Bernard Hinault facts for kids
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Hinault at the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné
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| Personal information | |||
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| Full name | Bernard Hinault | ||
| Nickname |
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| Born | 14 November 1954 Yffiniac, France |
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| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb; 9 st 11 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Retired | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | All-rounder | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Bernard Hinault (born 14 November 1954) is a famous French former professional road cyclist. He is known as one of the greatest cyclists ever. He won 147 professional races, including the Tour de France five times!
Hinault competed in 13 major cycling races called Grand Tours. He won 10 of them, which is almost as many as the record holder, Eddy Merckx. No other rider has won more than seven Grand Tours since Hinault.
He started cycling as a young amateur in his home region of Brittany, France. In 1975, he became a professional rider with the Gitane–Campagnolo team. He quickly showed his talent, winning big races like Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré in 1977.
In 1978, Hinault won his first two Grand Tours: the Vuelta a España and the Tour de France. He continued to be a top cyclist, winning another Tour in 1979 and the 1980 Giro d'Italia. Even though a knee injury made him leave the 1980 Tour de France while he was in the lead, he came back to win the World Championship road race later that year.
He won another Tour in 1981. In 1982, he achieved a special feat by winning both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year. After winning the 1983 Vuelta a España, his knee problems returned, and he missed the Tour de France. His teammate Laurent Fignon won that year.
Hinault then joined a new team, La Vie Claire. In the 1984 Tour de France, he finished second to Fignon. The next year, he won the Giro and the Tour again, with help from his teammate Greg LeMond. In the 1986 Tour de France, Hinault and LeMond competed against each other, and LeMond won his first Tour. Hinault retired at the end of that season. As of 2024, he is the last French cyclist to win the Tour de France. After retiring, Hinault became a farmer and also worked for the Tour de France organizers until 2016.
Throughout his career, Hinault was known as Le Blaireau ("The Badger"). He liked this nickname because of the badger's aggressive nature, which matched his own competitive style. He was also called Le Patron ("The Boss") because he often took charge during races.
Contents
Early Life and Family Fun
Bernard Hinault was born on November 14, 1954, in Yffiniac, a village in Brittany, France. He was the second of four children. His parents were farmers, and Bernard often helped them with farm work. He was a very energetic child, and his mother even called him her "little hooligan"!
Bernard wasn't the best student, but he went to a technical college to learn engineering. There, he started running and even finished tenth in a national cross-country race for young athletes in 1971. In 1974, he married Martine, and they had two sons, Mickael and Alexandre. After he retired from cycling, they moved to a farm in Brittany.
Amateur Cycling Adventures
Hinault got into cycling because of his cousin, René, who raced on weekends. At first, Bernard had to share the family bike, but he loved riding it. When he was 15, he got his own bike as a reward for passing his school exams.
In 1971, at age 16, Hinault started training with René. Even though René was an experienced amateur, he struggled to keep up with Bernard! Hinault got his racing license and entered his first race on May 2, 1971. He was just told to try and stay with the other riders, but he ended up winning the race! He won his first five races and had 12 wins out of 20 races by the end of that year.
Bernard's father wasn't happy about him wanting to be a professional cyclist. But Bernard was so determined that he ran away from home for three days, staying with his cousins. His father finally agreed to let him pursue cycling.
In 1972, Hinault was allowed to race against older riders. He won 19 races that year, including the national junior championship. He then served in the military for a year in 1973 and didn't race. When he returned in 1974, he was a bit out of shape but still won his first race. This was his last amateur season, and he won many more races, even beating a group of four riders who tried to stop him in his hometown race. He also won a national track cycling championship. By the end of 1974, he decided to become a professional cyclist.
Professional Cycling Career
1975–1977: Starting Strong with Gitane
In January 1975, Bernard Hinault became a professional cyclist with the Gitane–Campagnolo team. He quickly showed he wasn't afraid to challenge older, more experienced riders. In his first year, he finished seventh in the Paris–Nice race and won the Circuit de la Sarthe. This earned him an award for the best new professional in France.
In 1976, his new team manager, Cyrille Guimard, helped him improve steadily. Hinault won 15 races that year, including the Circuit de la Sarthe again. He also came sixth in the World Championship Road Race.
In 1977, Hinault won the Gent–Wevelgem race by himself. Five days later, he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège, one of cycling's most important "monuments". He also competed in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, a big race before the Tour de France. While leading the race, he crashed on a mountain descent but quickly got back on a new bike and won the stage! This amazing comeback helped him win the overall race. Later that year, he won the Grand Prix des Nations, an individual time trial, by a large margin.
