldn't do
what I really love for a whole year.
Come on.
It was hard. I almost stopped,
gave it all up to...
just do something else.
I still have back pain
a year later, so it was tough.
But I was lucky to have loved ones,
my family, all supporting me.
Hello.
My father.
- Hello, sir. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
I really needed
to keep myself occupied.
And thanks to my other life,
I was able to keep busy
from morning to night.
I really didn't want to end
my Tour de France story like that.
So I fought on.
I live in the Vosges, about 12.6 miles
from La Planche des Belles Filles.
For me, it's a legendary place.
You could say it was
the first hill I climbed when I was a kid.
I've placed second and fourth here,
but I've never won.
I'm in much better shape this year.
I want to win this stage.
To me, winning up there
is the absolute dream.
Let's go, gentlemen.
Seventh stage.
Another big day ahead of you today, guys.
You handled yesterday well.
It wasn't easy.
And now, we're heading
to La Super Planche.
I think Thibaut Pinot
needs to come back to life in the Tour.
He needs to re-experience
the Tour de France calmly.
The ideal race scenario,
Thibaut, you're ahead,
you stay in control and you let
the peloton carry you as far as you can.
It took him a long time
to get back into shape physically.
I think that trauma needs to be...
painted over with
a good Tour de France this year, in 2022.
But he wants and is obsessed
with the idea of winning a stage.
Let's not hold back
from creating opportunities today, guys.
And finally, boys...
Give gas! We need you.
Groupama-FDJ
is all about passion and desire.
Come on, man.
France will be looking to us.
From Paris to
the deepest depths of the Corrèze,
everyone knows the Groupama logo.
Good luck!
Cycling has become an international sport.
But the Groupama-FDJ team
is supremely French.
And it has to stay that way,
because it's important that
the people who watch and support us
feel connected to us.
There are other French teams,
but the Groupama-FDJ team's DNA
isn't the same as that
of my colleagues on other teams.
The AG2R Citroën team,
for the past two decades,
we've been the French team
with the best results in
the Tour de France and in the stage races.
And I know
all the other French teams envy us.
We have a real brand.
We know how to win Tour de France stages
and we know how to handle
general classification.
Groupama has a kid
you all know by the name of Pinot,
who climbs La Planche des Belles Filles
around ten times a year.
So he knows every inch of that climb.
I want us all to focus on the battle,
the mental element,
the team, and the smile.
Just because the Tour
isn't going well six stages in,
doesn't mean we should
look like we're at a funeral.
We're still in the game. No problem.
Even though we know
it's the world's biggest cycling race,
there's still a certain amount of added
pressure when you're a French team.
The last French winner,
Bernard Hinault, was quite a while back,
over 30 years ago.
So, the pressure is intense.
And this is the first time we're aiming
for a top result in the Tour de France
with a foreign rider.
This little picture, guys,
that's our leader.
We're entering a stage
that suits our skills.
We give everything at the start,
and you, Ben, in your head,
focus on your climb.
Joining a French team as an Australian
who doesn't speak any French,
that was quite a big moment,
and you have to...
...adapt and survive.
When I signed for the team,
the main thing
that the team said to me was,
"We want you to be aggressive
and to finish on the podium
at the Tour de France."
Thank you.
It's what you always dreamed of.
Awesome!
Good job, yeah.
In 2021, Ben finished fourth.
He's a fighter. He's a winner.
O'Connor sobbing
It was really special
with the French team,
and that was the moment
that changed my career.
But this year's been
definitely pretty up and down.
STAGE 2
On day two, Ben crashes
a few hundred feet from the finish line.
Oh, that's
a lot of riders on the ground.
I find
those images pretty violent.
The medical team said, "Okay."
And Ben too,
"It'll be fine. It'll be okay."
Ben O'Connor,
just checking everything's okay.
And then Ben lost time
on the cobblestones.
STAGE 5
AG2R on the right for number 31, O'Connor.
Shit. This is annoying.
He was one of the only
favourites to get a puncture.
Ben O'Connor's group,
over four minutes and 20 seconds behind.
Did anyone else puncture in front?
So, there were a lot of questions
at the start of the seventh stage.
- Did you put it in the car?
- I put the rest in the car.
- Let's go.
- Have a good race. See you later.
So, we started out hopeful.
We told ourselves that,
"If Ben has a good day,
if his injury is alright and all that,
we can keep our dream of getting
a place in the general classification."
STAGE 7
Eight, seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one.
The kick-off has just been given
for the riders for the seventh stage.
A long stage of 176.3 kilometres,
with the first big mountain finish.
Thibaut Pinot on-screen.
He is dreaming of victory today.
Thibaut Pinot
at La Planche des Belles Filles,
it's going to be packed.
For any one of us, when the Tour
runs through your local area,
naturally, it affects your mindset.
It's July 8th
and it's Saint Thibaut's day.
Thibaut celebrates ten years
since his first stage win in the Tour.
And that's a lot,
that's a lot of pressure.
When you give everything,
that's when the pressure's on.
You fight for the stage win
and tell yourself,
"I can win up there,
this could be my moment."
We're approaching the foot
of La Super Planche des Belles Filles.
The riders have
a seven-kilometre climb ahead of them.
STAGE 7
An average grade of 8.7%.
It's a first category climb.
Okay, it's going to burn at the start,
but hold on. Come on, Ben. Come on, guys!
The front of the peloton
is setting a frantic pace for this climb.
Pinot is hanging on,
but he needs to get closer to the front
and catch up with
the rest of Groupama team
if he wants to have
any hope of winning this stage.
Lots of manoeuvring going on.
This is going to be a thrilling finish.
Thibaut Pinot moves forward.
Could this be his moment?
We're playing with the big boys here.
We're in the running for a yellow jersey.
This climb
is very tough, it's steep.
For me, it's a place of suffering.
I must've done it 100 times in my career.
I've left a lot of sweat up there.
But to win races, you have to suffer.
Oh, we're doing great. Great!
The pace on
the last climb is going to be savage.
And the riders are struggling,
and 54 has dropped back.
Geniets, number 93, has dropped back too.
And so has Verona, number 68.
There are only 15 or 20 left.
Ben O'Connor,
fourth in last year's Tour de France,
has fallen behind.
O'Connor has fallen behind the peloton.
Come on, Ben, keep going!
Everyone's starting to lag. Come on.
- I'm not riding for GC anymore.
- It's all right.
- It's fucking done!
- Come on, Ben. Keep going. Come on.
Ben O'Connor, who was already
seven minutes behind
the yellow jersey this morning,
is losing even more time here.
It's hard to imagine him closing the gap.
Groupama-FDJ still at
the front of the peloton.
Pinot, there he is
on the right-hand side of the screen,
giving it his all.
