The Badger : Bernard Hinault and the Fall and Rise of French Cycling

Bernard Hinault wasn’t just a champion — he was a force of nature. A five‑time Tour de France winner and the only rider ever to claim every Grand Tour more than once, he dominated cycling in a way few have matched. Fierce, fearless and utterly uncompromising, Hinault was the last of the true “old‑school” greats: a working‑class Breton who could win on any terrain, in any race, in any conditions.

Nicknamed the Badger for his aggressive, never‑back‑down style, Hinault’s career is packed with the kind of stories that have become cycling legend. He led a riders’ strike in his very first Tour. He famously punched protestors mid‑race in 1982. And his battles with teammates Laurent Fignon and Greg LeMond during the 1986 Tour produced one of the most dramatic editions the sport has ever seen.

Three decades after his retirement, Hinault remains the most recent Frenchman to win the Tour — a fact that only adds to his mythic status.

In this compelling biography, William Fotheringham explores the man behind the victories: the pride, the stubbornness, the brilliance and the contradictions. He shows why France may one day find another champion — but why there will never be another Bernard Hinault.

A gripping portrait of a rider who defined an era, this is essential reading for anyone who loves cycling history, Grand Tour drama or the legends who shaped the sport.