Thibaut Pinot Wins Criterium International

Last updated : 27 March 2016 By CNS Sport

Thibaut Pinot of FDJ has won the Criterium International in Corsica.

The final stage after Ireland's Sam Bennett won the first stage and Thibaut Pinot won the time trial, started in Porto Vecchio and had a mountain finish on the Col de l'Ospedale after a 171.5km stage.

FDJ working for Pinot has two riders in the seven strong break which was 54 seconds ahead going into the final 16.2kms of the race.

Only four riders were left up front with Remy Di Gregorio and Tommy Voeckler, Cyril Gautier and Moreno Moser trying to stay away with a thirty second break over the peloton on the climb with 12.1kms left.

Voeckler and Di Gregorio dropped back with ten kiloemetres to go and the break was caught.

AG2R sent two men to the front with Latour leading with four kilometres left, just ahead of Pinot's group.

There was just over 1.3kms to go when Pinot made his move and caught up to Latour and passed him with 1.1kms left and went away to win in 4.34.18 ahead of Latour and Jeannesson, Villermoz and Oomen.

Pinot, who won the race overall by 37 seconds from Latour, said: "We did a great job with the team. It was very hard but it was great to win this stage and I had to win for my team mates who did so much work for me.

"Last year I won five races and I would like to win more. When we race as favourities it is important to win. I am a rider of stage races but if I am to progress I need to be stronger in the time trial."