DISTANCE COVERED: 171.1 KM
TIME ELAPSED: 3H 46M
We're about to enter
the steepest part of the final climb.
I don't see Thibaut.
We can't see him anymore.
Pinot has dropped back.
Number 97, Thibaut Pinot, dropped back.
Thibaut Pinot has dropped
behind the peloton.
Thibaut Pinot is struggling.
The Frenchman is battling with his bike.
It's game over for Thibaut Pinot.
A major disappointment
for the French public.
He crosses the line in 31st place.
We're here
with Thibaut Pinot on RMC.
Thibaut, you weren't able to keep up
on the Planche des Belles Filles climb.
Are you disappointed
with your performance today?
Yeah. Of course I'm disappointed.
The atmosphere was magical,
as always. And... there you go.
They came here for me,
and it's a shame but...
Anyway. I'd like to thank them for coming.
- Thank you.
- Merci, Thibaut.
For me, the worst thing
is letting people down.
Well done, Thibaut! Well done!
They know I gave it everything I had, but...
at times like these I'm so disappointed
that all I want to do is get on the bus.
And I was far from being in the lead,
and I'm a little embarrassed
by my performance.
Sometimes, I feel like
I'm more popular than I am talented.
So, there are days
when I wish I got less love and more wins.
Oh, the whole family's here.
You came en masse!
Yes, we had to.
We were very close to the top,
but we didn't get there.
You okay?
THIBAUT PINOT'S PARENTS
- Could be better.
- No...
Disappointment. We tried.
And we believed. We had hope.
A really tough day
for Ben O'Connor and the AG2R team.
Their ambitions to achieve
general classification
have taken a big hit.
By the end of the seventh stage's
finish line, Ben was 56th.
Over six minutes lost.
Hello.
You okay?
Yeah.
I've got no legs.
They just go like this, and then I stop.
We know
that's how it goes in pro sports.
There are no easy wins.
And we really wanted
to see Ben perform well.
He's complaining about his right leg.
After he fell,
he has no strength in his right leg.
Our leader, he's fine.
Things will work out.
I assure you, he's a beast.
We won't ever give up.
This is our job.
I do this with heart, passion and...
personally, I have the AG2R Citroën jersey
engraved on my heart.
So, this tattoo shows the podium
for the team classification
from the 2014 Tour de France.
This is really symbolic because
it once again represents specific values,
team spirit, solidarity.
And down the middle of my back,
I have a quote, unquote,
kind of symbolic list of my achievements
as a sports manager since 2006.
Of course, the map of France
represents the Tour de France,
with the Eiffel Tower.
And, of course, family, represented by a...
a compass.
And then, Axel's hand,
my little joker,
who's just started cycling.
He's attacking!
Okay, 300 metres to go.
I watch all the races when I can,
when I'm not in school.
And I follow Dad.
And then I talk to him on the phone
every night and ask him,
"How was the race?"
I think that to win the Tour,
it's going to be pretty hard.
- Ah.
- The podium is already...
- Why not you?
- No, I don't think so.
It's nice to have a child who's interested
in what his dad does for a living.
Right, put your helmet back on.
My father was an engineer.
He never competed in sports, so...
he found it hard to understand that
his son wanted to compete at a high level.
Even though he never stood in my way.
But it was
a completely different approach.
I mean, he never came to see me race.
And so it's...
The irony is that
I lost my dad during a Tour de France.
I lost my parents,
and I found a real... a real family.
And that's really important to me because
AG2R Citroën embodies all these values.
Family values, respect,
solidarity, and all that.
And sadly, I couldn't take part
in the Tour de France as a rider.
But, well, I got my revenge,
and doing this job, honestly, now, for me,
that's something extraordinary.
STAGE 8
This is
the eighth stage of the Tour,
from Dole to Lausanne.
We're expecting the French teams
to perform better today.
Ben O'Connor on-screen.
Does the AG2R team still expect
a place in the general classification?
Thibaut Pinot,
who dropped back yesterday
on the climb up
La Super Planche des Belles Filles.
Thibaut finished 31st yesterday.
La Planche des Belles Filles
was pretty tough.
When you're struggling,
a kind of survival instinct kicks in,
so we always say,
"Things will be better tomorrow."
Big crash!
Crash in the peloton!
Crash in the peloton!
A pile-up.
They all fell into the ditch.
It's the day after
La Planche des Belles Filles,
so there's a bit of brain fog.
Thibaut Pinot with one, two,
three, four, five, six from Groupama-FDJ.
Ben O'Connor of AG2R-Citroën
has no teammates waiting for him.
I think I got tapped
from someone from behind.
Things aren't good for O'Connor.
O'Connor
has had a rough few days.
Looks like he's injured.
The muscle in my glute
just went "bam," and then that was it.
See ya later!
Is Thibaut Pinot down?
He's in the ditch.
I think he landed on the grass.
There's so much
bad luck in the Tour.
And it took me so long
to get back into the peloton.
Some days you're just unlucky.
You have to be careful
right until the finish line.
Anything could still happen.
- Oh no.
- Gosh!
- Yes, slowing down.
- Oh, Thibaut Pinot!
Second crash of the day.
That is beyond frustrating.
This is a gruesome day.
The race keeps going
so you have to get back on quickly.
Oh, what a smack!
Thibaut Pinot in the last 20 minutes
had a terrible time.
A crash going uphill,
but then got smacked around the head.
You can see it coming,
but it happens in less than a second.
You don't have time to react.
You take that hit and, well,
you think "I'm cursed." And...
I really couldn't take any more that day.
I just wanted to finish the stage
and move on to the next day.
When there's a fall,
the first thing that kicks in
is the instinct for self-preservation.
He gets up as fast as he can,
and the first thing he does is
look for his bike, so he can keep going.
No one's hanging around for you.
The peloton is cruel
because it keeps moving forward.
It never stops.
In football, the slightest injury
and the player is substituted.
In cycling, there are no subs.
So, you survive.
Thibaut Pinot
is crossing the finish line in 51st place.
Such bad luck.
Another tough day for the Frenchman.
You okay? Did you get it on the nose, or...
Cycling places human values
and suffering at the heart of everything.
If you're no longer willing to suffer,
you have to change career.
- I want to get an X-ray.
- Why?
- I want an X-ray.
- Yes, get on the bus.
I need a radio. Fuck me.
I went through hell
on stage eight, just to finish.
I was pretty adamant.
That was it.
That's me over.
Someone hit me from behind.
See, if I'm here, I cannot lift my leg.
- Can you lift that?
- I cannot. No.
- It's here?
- Yeah, exactly.
Ah. So that's the torsion.
And there's the muscular contusion.
Difficult one.
Because it's not an injury
that you can see.
You see someone with a smashed-up face,
this big scar down his elbow,
and you say, "Oof, this guy's tough."
The bone is okay, the muscle is...
uh, torn.
