tour reporter
On the French National Day, the Tour reaches L’Alpe d’Huez. The French haven’t won a stage yet, but suddenly a much bigger dream is back.
So now L’Alpe d’Huezthis fabled increase in Tour de Francethe center of attraction for hundreds of thousands of cycling fans and hobby cyclists from all over the world – 21 hairpin bends, a myth.
fausto coppi, the first winner there in 1952, then the Dutch mountain for a long time with eight Dutch stage wins on the Alpe between 1976 and 1989. Then the Italians came, won six times – Marco Pantani in a record time of 37’35 minutes fueled by EPO. Twice the American Lance Armstrong2001 and 2004, meanwhile a blank line in the result lists.
L’Alpe d’Huez – not a mountain of the French for a long time
So much tour history, so few French. Somehow, the French cycling pros have long ignored this famous mountain. Except the big one Bernard Hinault Of course, there in 1986 hand in hand with his teammate and greatest rival Greg LeMond crossed the finish line first. Before and after – nothing for a long time.
Only in recent years have France’s cyclists discovered the myth L’Alpe d’Huez also discovered for themselves. In the last four arrivals, the French have been ahead three times: Pierre Rolland (2011), Christopher Riblon (2013) and Thibaut Pinot (2015). On Thursday (07/14/22) the Tour de France over again on the 12th stage after a four-year break. And that on the French national holiday.
And suddenly there is Romain Bardet
A win by a Frenchman that day in L’Alpe d’Huez would be a true liberation for them Grand Nation. It’s been running for almost two weeks Tour de France well. And France is still waiting for one of their own to win at least one stage. “The Blues Still Empty-Handed”headlined the sports newspaper L’Equipe after the 10th stage full of disappointment.
By a French Tour winner 37 years after the last triumph of Bernard Hinault In 1985, before the tour, no one dared even dream anymore. But suddenly there is Romain Bardetwhich after the monumental 11th stage to Col du Granonon the Jonas Vingegaard drove the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar from the yellow jersey.
bardet, third on the stage, has worked his way up to second place overall (+2’16 minutes), although he only came as a stage chaser. The 31-year-old who the Tour de France Finished second in 2016 and third a year later, is the last Frenchman to have made it onto the podium in Paris. “I’m in the game. It’s nice to be back”he explained.
From the Brittany grumbles Hinault
But he will probably not be able to satisfy the longing for a French tour winner either. Vingegaard was much stronger than him, Bardet emphasized after the 11th stage. Days earlier, the 31-year-old had already stated that he was not playing in the same league as Tadej Pogacar, who died after his burglary on Col du Granon now six seconds behind in the overall standings bardet lies.
bardets Appearance on Wednesday when he with a spirited attack from the group around Vingegaard and Pogacar broke out himself Bernard Hinault have satisfied. The five-time Tour winner grumbles regularly from his Breton retirement about the state of French cycling.
The French cycling pros are “too loose”they miss the “hunger for success”, the five-time tour winner complained before the start of this year’s tour in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung. These descriptions of the old master are also an annually recurring ritual.
Julian Alaphilippe is missing
There are besides bardet of course, other successful cycling pros in the motherland of the tour. The French are missing the world champion these days Julian Alaphilippewho after a serious fall at the classic LiègeBastogne-Liège was injured for a long time and therefore by his team Quick Step AlphaVinyl was not considered for the tour.
The 30-year-old professional cyclist is a rider with panachethat panache that the French love so much, and himself Hinault gives his credit because Alaphilippe takes his heart in his hands, attacks courageously and often successfully. the Tour de France will also be Alaphilippe never win, that’s not what he’s made for, but he might have given the French a stage win this year.
The sufferings of Thibaut Pinot
Then there is Thibaut Pinot, the unlucky fellow that the whole country has suffered with for the past three years. At the 2019 tour, he had to retire in tears three days before the end because of a knee injury. He was fifth in the overall standings with the best prospects of a podium finish in Paris.
The following year he based on the 1st stage in Nice. The subsequent back problems also cost him the 2021 season. Since then he no longer wants to compete in the overall classification – too much stress and fear of falling again. “I just don’t want to experience that again”Has pinot (32) explained in an interview before the tour. “I’ve only got a few years left and I want to have fun.”
pinot did it on the 9th stage after Chatel tried in vain to win the longed-for stage. And there are other candidates for daily successes. Warren Barguil about – the winner of the mountain jersey at the Tour de France 2017 – the am Col du Granon drove long in front until Vinegaard, bardet and the others passed him.
gaudi doesn’t think much of the internal French comparison
Also Pierre Rollandnow 37 years old, is still involved. Benjamin Thomas from the Cofidis team has already made it into the breakaway groups. And there is David Gaudiwho his colleague pinot at the team FDJ Groupama the burden of the captain’s role has eased.
gaudi is seventh overall after eleven stages, 3’13 minutes behind the yellow jersey and 57 seconds behind Bardet. “I’ve often said it’s uninteresting”says Gaudu about the intra-French comparison. “If you start playing the game between the French drivers who’s fifth or sixth overall, we’re not progressing.”
That almost sounds like Hinaultbut gaudi is after all also Breton. And so France now hopes in time for the national holiday and the stage of the post L’Alpe d’Huez back to the big hit. “A Beginning Thrill”captioned L’Equipe given on Thursday morning bardets place in the overall standings and declared bardet can’t hide anymore. The dream is awakened again.