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news
Dave Brailsford faces the press, Paris, October 2012 (copyright Simon MacMichael)Sir Dave Brailsford's dream? To win Tour de France with a French rider
Sir Dave Brailsford has said that he wants to follow up Team Sky’s achievement in winning the Tour with a British rider by following that up with a victory by one from the race’s home country – saying that it would be “enormous.” He has also outlined a vision of using the race’s Grand Départ as a platform for fighting the nation’s obesity epidemic and improving safety of all cyclists.
When Team Sky was launched in 2010, many scoffed at Brailsford’s ambition of winning the Tour with a British rider within five years. That was achieved two years early through Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012, with Chris Froome following up that victory by succeeding his team mate in the yellow jersey 12 months ago.
You have to go back almost three decades for the last French rider to win the General Classification – 1985, when Bernard Hinault won his fifth and final title.
Speaking to French daily newspaper L’Equipe, Team Sky principal Brailsford said, “In my head, there’s a little idea…. We’ve won the Tour with a British rider, but when are we going to see a Frenchman win the Tour? That would be just as enormous.”
He was asked: “That’s your next objective? To win the Tour with a French rider?”
He replied: “Yes, I’d love to win [the Tour] with a Frenchman. I think it has to be done. For the Tour, for France, for the French, for the sport, to have a Frenchman win would be enormous.
“I think about it often. France deserves a French winner.”
As to who that French winner might be, Brailsford put forward the name Romain Bardet.
The AG2R rider currently lies second in the young rider’s classification behind Peter Sagan, and wears the white jersey by virtue of the Cannondale man wearing the green jersey of points classification leader.
Aged 23, Bardet finished 15th overall in his first participation in the Tour de France last year. Results this season include 10th at the Liège–Bastogne–Liège one-day Monument, fourth overall at the Volta a Catalunya and fifth overall at last month’s Critérium du Dauphiné.
The French national federation last year opened its new velodrome near Paris, aimed at repeating the approach that has led to Great Britain becoming one of the dominant forces in world cycling.
Tackling obesity
Meanwhile, with Stage 3 of the race heading from Cambridge to a finish on The Mall in Central London today, the Team Sky principal told the Evening Standard’s Ross Lydall that the “marginal gains” approach that has brought so much success to the UCI WorldTour outfit and Team GB’s cyclists in recent years could help improve the fitness of the nation as a whole.
“Ride your bike to work and back and over time it will make a massive difference,” he said. “If it was just about winning at the elite level and there were no other aspects that came out of it, then I don’t think it would make as much sense.
“Winning is the catalyst,” he went on. “It creates opportunities to do something much bigger, much greater than one sport, in this country.
“We want to continue to draw people into the sport. The number of people has grown so big we need time to think what can we do to help them get better – not just faster but fitter.”
Describing the prospect of today’s stage finish in London as “mouthwatering,” he continued: “If we become a cycling nation, then we now need the cycling culture to fit in with the increased number of cyclists that we have.
“Safety is high on the agenda, but it’s not just about safety. Look at the health benefits. We are experiencing an unfortunate boom in obesity and type-2 diabetes and child obesity. How do we tackle that?
“Essentially it’s pretty simple. We are consuming too many calories and not expending enough. All these complicated diets – the 5/2 and starving yourself for days – is all well and good, but if you eat more than you burn you’re going to get fat.
“Riding to work – all of these little bits of activity to increase our energy expenditure – is a brilliant way to fight this growing time-bomb."
He suggested not trying to be to ambitious, perhaps starting with commuting by bike and building from there.
“People think ‘I don’t want to ride my bike for two or three hours’," he said. "It doesn’t matter. You just have to do a little bit, and often, and it will make a big difference.”.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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37 comments
Brailsford's new dream: to win the tour with a Tasmanian.
I think an awful lot is being read into this - he's given an interview for a french newspaper as the Tour arrives in France, effectively saying France have got some decent riders. Given the general dislike / distrust shown toward sky (if you can take the comments section of the likes of l'Equipe as a reliable barometer...) this seems more like an attempt to win over the locals with a bit of flattery of their riders rather than any real indication of Sky's future recruitment policy.
Given a French rider hasn't won for years, it must be tough for them to watch a British based team delivering back to back winners. A British based team delivering a French winner; now that's really 'rubbing salt in the wound'!
Brailsford and Sky have done more for British Cycling than.... than anything else! Yet some f wits still find reason to complain.
If any of the "where's Wiggo?" munch bunch had been watching the tour de france back when our only glimpse of a British rider was Charlie Wegelius, or even back in 2007 when Dave Millar was about the only certain starter they would surely realise we're in a golden age.