For me, it's internal at the moment,
so, I don't feel so tough.
- Hi.
- Ah, hello!
So, today's good news is... no fracture.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Oh my God. Are you relieved?
- What?
- Relieved.
- Nothing's broken.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I understand.
But there's still an issue.
Yes, but...
- Okay. The goal tomorrow is to finish.
- Finish.
The goal now is to heal.
- I understand, because...
- You understand?
- The muscle is broken...
- And that's why.
And I don't think
there's any chance it'll recover.
- So there's Sunday, Monday.
- Yes.
- Tuesday, take it easy.
- Yes.
And Wednesday...
maybe or not maybe
full gas.
Step by step. We'll take it day by day.
But in your head, you need to be sure.
There are two weeks to go, Ben. Two weeks.
Yes.
- Do you want to win a stage?
- Do you want to win a stage?
In your head, "I want to win a stage.
I want to win a stage."
Yeah.
I think deep down, Ben's probably
thinking, "Jurdie's totally crazy."
"He's a prime idiot."
"All I'm thinking about is going home,
and he's telling me to get
on my bike tomorrow."
In my personal experience,
I've seen some
comebacks in the Tour de France
that make me think
Ben can still get somewhere.
Come on. Stay determined.
- Thanks.
- Feel better.
Can't wait for tomorrow.
STAGE 9
The Tour de France
is heading into high altitude.
Welcome to the start of stage nine.
The promise of another great day,
and the fans are
still hoping for a French victory.
We are going to head over the mountains.
Today, we go to some pretty big altitudes.
Two first category climbs,
one second category climb,
one fourth category climb.
It's a big day
for all the riders involved.
According to the latest information,
Ben O'Connor has torn a muscle,
but he's going to give it his all
to try and finish the stage.
Goals for the day,
as you all know,
we're going to forget about
getting general classification with Ben.
So, of course,
that opens up new possibilities.
So now, the main goal for Ben
is to work together
a little for his teammates,
to get Benoît, Auré, and Bob
in a good position
at the foot of the last hill.
My name is Bob Jungels,
and I ride for AG2R-Citroën Team,
and I'm from Luxembourg.
I'm feeling good, but at the moment,
obviously not everything's
going to plan, uh, in the team.
It is a bit of a... shitty situation, yeah.
For now, we don't have luck on our side,
so we need to turn things around.
The pain is temporary.
We're in pain right now,
but we don't give up.
From stage nine onwards,
general classification is
no longer the top priority.
We must remain 100% focused.
Our number one goal is to win the stage.
So there is a glimmer of hope.
We tell ourselves we might be able to
win a stage with the riders we have left.
Everyone's ass, legs, and head hurt.
But let's focus on the positive, guys.
And the sooner, the better.
The plan A with Ben didn't...
didn't turn out to, uh, to work.
Um, and there was not really a plan B.
So, for this stage,
it's a bit of an open game now.
Everyone has an option
to join the breakaway
and see where it goes.
Although I'm not French,
I know how important
the Tour and a victory,
and a stage victory is for Julien.
And for a French team,
because it is their identity.
The team directors keep
having to change strategy for each race.
So there's a plan A,
a plan B, and sometimes even a plan C.
Thibaut wants to win.
He likes being
the first across the finish line.
For him, winning a stage
in the Tour would be a comeback,
showing his true value, his actual level,
and what he's really made of.
Yes, talent never dies.
But it all plays out up here.
In the Tour de France,
if you run into difficulties,
like falls or injuries,
or things just go wrong,
if you're on a downward spiral,
it's extremely difficult to get out of it.
Stage 9 of the Tour de France is underway.
The sun is shining. It's a beautiful day.
We're going to head from Aigle,
a little bit of a loop over three climbs,
before we go back to Aigle
and then up to Châtel for the race finish.
Whoo!
Well done!
Ben O'Connor, still in the peloton
despite the pain.
If he makes it to the finish line,
it'll be a miracle for the Australian.
Come on. Go, keep going, Ben.
This is terrible.
Terrible. Ben O'Connor falls back.
Ben O'Connor is brave,
but how can you pedal with a torn muscle,
especially on a climb?
We'll take stock tomorrow, Ben.
Come on. Be brave, Ben
I'll finish. Have to finish.
I have to finish for the team.
I'm meant to be one of the guys
fighting for the top five for the Tour.
I finished fourth last year.
Do you think I wanna be last man?
A day of extremes
for the AG2R-Citroën team.
Ben O'Connor behind,
on a mission to survive.
And in the lead, Bob Jungels.
He's hoping
to lift the morale for his team.
He's in line for a stage win.
A small group
has broken away from the peloton,
and at the front is number 36, Jungels.
Come on, guys. Come on.
A group is starting to peel away.
Come on, Bob!
I was feeling very good,
and I was very calm,
which is always a very good, uh...
very good sign.
I can ride with the best.
It was a very, very strong group.
Thibaut Pinot, a couple
of days late, but also in the breakaway.
They need to open the gap now.
Bob Jungels isn't necessarily
one of the best climbers, that's for sure.
It doesn't come naturally to Bob.
He doesn't often join a breakaway group.
So, I pushed Bob a little.
Come on, Bob.
Go! Go! Go! It's your moment.
Good, Bob. Pick up speed.
That's good, Bob, come on, kid.
Go, go, go!
Bob Jungels going clear.
We were at the front,
and from then on we thought
the story might end well.
Come on, 20 seconds ahead
of the rest of the others.
The best mental attitude wins.
The mindset is what counts.
Oh, the gap is growing
significantly in favour of Bob Jungels,
who is having one
of the best races of his life.
Excellent, Bob. Do you want a drink?
This one is caffeine free.
Two. Two minutes ten. Two minutes ten.
Oh, a massive attack
by Thibaut Pinot, who's now accelerating
and breaking away in an attempt
to catch up with Bob Jungels.
In the day's last challenge,
he's found the legs he didn't have
at La Super Planche des Belles Filles.
Thibaut's gone for it. He's out of there.
And with that incredible acceleration,
Pinot has closed the gap on Jungels.
Pinot is at 150. Pinot is at 150.
Pinot 150, behind you.
My way of winning is to make sure
I always reach the summit on my own.
I need to win in legendary places.
Places I dreamt of when I was little.
I have a real connection to the mountains.
I feel small at the base
and big at the summit.
So, for me, those victories
are the only ones that really count.
We're seeing classic
Thibaut Pinot at the Tour de France
for the first time
since his injury two years ago.
There's only a 37-second lag
and he may be able to secure
a stage win for his team, Groupama-FDJ.
He's fighting.
Ah! The gap just
keeps melting. Like snow in sunlight.
Two kilometres from the finish line.
Bob Jungels keeps
putting pressure on his adversary.
