Cycling-Pinot ends run of bad luck with iconic Tour win

By Julien Pretot L'ALPE D'HUEZ, France, July 25 (Reuters) - Tipped as a potential podium finisher this year, Thibaut Pinot salvaged his Tour de France with victory in the Queen stage on Saturday to put a run of bad luck behind him in style. The Frenchman, third overall last year, endured a tough first week in which his FDJ team mate William Bonnet suffered a life-threatening crash in front of him, he had an untimely mechanical problem on the cobblestones stage and fell himself. He cracked in the first mountain section in the Pyrenees and narrowly missed out on a stage win in the second week. The FDJ rider found his cruising speed in the third week but a crash on a treacherous descent deprived him of almost certain victory in Pra Loup before he took fourth place in La Toussuire on Friday. "I've been fighting for this win, I never gave up," the 25-year-old, who won the Queen stages in this year's Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse, told a news conference. Pinot stressed that the win was for the team. "We deserve this victory. We had tough days with William's crash, then Steve (Morabito)," he said. "William's crash was a massive blow to the head for us." Pinot jumped away on Saturday from a small group of riders who were in pursuit of his team mate Alexandre Geniez, the early attacker of the day. He only had Canadian Ryder Hesjedal with him but ended the Cannondale Garmin rider's resilience with a strong attack six kilometres from the top at bend seven -- the 15th of 21 hairpins on the iconic ascent to l'Alpe d'Huez. Pinot rode through hundreds of flare-waving spectators in the "Dutch corner" and occasionally looked back. Chasing him was Colombian Nairo Quintana, second overall, who was bidding for the stage victory and looking to overturn a massive deficit on leader Chris Froome, but Pinot held on to win by 18 seconds. "I had goosebumps," the Frenchman said. "I dropped Hesjedal in the Dutch corner and I was boosted by the crowds." Pinot will finish the Tour 16th overall but he said he would not change a thing after claiming the "most beautiful" win of his career, his second on the Tour after snatching a mountain stage win on his debut in 2012. (Editing by Ed Osmond)