World of Cycling: When will a Frenchman win the Tour de France again?

Thirty-eight years after Bernard Hinault’s fifth Tour de France victory, we are yet to see another Frenchman take to the top step in Paris, a prospect that must have seemed unthinkable in 1985. Since then, however, France has had to watch new Tour winners emerge from Great Britain, Slovenia and Denmark, all whilst their own riders have tried and failed.

In this week’s World of Cycling, Dan Lloyd returns from his post-Giro hiatus to lead the discussion on what has gone wrong for France for nigh-on 40 years, whilst taking a closer look at Hinault’s final Tour de France victory. Was the Frenchman an impossible act for his compatriots to follow?

Dan is joined in the World of Cycling studio by author and journalist William Fotheringham and commentator and reporter Hannah Walker. Elsewhere, stat guru Cillian Kelly is on hand to chime in with the Stat Attack take on France’s long wait.

Will this finally be the year that a Frenchman wins the Tour de France, or are we better looking to those seeking success at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift? David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) will certainly have his work cut out following Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) this July.

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