Come on, Bob, 30 seconds!
Come on, Bob!
All of a sudden,
Julien goes ballistic.
Go, Bob! Yes!
He goes from
encouraging to screaming.
Go! Go! Go!
My ear almost blows off.
Thibaut is closing in fast.
That's when I realise
I might not win this stage.
Thibaut is one
of the world's best climbers.
Pinot still believes he can win this.
Just 200 metres between the two men.
He's close. Go, go, go!
Accelerate! Accelerate!
Bob Jungels is counting down the distance
between him and t he finish line.
1,500 metres, can he win the stage?
Go, at the Flamme Rouge,
there's a small descent. Pump it. Come on.
Come on, the last half mile, Bob,
We've got this!
And Pinot still thinks he can do it
and gives everything his legs hav e left.
It's looking difficult.
Come on, 300 metres, Bob.
Don't let up, dammit, we've got this!
We're going to win this fucking stage!
Shit.
That's good, Bob. That's good.
It's yours, Bob. You're winning.
Winning, Bob, right to the finish.
Come on, Bob, you're winning, it's yours!
Bob Jungels wins the stage
after four hours and 46 minutes.
We salute this Luxembourger's performance.
An absolutely heroic ride.
Yes!
We got it!
Fuck!
Fuck!
Such an emotional rollercoaster.
Oh, shit!
Good job, guys.
It was just phenomenal, phenomenal.
I've never seen anyone pedal that fast.
So many emotions came up.
For instance, achieving
the goal that everyone has at the start.
Everything goes through your mind.
I thought about my parents
who weren't there to see this.
I'm not going to cry again,
but I know, up there,
they're proud to see their son...
blossoming, having a great time.
And the pride of being
the French team that, once again,
has a victory at the Tour.
Oh, look at that.
Thibaut Pinot, he's being left behind
before the finish line.
Fucking damn it! He's not even second.
Shit.
Dream shattered. But
we've seen a resurgence of the Frenchman.
But we saw the great Thibaut Pinot today.
He gave it his all.
It hurts.
I'm not happy. I'm... I'm not happy.
When I finished,
I felt disappointed to have lost.
Basically, it was
a head-to-head with Jungels
The pressure I put myself under
is sometimes hard to bear.
When things don't go as planned,
year after year, it's hard to live with.
I'm well over 30 years old now.
You can say that, sadly,
I'm already going downhill.
Shame.
Had it been steeper,
he'd have done it. But...
That's racing.
There's no place for feelings for people
who achieved great things in the past.
That doesn't exist.
That's the harsh law,
the harsh reality of racing.
You're good, Mich-Mich?
The young ones are there
to replace the older generation.
Now, the team's full and complete focus
is on general classification.
There's no greater royalist
than the king. Our time will come.
Ben O'Connor, the Australian rider,
crossing the finish line
30 minutes after Bob Jungels.
I think, at the finish line,
it was a bit conflicting because,
like, obviously it's average for me.
Personally, I'm still in pain.
But, you know, he's won.
What else do you want? So... yeah.
I was just happy for Bob.
Julien came up to me.
You could just see
how much this means to him.
You feel, uh...
that weight has fallen off
the team's shoulders.
- For Bob, for AG2R-Citroën!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- And again, hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
I didn't make
the team proud this whole race.
After the, you know,
the crashes and the bad luck.
So, the least I could do
yesterday was fight.
But the pain's too sharp.
And it's literally impossible to race,
so I'm not going to start
the Tour de France tomorrow.
Pretty much is the main thing.
So, not the fairy-tale story
that we all wanted, is it?
There you go.
- I'm standing in for you now.
- It's a substitution.
There you go.
Good luck!
Thanks.
For me.
I think we made the right
decision at the right time with Bob's win.
Of course, it meant Ben could leave
feeling a bit better about it all,
because, you know,
his friends picked up the baton
and achieved something amazing.
COMING UP ON TOUR DE FRANCE: UNCHAINED
It's the queen of stages
of Tour de France today in Hautes-Alpes.
The plan is to try
and win a stage with Jonas.
I don't think you can
beat Tadej Pogačar alone.
You definitely need your team.
I need to snap him at some point.
I hope all of you are ready
for a super, super hard day.
You don't want to poke the bear,
and Tadej Pogačar,
if you poke him, he's gonna react.
You have to suffer
what others can't bear.
And we have to do it.
Jonas Vingegaard attacks!
- Go! Go!
- Come on!
What are they up to?
I want a selfie.
I want a selfie for my boys.
There he is, our hero.
Not even out of breath. Great job!
Incredible.
Incredible.
Thibaut's a great guy too.
He's not just a cyclist.
- It's our lucky day. Yeah, our lucky day.
- Yeah, we're lucky.
For me,
the Tour is all about France.
When you're French and on a French team,
you know the pressure's
going to be intense.
My goal for the Tour is to win a stage.
The French expect a victory.
But we know the country is behind us
so, naturally, that gives us wings.
Thibaut! Thibaut! Thibaut!
Winning a stage of the Tour
was a real dream for me.
I managed to win three.
Thibaut Pinot!
Come on! You can win, kid!
Thibaut Pinot
claims his second Tour de France win.
Those moments
are engraved in my mind forever.
This will be a win
for Pinot and for Groupama FDJ.
Thibaut! Thibaut!
Come on, man! Yes!
Just thinking
about it gives me chills.
Yes!
Thibaut! Thibaut! Thibaut!
TOUR DE FRANCE: UNCHAINED
THE WEIGHT OF A NATION
Let's go to preview, see what we've got.
Live from the seventh stage
between Tomblaine
and the Super Planche des Belles Filles.
We expect another
great show this afternoon.
It's the first stage in the mountains.
We're a third of the way through
this year's Tour de France and, so far,
France still hasn't had a stage win.
The next three stages
offer a chance to change that
because the French are known
for being strong climbers.
There's a Bernaudeau section now.
Really?
I don't think
he's ever raced Paris-Roubaix.
Oh, that's jealousy talking!
- No! It's...
- Ooh, he's jealous!
- I think it's the second last...
- He's jealous!
- So there's a fight today or what?
- Going to fight big time!
Hey, win a section,
and you might get it named after you.
That's my dream.
Oh, you'll get a summit.
Don't you have a bend in the Alps?
- Yeah.
- Which one?
- Number 13.
- Oh yeah.
Marc Madiot really is
like a protective dad.
A father to the whole family,
the Groupama-FDJ family.
And he defends us
like a mother hen defends her chicks.
He shields us. He's never let us down.
Here comes Marc Madiot!
Look at that!
It's my life. When I was a kid,
I was called to cycling
the way a priest is called to the Church.
I was racing from
the day I first rode a bike.
I felt something in me that would...
determine my life.
A spectacular moment!
