Latest news with #Hinault
LeMonde
a day ago
- Sport
- LeMonde
For the Tour de France, the lack of French winners hasn't hurt business
Every summer brings attacks, high hopes, and ultimately, disappointment or regret. For 40 years, since Bernard Hinault's triumph in 1985, French riders have been unable to claim final victory in the Tour de France. Following the Hinault's fifth overall win, six French cyclists have reached the top 3: Hinault himself (2 nd in 1986), Laurent Fignon (2 nd in 1989), Richard Virenque (3 rd in 1996 and 2 nd in 1997), Jean-Christophe Péraud (2 nd in 2014), Thibaut Pinot (3 rd in 2014) and Romain Bardet (2 nd in 2016, 3 rd in 2017). But none have made it to the top step. Does this lack of French victories in the Tour's final overall standings harm the health of the event? Not at all. For four decades, the Tour's economic model has continued to boost the finances of Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). "The Tour de France is a phenomenon in itself, synonymous with happy summers," said Jean Durry, author of La Véridique Histoire des Géants de la Route ("The True Story of the Giants of the Road," 1973). According to the sports historian, the Tour's economy does not depend on strong performances from French riders. "The public is ecstatic if a Frenchman is in contention, but for them, it's a celebration no matter what happens."
The National
3 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Tadej Pogacar on 'incredible' season so far, winning the Dauphine and his Tour de France hopes
Tadej Pogacar heads into the Tour de France looking to secure a fourth crown backed by the momentum of what has been a superb 2025 so far. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider has been in relentless form this season having sealed victories at the UAE Tour, La Fleche Wallone, Strade Bianche, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Tour of Flanders and the Criterium du Dauphine. The latter title was particularly satisfying for Pogacar who won the race for the first time having held off the challenge of great rival Jonas Vingegaard on his way to victory. The 26-year-old Slovenian heads to Le Tour start line in Lille on Saturday knowing that overall victory will take him level with British rider Chris Froome for race wins – with record-holding five-time victors Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain firmly in his sights. And French legend Hinault is confident the record is there for Pogacar's taking. 'I think that Pogacar will really leave his mark on cycling for a few years to come,' the 70-year-old told AFP this week. 'He is perhaps the only one who will be able to beat the record. He is only 26 years old. When you look at the list of victories he's already won, he's well on schedule. 'He's already won three Tours de France, the Giro d'Italia, the world championship title, the classics … He's a complete rider.' Ahead of Saturday's Grand Depart, Pogacar speaks to The National about his season so far and his hopes for the upcoming race. Q: You've had a mightily impressive start to the 2025 season. Now you've had a bit of time to reflect, how do view your efforts so far? A: It's been an incredible start to the season, one that I will remember for a long time. Starting in the UAE, in front of our incredible fans, all the way through to the recent win at the Dauphine. I feel extremely happy. Chapeaux to the team, without them, I would not have been able to get these amazing results. Q: Your win at the Dauphine was particularly dominant, three stage wins and the overall title. How much confidence does that give you heading into this year's Tour de France? A: I arrived at the Dauphine wanting to continue my preparations for the Tour de France, but of course, I wanted to win as well. On Stage 1, Jonas attacked me, and it was painful, but I managed to recover and take an amazing win. The real test came at the end of the week, and I want to say a huge thank you to my teammates, their support made my job easier, and my legs felt good all week. So in the end, it was a perfect preparation for what's to come. Q: The team gathered for a pre-Tour training camp at Isola 2000. How important was that time together, and how is the mood within the team ahead of the big race? A: Training camp with the team is always important, it gave us time to focus and put in some good training on the bike, but also to spend time together and really build that team spirit. Of course, we were missing some riders, like Joao [Almeida], but it is also great to see him riding so well and taking so many wins. We know we have a big challenge ahead of us, but everyone is really focused, and the vibes are high. Q: With another challenging Tour course on the horizon, are there any particular stages you've identified as crucial for the team's overall ambitions? A: As a team, we are focused on the overall goal – winning the Tour de France. The Tour is a race where every second counts and staying alert throughout every second is extremely important. Of course, there is a focus on all the mountain stages, but as a team, we are confident in our legs and our ability to put in good performances. I can't wait to get going. Q: You're chasing your fourth Tour de France title. what does this race mean to you, and how does it feel to have experienced so much success here? A: Winning the Tour once is absolutely amazing, but winning it for a third time, in the way we did it last season, was unreal. The Tour means a lot to me, you're battling the best riders in the world for three weeks, it's relentless at times. The whole world stops to watch the Tour, it motivates me a lot to put in good performances for the fans of our sport, crossing the line in the yellow jersey will always be one of the best moments of my career.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Bernard Hinault backs ‘complete rider' Tadej Pogacar for Tour de France glory
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Yffiniac – With the Tour de France set to get underway in Lille on July 5, French cycling legend Bernard Hinault has thrown his voice firmly behind Tadaj Pogacar, saying the Slovenian can go on to break his record for Tour victories. Hinault is one of four riders, along with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain to have won the Tour five times but he believes Pogacar can close on that group by adding to his victories in 2020, 2021 and 2024. 'For me, yes, he is the favourite, unless he has a major breakdown but I don't believe that at all,' Hinault told AFP. 'When you see what he was able to do in the Dauphine, he was in control, he did what he wanted, when he wanted. 'Pogacar, when he sees that he has the chance to pull the trigger, he pulls the trigger – a bit like Eddy (Merckx). 'When he attacks, as he did at the world championships, with 100km to go, everyone says: 'What a stupid thing to do'. At the end, he won. And that's fabulous to see.' The UAE Team Emirates rider started the season by taking his 'home' UAE Tour, then won four one-day races, including Liege-Bastogne-Liege, finishing on the podium in three others. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 out of 4 in Singapore cannot identify deepfake content: Cyber Security Agency survey Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore Three hair salons raided in clampdown on touting, vice, drugs in Geylang and Joo Chiat Singapore New $7.5m fund to encourage social service agencies to track impact of their programmes Singapore GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July Singapore Police looking into claim by driver who caused teen's death that he was an NUS student Asia Dalai Lama says he will have successor after his death Business Cathay Cineplexes gets demand for $3.4 million in arrears from Jem landlord He ended his Tour preparation with a brilliantly controlled performance in the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine, when he beat Jonas Vingegaard – his main rival for the Tour and himself looking for a third title – by 59 seconds. The 26-year-old Slovenian goes into the 2025 Tour, his sixth, with an extraordinary record in his previous five, having clocked two second-places behind Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023 to go with his three victories. Hinault, 70, sees him as a genuine challenger for the record of Tour wins. 'I think that Pogacar will really leave his mark on cycling for a few years to come,' says Hinault. 'He is perhaps the only one who will be able to beat the record. 'He is only 26 years old. When you look at the list of victories he's already won, he's well on schedule. 'He's already won three Tours de France, the Giro d'Italia, the world championship title, the Classics... He's a complete rider.' Hinault – known as 'The Badger' during his career – was less hopeful that the 2025 race might yield the first French winner since his last victory 40 years ago in 1985. 'We're a bit sad that we haven't had a Frenchman win the Tour,' he said. 'We're still a cycling country, we still have some of the best races in the world, and then all of a sudden, nothing. 'That's life, that's the way it is. We don't have super champions with extraordinary physical abilities, like some nations. 'When you look at it, everyone else would have to fail (for a Frenchman to win).' AFP
France 24
5 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Hinault backs 'complete rider' Pogacar for Tour de France glory