1978–1983: Renault Team Successes
1978: Grand Tour Wins Begin
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In 1978, Hinault's team became Renault. He started the year well, finishing second in Paris–Nice. He then competed in his first three-week Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. He won the first stage and went on to win five stages in total, securing his first Grand Tour victory!
Before his first Tour de France, Hinault won the French Road Race Championship. In the Tour, he was up against Joop Zoetemelk. Hinault showed his leadership when riders protested about having two stages in one day. He was chosen to speak for the riders. During the race, another rider, Michel Pollentier, was disqualified for breaking the rules during a test, which left Hinault and Zoetemelk to battle for the win. Hinault won his first Tour de France by a good margin.
1979: Another Tour and Classic Wins
The 1979 season started slowly for Hinault, but he soon bounced back. He won the La Flèche Wallonne race and then beat Zoetemelk to win the Dauphiné Libéré, winning four stages and also the points and mountain classifications.
The Tour de France was again a close fight between Hinault and Zoetemelk. Hinault won several stages, including time trials, and took the yellow jersey. Even after suffering two flat tires on a cobbled section and losing time, he fought back. He eventually won his second Tour de France. Zoetemelk finished second, but his time was adjusted due to a rule violation.
Later in 1979, Hinault won his second major "monument" race, the Giro di Lombardia. This win also helped him secure his first of four consecutive Super Prestige Pernod International awards, given to the best rider of the season.
1980: World Champion and Triple Crown Attempt
In 1980, Hinault aimed to win the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the World Championship in the same year, a rare achievement called the Triple Crown of Cycling.
He started the Giro d'Italia as a favorite. He took the lead early on and made a decisive move on a tough mountain climb, the Stelvio Pass. He won the overall race by nearly six minutes.
In the Tour de France, Hinault won the first stage. However, he developed a knee injury. Despite being in the lead, he had to leave the race before the high mountains. This was a big disappointment. In Hinault's absence, Joop Zoetemelk won the Tour.
However, Hinault recovered and competed in the World Championship road race in France. The course was very difficult, but Hinault broke away from the other riders and rode alone to win the gold medal! Only 15 out of 107 riders even finished the race.
1981: Third Tour de France Victory
Hinault wasn't a fan of racing on cobbled roads, but he returned to Paris–Roubaix in 1981 as the World Champion. Despite seven crashes and flat tires, he won the race in a sprint finish! He also won the Amstel Gold Race and the Dauphiné Libéré by a huge margin.
In the Tour de France, Hinault took an early lead and never lost the yellow jersey. He won five stages, including all four individual time trials. He won the overall race by almost 15 minutes.
1982: Achieving the Giro-Tour Double
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Hinault returned to the Giro in 1982. He took a big lead early on but lost it briefly due to a misjudgment by his team. He fought back the next day, winning a stage and regaining the lead to win his second Giro d'Italia.
Then, in what was described as his "most uneventful Tour," Hinault easily won the Tour de France, completing the rare Giro-Tour double. He won four stages, including the final one on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. He won by over six minutes.
1983: Second Vuelta and New Talent
In 1983, young talents Laurent Fignon and Greg LeMond joined Hinault at Renault. Hinault competed in the Vuelta a España, facing strong Spanish riders. He won the La Flèche Wallonne race just before the Vuelta.
In the Vuelta, Hinault had a tough fight, losing and regaining the lead multiple times. His knee pain returned, but he pushed through, winning two stages and securing his second Vuelta victory. This race is remembered as one of the most exciting Vuelta editions.
However, his knee injury forced him to miss the Tour de France that year. In his absence, his teammate Laurent Fignon won the Tour on his first try. Hinault didn't race for the rest of the season due to his knee.
1984–1986: La Vie Claire and Retirement
1984: Challenging Fignon
By 1983, Hinault decided to leave the Renault team and joined a new team called La Vie Claire. This team was formed with businessman Bernard Tapie. Hinault also helped develop new clipless pedals for Look, another company owned by Tapie.
Hinault returned to racing in 1984, winning a few smaller races. During the Paris–Nice race, he famously rode into a group of protesters blocking the road, got off his bike, and punched one of them! He even broke a rib in the fight.
The Tour de France was a big showdown between Hinault and his former teammate Fignon. Hinault won the prologue, but Fignon proved stronger in the time trials and mountains. Hinault finished second overall, ten minutes behind Fignon.
Despite the Tour defeat, Hinault bounced back in the fall. He won the Grand Prix des Nations time trial and the Trofeo Baracchi. He also won the Giro di Lombardia for a second time.
1985: The Second Giro-Tour Double
In 1985, Greg LeMond joined Hinault at La Vie Claire. They raced the Giro d'Italia together. Hinault faced a tough crowd who supported local rider Francesco Moser. Hinault took the lead and won his third Giro. During one stage, spectators even spat at him and tried to knock him over!