Once I reached
the final stage of my career,
I wanted to create a team
from a blank canvas.
Marc, you wanted to be
a sports manager and now, here you are.
I had zero experience,
had just come out of peloton and all that,
but this is what I wanted.
That's what really matters.
Thibaut Pinot!
Come on. You can win this, kid! Come on!
I want everyone on the team to want this.
Whether they're sitting behind a desk,
on a bike, downstairs in the workshop,
they have to want this.
Come on, Thibaut! Come on Thibaut!
Now, when I get in the track car
with a sports manager, I'm with my team.
I want the guys to get in the game.
You have to be hungry, have an edge.
That's what matters.
We may not be the best,
but with determination and drive,
you can beat anyone.
Pressure is building
for the French teams,
especially for the local rider,
Thibaut Pinot.
He's carried French cycling
for the last ten years.
He even managed to reach the Tour podium.
EX PROFESSIONAL RIDER
YOU'VE GOT THIS
YOU'RE HOME!
Thibaut Pinot!
It's the perfect opportunity
to hit the ball into the net
and come back
with France's first stage win.
I'm lucky
to have Thibaut on the team.
The French love him because he's genuine.
He's spontaneous,
sometimes too spontaneous for my taste.
Thibaut! Thibaut! Thibaut! Thibaut!
He has this ability
to offer something that others don't have.
In today's peloton,
there aren't many riders like him.
Pinot is a romantic rider
lost in the modern world.
He's incredibly talented, but...
he's had some
challenging moments during the Tour.
In 2019,
many thought he'd win.
Three days before the finish,
he had to drop out
because of an unusual injury.
A torn muscle in his thigh is causing
too much pain, and everyone is in shock.
Then, in 2020, he fell
during the first stage
and was hit by another rider.
But he stayed in the Tour.
That was an incredible mark of respect,
not necessarily doing him any good because
his back and pelvis were badly injured,
preventing him
from riding in the 2021 Tour.
Stop putting your feet in there,
that's where your food goes. Come on...
I find comfort in being around my animals,
and, well, it's a joy to spend time
with my goats and donkeys.
Let's just say, they give me something
no human being can give me.
I reckon
this one needs some Strepsils.
It does take up a lot of my time, but...
THIBAUT PINOT'S PARTNER
It's not really...
It's not really a chore.
Although it has its ups and downs,
it's still a joy.
When I fell, I couldn't do
what I really love for a whole year.
Come on.
It was hard. I almost stopped,
gave it all up to...
just do something else.
I still have back pain
a year later, so it was tough.
But I was lucky to have loved ones,
my family, all supporting me.
Hello.
My father.
- Hello, sir. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
I really needed
to keep myself occupied.
And thanks to my other life,
I was able to keep busy
from morning to night.
I really didn't want to end
my Tour de France story like that.
So I fought on.
I live in the Vosges, about 12.6 miles
from La Planche des Belles Filles.
For me, it's a legendary place.
You could say it was
the first hill I climbed when I was a kid.
I've placed second and fourth here,
but I've never won.
I'm in much better shape this year.
I want to win this stage.
To me, winning up there
is the absolute dream.
Let's go, gentlemen.
Seventh stage.
Another big day ahead of you today, guys.
You handled yesterday well.
It wasn't easy.
And now, we're heading
to La Super Planche.
I think Thibaut Pinot
needs to come back to life in the Tour.
He needs to re-experience
the Tour de France calmly.
The ideal race scenario,
Thibaut, you're ahead,
you stay in control and you let
the peloton carry you as far as you can.
It took him a long time
to get back into shape physically.
I think that trauma needs to be...
painted over with
a good Tour de France this year, in 2022.
But he wants and is obsessed
with the idea of winning a stage.
Let's not hold back
from creating opportunities today, guys.
And finally, boys...
Give gas! We need you.
Groupama-FDJ
is all about passion and desire.
Come on, man.
France will be looking to us.
From Paris to
the deepest depths of the Corrèze,
everyone knows the Groupama logo.
Good luck!
Cycling has become an international sport.
But the Groupama-FDJ team
is supremely French.
And it has to stay that way,
because it's important that
the people who watch and support us
feel connected to us.
There are other French teams,
but the Groupama-FDJ team's DNA
isn't the same as that
of my colleagues on other teams.
The AG2R Citroën team,
for the past two decades,
we've been the French team
with the best results in
the Tour de France and in the stage races.
And I know
all the other French teams envy us.
We have a real brand.
We know how to win Tour de France stages
and we know how to handle
general classification.
Groupama has a kid
you all know by the name of Pinot,
who climbs La Planche des Belles Filles
around ten times a year.
So he knows every inch of that climb.
I want us all to focus on the battle,
the mental element,
the team, and the smile.
Just because the Tour
isn't going well six stages in,
doesn't mean we should
look like we're at a funeral.
We're still in the game. No problem.
Even though we know
it's the world's biggest cycling race,
there's still a certain amount of added
pressure when you're a French team.
The last French winner,
Bernard Hinault, was quite a while back,
over 30 years ago.
So, the pressure is intense.
And this is the first time we're aiming
for a top result in the Tour de France
with a foreign rider.
This little picture, guys,
that's our leader.
We're entering a stage
that suits our skills.
We give everything at the start,
and you, Ben, in your head,
focus on your climb.
Joining a French team as an Australian
who doesn't speak any French,
that was quite a big moment,
and you have to...
...adapt and survive.
When I signed for the team,
the main thing
that the team said to me was,
"We want you to be aggressive
and to finish on the podium
at the Tour de France."
Thank you.
It's what you always dreamed of.
Awesome!
Good job, yeah.
In 2021, Ben finished fourth.
He's a fighter. He's a winner.
O'Connor sobbing
It was really special
with the French team,
and that was the moment
that changed my career.
But this year's been
definitely pretty up and down.
STAGE 2
On day two, Ben crashes
a few hundred feet from the finish line.
Oh, that's
a lot of riders on the ground.
I find
those images pretty violent.
The medical team said, "Okay."
And Ben too,
"It'll be fine. It'll be okay."
Ben O'Connor,
just checking everything's okay.
And then Ben lost time
on the cobblestones.
STAGE 5
AG2R on the right for number 31, O'Connor.
Shit. This is annoying.
He was one of the only
favourites to get a puncture.
Ben O'Connor's group,
over four minutes and 20 seconds behind.
Did anyone else puncture in front?
So, there were a lot of questions
at the start of the seventh stage.
- Did you put it in the car?
- I put the rest in the car.
- Let's go.
- Have a good race. See you later.
So, we started out hopeful.
We told ourselves that,
"If Ben has a good day,
if his injury is alright and all that,
we can keep our dream of getting
a place in the general classification."
STAGE 7
Eight, seven, six, five, four,
three, two, one.
The kick-off has just been given
for the riders for the seventh stage.
