Pinot’s Tour hopes boosted by FDJ’s time trial improvements (Reuters)

By Julien Pretot PARIS (Reuters) – French riders’ chances of winning the Tour de France have long been hampered by their inability to perform in time trials, but Thibaut Pinot’s FDJ team have changed their approach and the youngster may now be ready to take on the best against the clock. The 25-year-old, third overall in the 2014 Tour and winner of the prestigious Alpe d’Huez stage last year, beat specialists Tom Dumoulin and Chris Froome in last week’s individual time trial at the Tour de Romandie, in which he finished second overall behind Nairo Quintana. “We did not have the culture of time trialing in France,” FDJ head of performance Frederic Grappe told Reuters on Tuesday.