In the Tour de France, Fignon was injured, making Hinault the favorite. Hinault won the prologue and his team won the team time trial. He took the race lead after an individual time trial and built a strong lead over LeMond, who was now in second place.
On a later stage, Hinault crashed and broke his nose. He also started feeling sick. On a mountain stage, he showed signs of weakness. LeMond attacked, but the team told him to wait for Hinault. Hinault eventually finished the stage just over a minute behind LeMond. In the final time trial, LeMond won the stage, but Hinault was only five seconds behind, which was enough for Hinault to secure his record-equalling fifth Tour de France victory! He won by just under two minutes over LeMond. After the race, Hinault promised to help LeMond win the Tour the next year.
1986: The Final Season
In 1986, Hinault was honored as a Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French president. He had announced he would retire on his 32nd birthday in November 1986.
Even though Hinault had promised to support LeMond in the Tour de France, many people wondered if he would try to win a record sixth Tour. Hinault won a time trial and then attacked on a mountain stage, gaining a big lead over LeMond. He was in the yellow jersey! However, the next day, he attacked again but then struggled on the final climb, losing time to LeMond.
In the Alps, Hinault lost the yellow jersey to LeMond. On a famous stage to Alpe d'Huez, Hinault attacked many times but reached the finish with LeMond. They crossed the finish line hand in hand, showing teamwork. However, Hinault later said the race wasn't over, even though he was behind. In the final time trial, Hinault won the stage but couldn't make up enough time. He finished second overall, 3:10 minutes behind LeMond. He won the mountains classification and the super-combativity award for being the most aggressive rider. Hinault's constant attacks annoyed LeMond, who felt Hinault wasn't loyal to their agreement.
After the Tour, Hinault won the Coors Classic race in the United States. He rode his last competitive race, a criterium in France, on September 19. His retirement on November 14, 1986, was a big celebration with thousands of riders, a concert, and fireworks.
Life After Cycling
After retiring from professional cycling, Bernard Hinault moved to his farm and raised dairy cows. Just two weeks after he stopped racing, the Tour de France organizers asked him to join their team. He had several jobs, including helping with the race route and being the Tour's ambassador. He was often seen on the podium during award ceremonies. In 2008, he even pushed a protester off the stage during a ceremony! He stepped down from this role after the 2016 Tour de France.
Unlike many other cyclists, Hinault never became a team manager. He was the selector for the French national team from 1988 to 1993. In 2007, he was promoted to an Officer of the Legion of Honour, a very high award in France. In 2020, Hinault became part of a group of business people who invested in saving Mavic, a company that makes cycling equipment and sponsors the Tour de France.
Career Achievements
Major Wins and Awards
Bernard Hinault achieved many impressive victories throughout his career. Here are some of his most important wins:
- Grand Tours:
* Tour de France: 5 times (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985) * Giro d'Italia: 3 times (1980, 1982, 1985) * Vuelta a España: 2 times (1978, 1983)
- World Championships:
* Road Race: 1 time (1980)
- Major One-Day Races (Classics):
* Liège–Bastogne–Liège: 2 times (1977, 1980) * Giro di Lombardia: 2 times (1979, 1984) * Paris–Roubaix: 1 time (1981) * Gent–Wevelgem: 1 time (1977) * La Flèche Wallonne: 2 times (1979, 1983) * Amstel Gold Race: 1 time (1981)
- Other Important Races:
* Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré: 3 times (1977, 1979, 1981) * Tour de Romandie: 1 time (1980) * Grand Prix des Nations (time trial): 5 times (1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984) * Super Prestige Pernod International (best rider of the season award): 4 times (1979, 1980, 1981, 1982)
Bernard Hinault's career was full of incredible achievements, making him a true legend in cycling history!
Images for kids
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Hinault at the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné
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Hinault at the 1978 Tour de France
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Joop Zoetemelk (pictured in 1979) was Hinault's strongest competitor during his first Tour de France victories.
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Hinault at the 1982 Tour de France
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Hinault climbing the Col d'Izoard during the 1986 Tour de France. It was here that he lost significant time on rival Greg LeMond, losing the yellow jersey by the end of the stage.
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Hinault in his role as presenter at the Tour de France, in 2004
See also
- Giro d'Italia records and statistics
- List of cycling records
- List of French people
- List of Giro d'Italia general classification winners
- List of Grand Tour general classification winners
- List of Tour de France general classification winners
- List of Tour de France secondary classification winners
- List of Vuelta a España classification winners
- List of Vuelta a España general classification winners
- Yellow jersey statistics