A long stage of 176.3 kilometres,
with the first big mountain finish.
Thibaut Pinot on-screen.
He is dreaming of victory today.
Thibaut Pinot
at La Planche des Belles Filles,
it's going to be packed.
For any one of us, when the Tour
runs through your local area,
naturally, it affects your mindset.
It's July 8th
and it's Saint Thibaut's day.
Thibaut celebrates ten years
since his first stage win in the Tour.
And that's a lot,
that's a lot of pressure.
When you give everything,
that's when the pressure's on.
You fight for the stage win
and tell yourself,
"I can win up there,
this could be my moment."
We're approaching the foot
of La Super Planche des Belles Filles.
The riders have
a seven-kilometre climb ahead of them.
STAGE 7
An average grade of 8.7%.
It's a first category climb.
Okay, it's going to burn at the start,
but hold on. Come on, Ben. Come on, guys!
The front of the peloton
is setting a frantic pace for this climb.
Pinot is hanging on,
but he needs to get closer to the front
and catch up with
the rest of Groupama team
if he wants to have
any hope of winning this stage.
Lots of manoeuvring going on.
This is going to be a thrilling finish.
Thibaut Pinot moves forward.
Could this be his moment?
We're playing with the big boys here.
We're in the running for a yellow jersey.
This climb
is very tough, it's steep.
For me, it's a place of suffering.
I must've done it 100 times in my career.
I've left a lot of sweat up there.
But to win races, you have to suffer.
Oh, we're doing great. Great!
The pace on
the last climb is going to be savage.
And the riders are struggling,
and 54 has dropped back.
Geniets, number 93, has dropped back too.
And so has Verona, number 68.
There are only 15 or 20 left.
Ben O'Connor,
fourth in last year's Tour de France,
has fallen behind.
O'Connor has fallen behind the peloton.
Come on, Ben, keep going!
Everyone's starting to lag. Come on.
- I'm not riding for GC anymore.
- It's all right.
- It's fucking done!
- Come on, Ben. Keep going. Come on.
Ben O'Connor, who was already
seven minutes behind
the yellow jersey this morning,
is losing even more time here.
It's hard to imagine him closing the gap.
Groupama-FDJ still at
the front of the peloton.
Pinot, there he is
on the right-hand side of the screen,
giving it his all.
DISTANCE COVERED: 171.1 KM
TIME ELAPSED: 3H 46M
We're about to enter
the steepest part of the final climb.
I don't see Thibaut.
We can't see him anymore.
Pinot has dropped back.
Number 97, Thibaut Pinot, dropped back.
Thibaut Pinot has dropped
behind the peloton.
Thibaut Pinot is struggling.
The Frenchman is battling with his bike.
It's game over for Thibaut Pinot.
A major disappointment
for the French public.
He crosses the line in 31st place.
We're here
with Thibaut Pinot on RMC.
Thibaut, you weren't able to keep up
on the Planche des Belles Filles climb.
Are you disappointed
with your performance today?
Yeah. Of course I'm disappointed.
The atmosphere was magical,
as always. And... there you go.
They came here for me,
and it's a shame but...
Anyway. I'd like to thank them for coming.
- Thank you.
- Merci, Thibaut.
For me, the worst thing
is letting people down.
Well done, Thibaut! Well done!
They know I gave it everything I had, but...
at times like these I'm so disappointed
that all I want to do is get on the bus.
And I was far from being in the lead,
and I'm a little embarrassed
by my performance.
Sometimes, I feel like
I'm more popular than I am talented.
So, there are days
when I wish I got less love and more wins.
Oh, the whole family's here.
You came en masse!
Yes, we had to.
We were very close to the top,
but we didn't get there.
You okay?
THIBAUT PINOT'S PARENTS
- Could be better.
- No...
Disappointment. We tried.
And we believed. We had hope.
A really tough day
for Ben O'Connor and the AG2R team.
Their ambitions to achieve
general classification
have taken a big hit.
By the end of the seventh stage's
finish line, Ben was 56th.
Over six minutes lost.
Hello.
You okay?
Yeah.
I've got no legs.
They just go like this, and then I stop.
We know
that's how it goes in pro sports.
There are no easy wins.
And we really wanted
to see Ben perform well.
He's complaining about his right leg.
After he fell,
he has no strength in his right leg.
Our leader, he's fine.
Things will work out.
I assure you, he's a beast.
We won't ever give up.
This is our job.
I do this with heart, passion and...
personally, I have the AG2R Citroën jersey
engraved on my heart.
So, this tattoo shows the podium
for the team classification
from the 2014 Tour de France.
This is really symbolic because
it once again represents specific values,
team spirit, solidarity.
And down the middle of my back,
I have a quote, unquote,
kind of symbolic list of my achievements
as a sports manager since 2006.
Of course, the map of France
represents the Tour de France,
with the Eiffel Tower.
And, of course, family, represented by a...
a compass.
And then, Axel's hand,
my little joker,
who's just started cycling.
He's attacking!
Okay, 300 metres to go.
I watch all the races when I can,
when I'm not in school.
And I follow Dad.
And then I talk to him on the phone
every night and ask him,
"How was the race?"
I think that to win the Tour,
it's going to be pretty hard.
- Ah.
- The podium is already...
- Why not you?
- No, I don't think so.
It's nice to have a child who's interested
in what his dad does for a living.
Right, put your helmet back on.
My father was an engineer.
He never competed in sports, so...
he found it hard to understand that
his son wanted to compete at a high level.
Even though he never stood in my way.
But it was
a completely different approach.
I mean, he never came to see me race.
And so it's...
The irony is that
I lost my dad during a Tour de France.
I lost my parents,
and I found a real... a real family.
And that's really important to me because
AG2R Citroën embodies all these values.
Family values, respect,
solidarity, and all that.
And sadly, I couldn't take part
in the Tour de France as a rider.
But, well, I got my revenge,
and doing this job, honestly, now, for me,
that's something extraordinary.
STAGE 8
This is
the eighth stage of the Tour,
from Dole to Lausanne.
We're expecting the French teams
to perform better today.
Ben O'Connor on-screen.
Does the AG2R team still expect
a place in the general classification?
Thibaut Pinot,
who dropped back yesterday
on the climb up
La Super Planche des Belles Filles.
Thibaut finished 31st yesterday.
La Planche des Belles Filles
was pretty tough.
When you're struggling,
a kind of survival instinct kicks in,
so we always say,
"Things will be better tomorrow."
Big crash!
Crash in the peloton!
Crash in the peloton!
A pile-up.
They all fell into the ditch.
It's the day after
La Planche des Belles Filles,
so there's a bit of brain fog.
Thibaut Pinot with one, two,
three, four, five, six from Groupama-FDJ.
