Don't mess with badgers

It's quite amazing that no Frenchman has won their home race — the Tour de France — for 37 years. Every July, hopes are high throughout the three-week stage race in France, with its rich cycling history, that this long drought will finally end.

So who was the last one to capture the yellow jersey — the maillot jaune — which would have been in 1985? His nickname is "The Badger." I had to find out more, therefore I found myself returning to my favorite author when it comes to two-wheeled machines — William Fotheringham.

In 2015, the British journalist came out with "Bernard Hinault and the Fall and Rise of French Cycling" (Yellow Jersey Press). Just like the other four books I've read by Fotheringham, this publication digs deep into its respective subject. I like details, even those that may seem frivolous, and this 332-page work mainly focusing on Hinault is chock-full of them.

During his just over ten years as a professional, the Frenchman was a heck of a bike racer. In just the Grand Tours alone, which are among his 147 victories, "The Badger" was a five-time winner of the Tour de France, a three-time winner of Giro d'Italia, and a two-time winner of Vuelta a Espana. And he only participated in 13 of them; pretty good odds, I'd say.

Hinault was a hard charger and definitely in control of the peloton. As one quote in the book reveals, "As long as I breathe, I attack."

Furthermore, for lack of a better way of putting it, he also didn't take any crap in matters off the bike. Here's a case in point, as described in the book: "March 1984, Paris-Nice race. A cyclist leads the breakaway, pushing on to secure his lead. Up ahead union protesters fill the road, waving their banners. The cyclist accelerates straight into the middle of them. As they scatter, one pulls him from his bike. The cyclist grabs the protester and catches him with a right hook before turning to hit another. The race descends into a bar-room brawl. The cyclist is Bernard Hinault."

The latter portion of the book delves into the long absence of finding the next Bernard Hinault. Part of the problem, according to the author, may be the loss of many smaller, regional cycling races in France. These competitions served as feeders, supplying professional teams with seasoned racers.

Fotheringham also addresses the impact concerning the era of "two-speed cycling." This involves those using hemoglobin boosters such as EPO or blood doping — the Lance Armstrongs of the peloton — versus those who raced clean. During the years following Hinault's retirement, very few French cyclists were ever accused or even found guilty of cheating. The main consequence of all this: Not many victories for those not breaking the rules; certainly no Tour de France wins.

I enjoyed this book, just like all the others by Fotheringham. I learned a great deal about a legendary bike racer, about whom I knew very little, and I got a better understanding of the pedal powers of France, a country where I actually took a long bicycle ride back in the early 1980s. Stay safe!

Another excellent book by British cycling journalist William Fotheringham.