It is not hard to imagine Marc Madiou nodding and smiling in approval when Thibaut Pinot said at his retirement press conference that he would reject the smartwatch offer and sell his home trainer as soon as possible. But while Pino seems nostalgic for Madiou's racing days in cycling, the Grupama-FDJ boss himself has moved with the times.

It was Madio who gave the go-ahead for a watch that monitors every step and heartbeat of every rider. Previously disdainful of Team Sky and suspicious of the dominance of sports science in professional cycling, this French rider has learned, perhaps grudgingly, to embrace the modern methods that now dominate the sport.

That is why, in an interview posted on his team's website, he did not seem particularly misty-eyed at the news that the best rider in team history will retire at the end of 2023. The press person who handled the interview said, "I think he's a little emotional.

That will come when the season is over, he replied, but the fact that it doesn't come now still seemed to tell the story.

"An era will end. Time passes, and life just goes on. We can look back in nostalgia, but we cannot stand still.

"To remain competitive, teams must continue to move forward, develop, innovate, and strengthen in all areas. If they stop or lose time looking at their record, they will die. That's the life of a team. We respect and escort those who leave, but we must continue to strengthen the hard core of the House."

In recent years, Madio has not only modernized the team and its methods to incorporate more scientific aspects of the sport, but has also laid the groundwork for the future with a junior and U23 development team that is already sending quality players to World Tour teams.

David Gaudou has already emerged as Pinot's successor, and the highly regarded Lenny Martinez and Romain Gregoire will also graduate this year. In addition to their home country's hopes, the development team also has an international feel, with a particular emphasis on tapping into the wave of British talent that has emerged since Wiggins.

"The transition is already happening. For a long time, especially in tools, we relied on Pinot. But that is no longer the case after 2021. Teams are already preparing for the post-Pinot era," Madio said.

"In the sprint we have (Arno) Demare, (Valentin) Maduas, Gordou, (Stefan) Kühn, then Gregoire, Martinez, and the young guys coming up. We are already thinking about tomorrow. The team did not and could not wait for Thibault to retire to prepare for the next stage. That doesn't take anything away from the respect, admiration, and appreciation for Thibault, but the role of the team, especially the coach, is not to stand still. Look, greet, and show respect.

Madio acknowledged that it was Pino who pulled the team out of a decade of stagnation after the 1998 Festina incident, referring to the idea of an "industrial revolution." But it has since given way to what he calls the "ecological revolution."

"Thibault has seen that cycling has changed between the beginning of his career and today. We are no longer in the same pattern. I fully understand that."

Madio revealed that Pino told him of his decision at a team training camp in December. He explained that Pino spoke of his retirement after his heartbreak at the 2019 Tour de France and subsequent crash and resulting back injury at the 2020 Tour.

He then remained active and returned to the pinnacle of the sport, but continued to feel the pull of "real life" and could not look beyond the expiration of his current contract at the end of 2023.

"Somehow the stars aligned. I knew it was time. 'I knew him, and I sensed it was going to happen.'

"I think he's going to have a great season," he added, and Pinot will target the Giro d'Italia and compete in his final Tour before closing with Il Lombardia.

"My feeling is that by saying, 'It's over,' it frees him up and paradoxically opens up certain prospects. This is not a farewell tour and I know he doesn't think that way. I know him well enough to know that he is not 'retired' mentally. This is his last season and I think he wants to savor it."

Asked how he thinks the public will react to the news, Madiotto replied: "With a certain nostalgia, of course. For many people, Thibault is a symbol of romantic cycling, colored by triumphs and setbacks."

"I think it's a great thing," he said, "but I think it's also a great thing to be able to be a part of the cycling community.

"We must also recognize that from a global perspective, cycling is highly controlled, stereotyped, conditioned, and regulated. That was not the case with Thibaut Pinot. So people will have the sense that the page has been turned.

Madio describes Pinot as a "rider of paradoxes," referring to the peaks and valleys that have shaped his roller-coaster career trajectory: stage wins in all three Grand Tours, Tour de France podiums, and the Il Lombardia title While winning the Tour can be considered a great palmarè, Pinot's era has also been marked by extreme suffering, including a hospitalization at the end of the 2018 Giro and a mysterious injury that robbed him of a chance to win the 2019 Tour.

"He is seen as fragile, anxious and fearful, but if you scratch deep enough, he is actually one of the riders in the most pain," Madio said.

"A lot of people have a kind of misconception. They might think he's shattering, but he's actually rock solid. That's why there is so much passion around him. He shares many emotions.

"I don't know what the reaction will be, but there is definitely love. You can feel it as soon as you talk about Thibault. There is no need to tell the people to go and see him one last time.