Ben O'Connor of AG2R-Citroën
has no teammates waiting for him.
I think I got tapped
from someone from behind.
Things aren't good for O'Connor.
O'Connor
has had a rough few days.
Looks like he's injured.
The muscle in my glute
just went "bam," and then that was it.
See ya later!
Is Thibaut Pinot down?
He's in the ditch.
I think he landed on the grass.
There's so much
bad luck in the Tour.
And it took me so long
to get back into the peloton.
Some days you're just unlucky.
You have to be careful
right until the finish line.
Anything could still happen.
- Oh no.
- Gosh!
- Yes, slowing down.
- Oh, Thibaut Pinot!
Second crash of the day.
That is beyond frustrating.
This is a gruesome day.
The race keeps going
so you have to get back on quickly.
Oh, what a smack!
Thibaut Pinot in the last 20 minutes
had a terrible time.
A crash going uphill,
but then got smacked around the head.
You can see it coming,
but it happens in less than a second.
You don't have time to react.
You take that hit and, well,
you think "I'm cursed." And...
I really couldn't take any more that day.
I just wanted to finish the stage
and move on to the next day.
When there's a fall,
the first thing that kicks in
is the instinct for self-preservation.
He gets up as fast as he can,
and the first thing he does is
look for his bike, so he can keep going.
No one's hanging around for you.
The peloton is cruel
because it keeps moving forward.
It never stops.
In football, the slightest injury
and the player is substituted.
In cycling, there are no subs.
So, you survive.
Thibaut Pinot
is crossing the finish line in 51st place.
Such bad luck.
Another tough day for the Frenchman.
You okay? Did you get it on the nose, or...
Cycling places human values
and suffering at the heart of everything.
If you're no longer willing to suffer,
you have to change career.
- I want to get an X-ray.
- Why?
- I want an X-ray.
- Yes, get on the bus.
I need a radio. Fuck me.
I went through hell
on stage eight, just to finish.
I was pretty adamant.
That was it.
That's me over.
Someone hit me from behind.
See, if I'm here, I cannot lift my leg.
- Can you lift that?
- I cannot. No.
- It's here?
- Yeah, exactly.
Ah. So that's the torsion.
And there's the muscular contusion.
Difficult one.
Because it's not an injury
that you can see.
You see someone with a smashed-up face,
this big scar down his elbow,
and you say, "Oof, this guy's tough."
The bone is okay, the muscle is...
uh, torn.
For me, it's internal at the moment,
so, I don't feel so tough.
- Hi.
- Ah, hello!
So, today's good news is... no fracture.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Oh my God. Are you relieved?
- What?
- Relieved.
- Nothing's broken.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I understand.
But there's still an issue.
Yes, but...
- Okay. The goal tomorrow is to finish.
- Finish.
The goal now is to heal.
- I understand, because...
- You understand?
- The muscle is broken...
- And that's why.
And I don't think
there's any chance it'll recover.
- So there's Sunday, Monday.
- Yes.
- Tuesday, take it easy.
- Yes.
And Wednesday...
maybe or not maybe
full gas.
Step by step. We'll take it day by day.
But in your head, you need to be sure.
There are two weeks to go, Ben. Two weeks.
Yes.
- Do you want to win a stage?
- Do you want to win a stage?
In your head, "I want to win a stage.
I want to win a stage."
Yeah.
I think deep down, Ben's probably
thinking, "Jurdie's totally crazy."
"He's a prime idiot."
"All I'm thinking about is going home,
and he's telling me to get
on my bike tomorrow."
In my personal experience,
I've seen some
comebacks in the Tour de France
that make me think
Ben can still get somewhere.
Come on. Stay determined.
- Thanks.
- Feel better.
Can't wait for tomorrow.
STAGE 9
The Tour de France
is heading into high altitude.
Welcome to the start of stage nine.
The promise of another great day,
and the fans are
still hoping for a French victory.
We are going to head over the mountains.
Today, we go to some pretty big altitudes.
Two first category climbs,
one second category climb,
one fourth category climb.
It's a big day
for all the riders involved.
According to the latest information,
Ben O'Connor has torn a muscle,
but he's going to give it his all
to try and finish the stage.
Goals for the day,
as you all know,
we're going to forget about
getting general classification with Ben.
So, of course,
that opens up new possibilities.
So now, the main goal for Ben
is to work together
a little for his teammates,
to get Benoît, Auré, and Bob
in a good position
at the foot of the last hill.
My name is Bob Jungels,
and I ride for AG2R-Citroën Team,
and I'm from Luxembourg.
I'm feeling good, but at the moment,
obviously not everything's
going to plan, uh, in the team.
It is a bit of a... shitty situation, yeah.
For now, we don't have luck on our side,
so we need to turn things around.
The pain is temporary.
We're in pain right now,
but we don't give up.
From stage nine onwards,
general classification is
no longer the top priority.
We must remain 100% focused.
Our number one goal is to win the stage.
So there is a glimmer of hope.
We tell ourselves we might be able to
win a stage with the riders we have left.
Everyone's ass, legs, and head hurt.
But let's focus on the positive, guys.
And the sooner, the better.
The plan A with Ben didn't...
didn't turn out to, uh, to work.
Um, and there was not really a plan B.
So, for this stage,
it's a bit of an open game now.
Everyone has an option
to join the breakaway
and see where it goes.
Although I'm not French,
I know how important
the Tour and a victory,
and a stage victory is for Julien.
And for a French team,
because it is their identity.
The team directors keep
having to change strategy for each race.
So there's a plan A,
a plan B, and sometimes even a plan C.
Thibaut wants to win.
He likes being
the first across the finish line.
For him, winning a stage
in the Tour would be a comeback,
showing his true value, his actual level,
and what he's really made of.
Yes, talent never dies.
But it all plays out up here.
In the Tour de France,
if you run into difficulties,
like falls or injuries,
or things just go wrong,
if you're on a downward spiral,
it's extremely difficult to get out of it.
Stage 9 of the Tour de France is underway.
The sun is shining. It's a beautiful day.
We're going to head from Aigle,
a little bit of a loop over three climbs,
before we go back to Aigle
and then up to Châtel for the race finish.
Whoo!
Well done!
Ben O'Connor, still in the peloton
despite the pain.
If he makes it to the finish line,
it'll be a miracle for the Australian.
Come on. Go, keep going, Ben.
This is terrible.
Terrible. Ben O'Connor falls back.
Ben O'Connor is brave,
but how can you pedal with a torn muscle,
especially on a climb?
We'll take stock tomorrow, Ben.
Come on. Be brave, Ben
I'll finish. Have to finish.
I have to finish for the team.
I'm meant to be one of the guys
fighting for the top five for the Tour.
I finished fourth last year.
Do you think I wanna be last man?
A day of extremes
for the AG2R-Citroën team.
