Five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault has categorically rejected any hopes that, at least in the short term, the host nation of cycling's biggest bike race will finally hit on a home-born rider to succeed Le Blaireau as the country's most recent Tour champion.
In a long interview with L'Équipe, the semi-offiicial newspaper for the Tour, Hinault discussed his - and France's - most recent victory in 1985, his affinity with current top favourite Tadej Pogačar and why he had little interest in equalizing the record of five Tours de France, which he holds with Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx.
"That was never my priority," he insisted, before adding that he went to the Tour to try to enjoy himself, rather than view it as work, and that he had the impression that Pogačar had the same attitude.
