Legendary directeur sportif and former French national team selector Cyrille Guimard has said that French cycling "is in clear decline" with the country not producing top-level riders, results at the men's WorldTour level severely lacking, and teams declining.
Guimard was a racer in the 1970s before working as a team director at Renault-Gitane, Système U, Castorama, and Cofidis, leading riders including Bernard Hinault, Lucien Van Impe, and Laurent Fignon to seven Tour de France victories and also working with Greg LeMond, among others.