Ben O'Connor behind,
on a mission to survive.
And in the lead, Bob Jungels.
He's hoping
to lift the morale for his team.
He's in line for a stage win.
A small group
has broken away from the peloton,
and at the front is number 36, Jungels.
Come on, guys. Come on.
A group is starting to peel away.
Come on, Bob!
I was feeling very good,
and I was very calm,
which is always a very good, uh...
very good sign.
I can ride with the best.
It was a very, very strong group.
Thibaut Pinot, a couple
of days late, but also in the breakaway.
They need to open the gap now.
Bob Jungels isn't necessarily
one of the best climbers, that's for sure.
It doesn't come naturally to Bob.
He doesn't often join a breakaway group.
So, I pushed Bob a little.
Come on, Bob.
Go! Go! Go! It's your moment.
Good, Bob. Pick up speed.
That's good, Bob, come on, kid.
Go, go, go!
Bob Jungels going clear.
We were at the front,
and from then on we thought
the story might end well.
Come on, 20 seconds ahead
of the rest of the others.
The best mental attitude wins.
The mindset is what counts.
Oh, the gap is growing
significantly in favour of Bob Jungels,
who is having one
of the best races of his life.
Excellent, Bob. Do you want a drink?
This one is caffeine free.
Two. Two minutes ten. Two minutes ten.
Oh, a massive attack
by Thibaut Pinot, who's now accelerating
and breaking away in an attempt
to catch up with Bob Jungels.
In the day's last challenge,
he's found the legs he didn't have
at La Super Planche des Belles Filles.
Thibaut's gone for it. He's out of there.
And with that incredible acceleration,
Pinot has closed the gap on Jungels.
Pinot is at 150. Pinot is at 150.
Pinot 150, behind you.
My way of winning is to make sure
I always reach the summit on my own.
I need to win in legendary places.
Places I dreamt of when I was little.
I have a real connection to the mountains.
I feel small at the base
and big at the summit.
So, for me, those victories
are the only ones that really count.
We're seeing classic
Thibaut Pinot at the Tour de France
for the first time
since his injury two years ago.
There's only a 37-second lag
and he may be able to secure
a stage win for his team, Groupama-FDJ.
He's fighting.
Ah! The gap just
keeps melting. Like snow in sunlight.
Two kilometres from the finish line.
Bob Jungels keeps
putting pressure on his adversary.
Come on, Bob, 30 seconds!
Come on, Bob!
All of a sudden,
Julien goes ballistic.
Go, Bob! Yes!
He goes from
encouraging to screaming.
Go! Go! Go!
My ear almost blows off.
Thibaut is closing in fast.
That's when I realise
I might not win this stage.
Thibaut is one
of the world's best climbers.
Pinot still believes he can win this.
Just 200 metres between the two men.
He's close. Go, go, go!
Accelerate! Accelerate!
Bob Jungels is counting down the distance
between him and t he finish line.
1,500 metres, can he win the stage?
Go, at the Flamme Rouge,
there's a small descent. Pump it. Come on.
Come on, the last half mile, Bob,
We've got this!
And Pinot still thinks he can do it
and gives everything his legs hav e left.
It's looking difficult.
Come on, 300 metres, Bob.
Don't let up, dammit, we've got this!
We're going to win this fucking stage!
Shit.
That's good, Bob. That's good.
It's yours, Bob. You're winning.
Winning, Bob, right to the finish.
Come on, Bob, you're winning, it's yours!
Bob Jungels wins the stage
after four hours and 46 minutes.
We salute this Luxembourger's performance.
An absolutely heroic ride.
Yes!
We got it!
Fuck!
Fuck!
Such an emotional rollercoaster.
Oh, shit!
Good job, guys.
It was just phenomenal, phenomenal.
I've never seen anyone pedal that fast.
So many emotions came up.
For instance, achieving
the goal that everyone has at the start.
Everything goes through your mind.
I thought about my parents
who weren't there to see this.
I'm not going to cry again,
but I know, up there,
they're proud to see their son...
blossoming, having a great time.
And the pride of being
the French team that, once again,
has a victory at the Tour.
Oh, look at that.
Thibaut Pinot, he's being left behind
before the finish line.
Fucking damn it! He's not even second.
Shit.
Dream shattered. But
we've seen a resurgence of the Frenchman.
But we saw the great Thibaut Pinot today.
He gave it his all.
It hurts.
I'm not happy. I'm... I'm not happy.
When I finished,
I felt disappointed to have lost.
Basically, it was
a head-to-head with Jungels
The pressure I put myself under
is sometimes hard to bear.
When things don't go as planned,
year after year, it's hard to live with.
I'm well over 30 years old now.
You can say that, sadly,
I'm already going downhill.
Shame.
Had it been steeper,
he'd have done it. But...
That's racing.
There's no place for feelings for people
who achieved great things in the past.
That doesn't exist.
That's the harsh law,
the harsh reality of racing.
You're good, Mich-Mich?
The young ones are there
to replace the older generation.
Now, the team's full and complete focus
is on general classification.
There's no greater royalist
than the king. Our time will come.
Ben O'Connor, the Australian rider,
crossing the finish line
30 minutes after Bob Jungels.
I think, at the finish line,
it was a bit conflicting because,
like, obviously it's average for me.
Personally, I'm still in pain.
But, you know, he's won.
What else do you want? So... yeah.
I was just happy for Bob.
Julien came up to me.
You could just see
how much this means to him.
You feel, uh...
that weight has fallen off
the team's shoulders.
- For Bob, for AG2R-Citroën!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- And again, hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
- Hip, hip!
- Hurray!
I didn't make
the team proud this whole race.
After the, you know,
the crashes and the bad luck.
So, the least I could do
yesterday was fight.
But the pain's too sharp.
And it's literally impossible to race,
so I'm not going to start
the Tour de France tomorrow.
Pretty much is the main thing.
So, not the fairy-tale story
that we all wanted, is it?
There you go.
- I'm standing in for you now.
- It's a substitution.
There you go.
Good luck!
Thanks.
For me.
I think we made the right
decision at the right time with Bob's win.
Of course, it meant Ben could leave
feeling a bit better about it all,
because, you know,
his friends picked up the baton
and achieved something amazing.
COMING UP ON TOUR DE FRANCE: UNCHAINED
It's the queen of stages
of Tour de France today in Hautes-Alpes.
The plan is to try
and win a stage with Jonas.
I don't think you can
beat Tadej Pogačar alone.
You definitely need your team.
I need to snap him at some point.
I hope all of you are ready
for a super, super hard day.
You don't want to poke the bear,
and Tadej Pogačar,
if you poke him, he's gonna react.
You have to suffer
what others can't bear.
And we have to do it.
Jonas Vingegaard attacks!
- Go! Go!
- Come on!
What are they up to?