Peloton - August-September 2011

ALL THROUGH THE TOUR I HAD
GREAT PLEASURE; I SAID TO GREG
LEMOND THAT I WOULD HELP HIM
TO WIN THE TOUR DE FRANCE
AND I RESPECTED
MY PROMISE.

Johann Le Bon and [Olivier] Le
Gac, the world junior champion,”
said Hinault. “These are two guys
for the future because they have
been world champion in the junior
category. Also they were good at
the beginning of the season.”
This is something he strongly denied
then, just as he does today.

they leave with a smile like a banana, they have had a really good day. It’s a real pleasure to explain the race to people, to explain what is happening, and what will happen in the race; it’s a real pleasure to share my knowledge of race strategy with the people.” His role is much busier than it used to be, particularly with ASO taking on more races all the time, but he still finds time to ride his bike though.

“Also, [Romain] Sicard, who rides
for the team in Spain [Euskaltel-
Euskadi], now we need to expect
something; we’ll wait and see.”
“I played my part in creating the
victory for LeMond,” he explained.
“All through the Tour I had great
pleasure; I said to Greg LeMond that
I would help him to win the Tour de
France and I respected my promise. If
I had not kept my word, he wouldn’t
have won,” he added.

“Yes, of course,” he smiled. “I have
more time to ride and for my family,
but my job takes a lot of my time.”
One of the measures brought
in post-Festina was to provide
French riders with a comfortable
salary, in order to remove a
lot of the temptation to dope
to win. This though, thinks
Hinault, is one of the major
factors that has robbed French
riders of the hunger for victory.

“They need a basic salary,” he said, “and then prizes for victory.” Having reached the milestone of five victories in the Tour in 1985, Hinault promised his teammate Greg LeMond, who’d helped him to his victory, that he would help him to take the race the next year. Much has been written about how the race went; Hinault rode his usual aggressive style, attacking constantly, and was accused by many of reneging on the agreement and racing for his own victory.

While there may have been a little friction between the teammates during, and immediately after, the 1986 race, relations are far more cordial in the two men’s retirements.

“I have a good relationship with Greg LeMond,” he said. “He came to the Tour de France with his son two years ago. I have a good relationship with all of my former adversaries.” In his retirement from racing, Hinault has taken up what is now a full-time role with Tour organizer, ASO. The most visible part of this is as the man who zips up the back of the leaders’ jerseys on the podium and introduces them to the local dignitaries on the stage; much of it, though, is much more behind the scenes and involves travelling in official cars during the race, along with VIPs.

“It gives me great pleasure,” he said.

“People come in the car with me and
With more scandals threatening the
sport once more, Hinault refuses to
be drawn into commenting on either
the cases of Alberto Contador, who
tested positive for clenbuterol during
last year’s Tour, or Lance Armstrong,
who has been accused by former
teammates of systematically doping
during his Tour reign.

“It has not been judged yet, so at the moment they are white,” said Hinault. “It’s black or white, no grey: if there’s no judgement they are white, if they are positive: black.” So just like the striped nose of the Badger, or the colours of his region’s flag, whose name in Breton means “white and black,” Hinault will condemn or commend once the cases are settled.