Hinault is one of four riders, along with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain to have won the Tour five times but he believes Pogacar can close on that group by adding to his victories in 2020, 2021 and 2024. "For me, yes, he is the favourite, unless he has a major breakdown but I don't believe that at all," Hinault told AFP. "When you see what he was able to do in the Dauphine, he was in control, he did what he wanted, when he wanted. "Pogacar, when he sees that he has the chance to pull the trigger he pulls the trigger -- a bit like Eddy (Merckx). "When he attacks, as he did at the world championships, with 100 kilometres to go, everyone says: 'what a stupid thing to do'. At the end, he won. And that's fabulous to see." The Team UAE rider started the season by taking his 'home' UAE Tour, then won four one-day races, including Liege-Bastogne-Liege, finishing on the podium in three others. He ended his Tour preparation with a brilliantly controlled performance in the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine when he beat Jonas Vingegaard -- his main rival for the Tour and himself looking for a third title -- by 59 seconds. The 26-year-old Slovenian goes into this year's Tour, his sixth, with an extraordinary record in his previous five, having clocked two second-places behind Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023 to go with his three victories. Hinault, 70, sees him as a genuine challenger for the record of Tour wins. "I think that Pogacar will really leave his mark on cycling for a few years to come," says Hinault. "He is perhaps the only one who will be able to beat the record. "He is only 26 years old. When you look at the list of victories he's already won, he's well on schedule. "He's already won three Tours de France, the Giro d'Italia, the world championship title, the classics... He's a complete rider." Hinault -- known as 'The Badger' during his career -- was less hopeful that this year's race might yield the first French winner since his last victory 40 years ago in 1985. "We're a bit sad that we haven't had a Frenchman win the Tour," he said. "We're still a cycling country, we still have some of the best races in the world, and then all of a sudden, nothing. "That's life, that's the way it is. We don't have super champions with extraordinary physical abilities, like some nations. © 2025 AFP
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Hinault backs 'complete rider' Pogacar for Tour de France glory
With the Tour de France set to get underway in Lille on Saturday, French cycling legend Bernard Hinault has thrown his voice firmly behind Tadaj Pogacar, saying the Slovenian can go on to break his record for Tour victories. Hinault backs 'complete rider' Pogacar for Tour de France glory Hinault is one of four riders, along with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain to have won the Tour five times but he believes Pogacar can close on that group by adding to his victories in 2020, 2021 and 2024. "For me, yes, he is the favourite, unless he has a major breakdown but I don't believe that at all," Hinault told AFP. "When you see what he was able to do in the Dauphine, he was in control, he did what he wanted, when he wanted. "Pogacar, when he sees that he has the chance to pull the trigger he pulls the trigger a bit like Eddy . "When he attacks, as he did at the world championships, with 100 kilometres to go, everyone says: 'what a stupid thing to do'. At the end, he won. And that's fabulous to see." The Team UAE rider started the season by taking his 'home' UAE Tour, then won four one-day races, including Liege-Bastogne-Liege, finishing on the podium in three others. He ended his Tour preparation with a brilliantly controlled performance in the eight-day Criterium du Dauphine when he beat Jonas Vingegaard his main rival for the Tour and himself looking for a third title by 59 seconds. The 26-year-old Slovenian goes into this year's Tour, his sixth, with an extraordinary record in his previous five, having clocked two second-places behind Vingegaard in 2022 and 2023 to go with his three victories. Hinault, 70, sees him as a genuine challenger for the record of Tour wins. "I think that Pogacar will really leave his mark on cycling for a few years to come," says Hinault. "He is perhaps the only one who will be able to beat the record. "He is only 26 years old. When you look at the list of victories he's already won, he's well on schedule. "He's already won three Tours de France, the Giro d'Italia, the world championship title, the classics... He's a complete rider." Hinault known as 'The Badger' during his career was less hopeful that this year's race might yield the first French winner since his last victory 40 years ago in 1985. "We're a bit sad that we haven't had a Frenchman win the Tour," he said. "We're still a cycling country, we still have some of the best races in the world, and then all of a sudden, nothing. "That's life, that's the way it is. We don't have super champions with extraordinary physical abilities, like some nations. "When you look at it, everyone else would have to fail ." hap/hpa/ll/bsp/pi This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
