Hinault speaks, and he still rides 300k a week!

[roadking]

Here's an interesting view by the Breton Badger himself Bernard Hinault, culled from the current edition of Cyclist magazine, and talking about today's riders -

"...Today riders either do the Classics or they do the Grand Tours, and they think that it isn't possible to to do both. I say it is possible, but they don't try because they earn a lot of money. Whoever wins the Tour de France earns an enormous amount of money, and a lot of riders are well paid to win certain races, so they don't put in much effort on the others. They make too much money and don't try hard enough."

Sir Bradley has not defended his TdF victory, and neither he nor Chris Froome nor Mark Cavendish are at the Vuelta!

What would RBers think if Sir Bradley entered the Worlds and won - he wouldn't be much of a World Champion or would he?

Is Hinault right or wrong...I rather agree with his sentiment.

Roadking.

 

[Woz]

Big Hinault fan here. He is totally right. He's arguably the last real champion. I've completely lost interest in modern road racing;
it's simply not exciting and more akin to modern F1 yawnfest. But I can sit and watch road races from around the 80s and 90s forever. Just something about the "grit your teeth" approach and always racing to win rather than being part of some laboratory techno assisted master plan remotely controlled by the manager.

Don't know how your French is, but this is truly marvelous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33uQLQ1DA-I and lot's not forget
this epic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdjP4TFwDEc (when racing is so captivating like this who needs cares about HD!)

EDIT: Not detracting from Wiggo, Froome, Cavendish but ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HOtPQFyoCY

 

[matthew71]

He,s just pissed of because us brits keep winning his home tour .while the french are lucky to win a stage let alone make the podium

 

[roadking]

Big Hinault fan here. He is totally right. He's arguably the last real champion. I've completely lost interest in modern road racing;
it's simply not exciting and more akin to modern F1 yawnfest. But I can sit and watch road races from around the 80s and 90s forever. Just something about the "grit your teeth" approach and always racing to win rather than being part of some laboratory techno assisted master plan remotely controlled by the manager.

Don't know how your French is, but this is truly marvelous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33uQLQ1DA-I and lot's not forget
this epic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdjP4TFwDEc (when racing is so captivating like this who needs cares about HD!)

EDIT: Not detracting from Wiggo, Froome, Cavendish but ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HOtPQFyoCY

I agree with your sentiment, and I'll take a look at clips later.

I think the last TdF of the classic era was the 1989 edition; for many reasons the transitional tour. I've followed the TdF since 1984 and been to France for it at least 15 times since.

Always admired Fignon, and all those pioneer British riders.

Rk.

 

[roadking]

He,s just pissed of because us brits keep winning his home tour .while the french are lucky to win a stage let alone make the podium

Not the response I was hoping for with the post (a more considered one would have been more welcome), I guess two wins in a 100 TdFs is an achievement; but one that ignores the achievements of all those British riders of the classic era that never had a Knighthood -

Robert Millar
Paul Sherwen
Graham Jones
Malcolm Elliott
Sean Yates
Barry Hoban
Vin Denson.

Team Sky: Riders from the Death Star, the team where riders talk about objectives not victories, and the spreadsheet rather than the routecard rules.

This is Retrobike remember?

Rk.

 

[M-Power]

Big Hinault fan here. He is totally right. He's arguably the last real champion. I've completely lost interest in modern road racing;
it's simply not exciting and more akin to modern F1 yawnfest. But I can sit and watch road races from around the 80s and 90s forever. Just something about the "grit your teeth" approach and always racing to win rather than being part of some laboratory techno assisted master plan remotely controlled by the manager.

Don't know how your French is, but this is truly marvelous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33uQLQ1DA-I and lot's not forget
this epic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdjP4TFwDEc (when racing is so captivating like this who needs cares about HD!)

EDIT: Not detracting from Wiggo, Froome, Cavendish but ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HOtPQFyoCY

+1 Agree with the sentiments.

Its all totally micromanaged to the Nth degree, nothing left to chance and it shows. Still delighted Brits are winning and huge respect to David Brailsford.

 

[roadking]

It is also worth mentioning, particularly when studying the Tour de France over the decades, that the race is much shorter than it was in the 1980s (and before).

This reinforces Hinault's view and those expressed by Laurent Fignon in his autobiography.

Rk.

 

[matthew71]

He,s just pissed of because us brits keep winning his home tour .while the french are lucky to win a stage let alone make the podium

Not the response I was hoping for with the post (a more considered one would have been more welcome), I guess two wins in a 100 TdFs is an achievement; but one that ignores the achievements of all those British riders of the classic era that never had a Knighthood -

Robert Millar
Paul Sherwen
Graham Jones
Malcolm Elliott
Sean Yates
Barry Hoban
Vin Denson.

Team Sky: Riders from the Death Star, the team where riders talk about objectives not victories, and the spreadsheet rather than the routecard rules.

This is Retrobike remember?

Rk.

perhaps if you had considered you response a bit more you would have put tom simpson and brian robinson on your list.you seem to have ignored them,but i guess being the first brits to win a tour stage and be world champion is not good enough for your so called golden age

 

[daugs]

We all know that, whatever our grades were, O levels / GCSEs were much harder back in our day and kids today have it much easier in comparison. Life changes, riders still do what's required, it's human nature.

 

[wassertreter]

+1 daugs.

When does the racing season start nowadays (Tour Down Under?) and when did it start back then?

Whoever wins the Tour de France earns an enormous amount of money, and a lot of riders are well paid to win certain races, so they don't put in much effort on the others. They make too much money and don't try hard enough.

Sure a handful makes good money. Many others (and don't get me started about Pro Conti and lower leagues) spend a few hard years in the peloton, and then have to struggle finding a new career.

What would RBers think if Sir Bradley entered the Worlds and won - he wouldn't be much of a World Champion or would he?

Not a Brit, but ... WHAT? There are no grades of worldchampionism.