Future looks bright for cycling in France

PARIS — “Now or Never.”

That was the headline running across the front page of France’s biggestselling sports newspaper L’Equipe three weeks ago, amid nationwide hopes that a homegrown rider could finally win the Tour de France.

In the absence of many big names — including fourtime champion Chris Froome — France’s top contenders Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet were expected to make the most of this year’s climbheavy route, and even finally end the 34year drought.

Three weeks later, neither Pinot nor Bardet stood on the Tour podium and the wait for a French winner continues.

The future of French cycling looks bright, though, and a successor to Bernard Hinault — the last Frenchman to win cycling’s marquee race back in 1985 — is likely to emerge sooner than later.

Although Bardet, twice a podium finisher, was never an overall threat and had to be content with the polka dot jersey for best climber, Pinot was magnificent until a left leg injury reduced him to tears on the side of an Alpine climb, and forced him out of the race within touching distance of the Champs Elysees.

With Bardet nowhere to be seen, another Frenchman, Julian Alaphilippe, surged to the fore, gaining popidol status in the space of just three weeks. And five French riders finished in the top 15 for the first time since 2011.

A classics specialist, Alaphilippe exceeded all expectations, wearing the yellow jersey for 14 days after playing havoc with traditional race strategies. Despite his pedigree in oneday races, Alaphilippe was not among the preTour favorites, and many spectators had hardly heard of him when the race started.

But he took the Tour lead by storm during the first week of racing with a bold attack. After losing the yellow jersey, he reclaimed it and fought to stay in yellow with a livingthemoment humble attitude that excited fans and impressed his rivals.

“It’s incredible how he stepped up and improved,” said 2018 Tour champion Geraint Thomas, who finished runnerup this year behind his Ineos teammate Egan Bernal. “A big, big well done to him. He fought until the very end. He deserved to be on that podium.”

In scenes sometimes reminiscent of the “Wiggomania” in Britain when Bradley Wiggins won the 2012 Tour, Alaphilippe was feted in every village crossed by the peloton. Each morning, fans chanted his name near his team bus, asked him for selfies and stopped him for autographs. The excitement was such that at some point Alaphilippe had to be escorted by police officers to the start of the stage.

With his team not strong enough to protect him in the mountains, Alaphilippe worked alone in the Alps and ultimately paid for his exhausting efforts, cracking under the pressure of Ineos and JumboVisma teams to drop to fifth place overall.

But Alaphilippe’s impressive victory in the individual time trial ahead of Thomas — a specialist in the race against the clock — combined with his natural flair and the bold attacks that helped him seize the limelight in the short and punchy climbs he loves so much, bode very well for the coming years.