Thursday, July 10, 2008

Bernard Hinault - The Badger



Part I - 1977 - 1979



Part II - 1980 - 1981



Part III - 1982 - 1983



Part IV - 1984 - 1986

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the reminder at just how bad ass the Badger was...

Georges Rouan said...

Great footage. A hard man, yet at times completely child like (LeMond battles paint him at best as a teenager: Unable to outright say he wanted to win a 6th he played game...it sucks, but the rhetoric does not quite translate into english that well), but certainly one of the greatest racers (if not the greatest outside of Eddy). What a competitor! He won roubaix even though he said it was circus...when was the last time we had a true GT contender make a run at Paris Roubaix? Hinault is such a great character to watch on and off the bike...Maybe more off the bike.

Great Find!

Anonymous said...

The Badger was, and is, bad!

Unfortunately, LeMond didn't have Lance's luxory of a US team built solely around him and that focused only on Le Tour and, therefore, had to ride first for Fingon and then for Hinault (in 1984 & 1985) before finally beating a sneaky, double-crossing Badger in 1986. Like I said, the Badge is bad!!

bikesgonewild said...

...le petite blaireau...one tough s.o.b....once, now & forever...

Garnet said...

Maybe not the warmest of characters, but it would be difficult picking a better tough-as-nails rider to idolize. I think, however, in that regard, "The Cannibal" is destined to win over "Le Blaireau." Then again, being second to Merckx isn't exactly an insult.

john said...

PRO for sure. I knew very little (OK, nothing) about the man until I started riding in the early 90's but after reading accounts of his badassness, you can't help but admire a true champion like that.

Richmond Roadie said...

He was one bad mamma jamma! Remember when he was wearing the Yellow Jersey and face planted during a sprint, busting his face up? He insisted on riding over the line! If you looked up Pro in the dictionary you'd see Hinault's picture!

Old Fonzie said...

Thanks for posting those videos. That was a great find.

Merckx was great, maybe better on paper, but Hinault is by far the greatest sportsman of the peleton. Merckx had his moments of humanity, but it always seemed like he had this physical superiority that left no question that he would win.

Hinaut won not necessarily because he was physically the greatest, but because his spirit was indomitable.

I don't think he double crossed Lemond anymore than Contador double crossed Levi: even if you have the best team, doesn't mean it can't be beat through hubris.

Even if Hinault could have "given" a tour win to Lemond, it doesn't mean he should have. It would have been poor sportsmanship. I think if Lemond was given his first tour rather than earning it, it would have been his only win.