Thibaut Pinot joins firefighters battling wildfire in his home village

France has been battling wildfires for several weeks. The situation is particularly serious in the south of the country, with the area around Bordeaux among the largest hotspots, but eastern France has also been affected. A fire broke out in Haute-Saône as a result of the dry conditions, including in the small village of Mélisey, where Thibaut Pinot stepped in to help firefighters in his home town.

Dry conditions and strong winds created a dangerous situation in Mélisey this week, where a relatively small fire spread extremely quickly. Several homes were soon under threat, while the surrounding woodland was also at risk. Firefighters had their hands full trying to bring the blaze under control, meaning assistance from people living and working in the area was urgently needed.

Pinot came to the firefighters' aid. Alongside several other local farmers, the former professional cyclist drove back and forth in quads, buggies and tractors to collect water from nearby ponds and lakes. The firefighters were unable to handle all of that work themselves, allowing Pinot and the other volunteers to ease some of the pressure on the emergency services.

The Tour de France passed through Mélisey only recently. During stage 13 to Belfort, an intermediate sprint was held in Pinot’s home village. The stage was eventually won by Mauro Schmid of Jayco AlUla, who came out on top after an intense battle between the attackers and beat XDS Astana rider Harold Tejada in the sprint. Later in the Tour, the final stage had to be shortened because emergency personnel were required elsewhere to respond to the wildfires across France.

Pinot retired from professional cycling in 2023 and subsequently transformed his farm into a bed and breakfast. He was also a guest of honour during the recent Tour and allowed one lucky family to stay at his farm free of charge during the race. The guests could enjoy the Tour from the area, experience La Grande Boucle from inside the event and even watch the race from a helicopter. The entire experience was provided at no cost.