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Bernard Hinault

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Athlete

The Resume

    (November 14, 1954- )
    Born in Yffiniac, France
    Cyclist
    Won the Tour de France five times (1978-79, 1981-82, 1985), the Giro d’Italia three times (1980, 1982, 1985) and the Vuelta a España twice (1978, 1983)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was hyperactive as a child, with his mother calling him ‘little hooligan.’
    When his father objected to his plans to pursue cycling as a career, he ran away from home and spent three nights sleeping in straw in a barn on a cousin’s farm.
    During Stage 5 of the Paris-Nice race, when workers protesting dockyard closures blocked the road, he drove into the crowd, dismounted, and punched the nearest protester, triggering a brawl in which he broke a rib (1984).
    Before the 1986 Tour de France, he pledged to support teammate Greg LeMond’s bid for a first Tour victory, but during the race he repeatedly tried to take the lead from LeMond (who ultimately held on for the victory).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He won his first five races (1971).
    During his victory in the 1985 Giro d’Italia, he was spat on by crowds rooting for an Italian rider.
    He was awarded the Legion of Honor (1986).
    When Lance Armstrong said it was impossible to win a Tour de France without performance-enhancing drugs, Hinault retorted, ‘He must not know what it was like to ride without doping.’

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying