Groupama-FDJ's Thibaut Pinot has decided not to race again in 2019, opting to forgo the challenge of defending his Il Lombardia crown and prepare as best he can for next season.

As a result, Pinot has not been selected to represent France at the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire later this month, and his elite men's road race team consists mainly of Julien Alaphilippe of Detunink-Quickstep.

Pinot had an incredibly successful end to the 2018 season, winning at Il Lombardia and Milan-Torino, finishing sixth overall (two stage wins) at the Vuelta a España, and finishing in the top 10 at the World Championship road race.

Pinot suffered a thigh injury at the Tour de France this past July and came off the race in tears while in pole position to become the first rider since Bernard Hinault in 1985 to win the overall La Grand Boucle. Now recovered and continuing to train, Pinot believes it is best to aim to come back even stronger in 2020.

"I was feeling tired. I stopped riding for three weeks after the Tour de France, and because of that forced rest, I wasn't at 100% for the rest of the season," Pinot admitted on the team's website.

"It was the same with the conditions at Lombardia, where I wanted to defend my title and fight with the top riders. In my current conditions I wouldn't have been competitive enough."

"But I was able to win the championship," Pinot said on the team's website, "and that's what I wanted to do.

"But I am already thinking about 2020. 'I want to get back to my best level as soon as possible. To achieve that, I want to continue training hard until the end of September and then go into the winter break in perfect physical condition."

Groupama-FDJ manager Marc Madio added that he and the rest of the team fully support Pinot's decision to end the season early.

"It would have been too risky to try to get everything back on track with just the ambition of racing one day at Il Lombardia," Madio said.

"Nevertheless, Thibault is clearly back in training and will complete his training program before the winter break. And, of course, we go into the end of the season with Arnaud Demare and Marc Sarrault eager to shine and get results.

"The Italian race will also give David Gaudoux and Valentin Maduas more responsibility. It's a real learning opportunity for these two young riders."