Thanks to Dave and his team/s we've had tdf winners, contenders in all grand tours, a British world champion, Olympic cycling domination, contenders in one day classics, massive growth in cycling across sexes and at all levels. Its basically been a transformation that I don't think any nation has seen the likes of.
I'm relatively new to cycling myslef but I really really wish all these new bandwagon cyclists and fans would pipe the hell down, or at least study some history before they start to moan and grown because Froome hasn't won all three grand tours and world title in the same year.
Well said
Couldn't agree more.
I think that's why I still to this day don't have an issue cheering riders of all nationalities. There were never any competitive British riders for me to cheer!
DB - the Jose Mourinho of cycling!
A bit like backing Brasil to beat England in the first round of the World Cup. Sure it would be great to have a Frenchman winning his home tour, almost as great as a Brit winning again. Try asking one of those thousands of fans in Yorkshire who they would like to win.
Is it? I don't think it is.
To be honest I find blind patriotism a bit silly. Neither Wiggins or Froome have endeared themselves to me the way they've carried on in the last two years so I don't feel obliged to cheer for them just because they're both representing Britain in a British based team. This is also without taking into consideration the fact that they are quite boring to watch. Although at least Froome attacks on occasion. I will take Cav over Kittel or Greipel anyday though.
It's sport not an attack on our national borders. Enjoy the racing and cheer whoever you really like.
Couldn't understand exactly why Brailsford came flying down the road 45 mins ahead of the peloton. Does he not do the Director Sportive role anymore? I know that it wasn't exactly Plateau du Beille, but surely it's better to be in position behind the peloton than in front of it, where you can be aware of all the issues at hand!?!
Probably because he never has been a DS.
When Team Sky launched, one of their stated goals was to develop British cyclists. They've done that in the past, but it does appear that that idea has been quietly shelved. I think it's disappointing.
I suppose whenever you start thinking someone is inspirational, and a lot of people thought Brailsford was inspirational, it's likely that you'll be disappointed down the line.
Maybe it's just that Brailsford is never satisfied when he feels he has achieved the goals he previously set himself; maybe he's starting to get too impressed with himself, and losing the plot.
Indeed, perish the thought he might aspire to other goals.
I didn't say that would be a bad thing, you just attributed that idea to me.
What's wrong with that exactly? The man is constantly striving to achieve bigger and better things. I'm no Brailsford fan but you simply can't knock his ambition.
Ha ha, I didn't say there was anything wrong with that. I was putting forward two different possibilities. If it's the second, that he's starting to lose the plot, that would be a bad thing.
Aaaaah - makes sense now
Ah! Sorry, gotcha.
Some people make it their life's purpose! Twitter etc is awash with people whose only ambition is to knock other people, whether it's Froome for being 'boring', his fiancee for being opinionated (oh, the irony!) Brailsford for his ideas or choosing to leave Brad off the Tour squad. Anyone who says or tries anything different.
Sheep. Miserable, negative, ignorant sheep. Nick Hussey of Vulpine summed it up recently:
"Just the usual tsunami of lowest common denominator bile & negativity."
Absolutely spot on! I've always loved it that following cycle sport meant we got away from blind patriotism. Of course I want any Brit riders to do well, but really 'Let the best man (or woman) win'.
There are a lot of very angry people on Twitter talking about this. Mainly the same people who threw a fit when Bradley wasn't selected. Personally I'd love to see a Frenchman win it again as it'd be huge and Bardet is a very classy rider.
One of the reasons I love pro cycling is that you don't have to be blindly patriotic and of the 'Ingurland' mentality in who you support unlike other sports. In cycling it's fine to like whoever you want regardless of nationality. Voeckler, Rodriguez, Cancellara, Terpstra, Boonen, Voight, Gilbert, Vanmarcke, Rui Costa, Quintana, Nibali, Kwiatkowski the list goes on and on. All riders I love to watch for how they race and all riders I love to see win.
Of course it's nice when a British rider wins but to be honest I just want to see great racing and big moments. Bardet winning the tour would be brilliant.
As Kestevan says, this will be a commercially driven viewpoint. Muchdoch wants a bigger part of the Gallic media market.
Actually, I really like the idea. I’d imagine it will go some way toward ingratiating Team Sky with some of the European fans too, those that were initially irked by some of the behaviours in the early days – Wiggins transfer saga, attack in the feed zone, etc.
And it will be nice for a Frenchman to get his hands on some of those “extra round” Mavic wheels that only British Cycling and their affiliates get to use
Brailsford continues to speak sense whenever his mouth opens.
Explains why he never picked wiggins. Ffs he picked Danny pate but left wiggins out.
Let's think
Wiggo won't ride for anyone but himself
The only things he has won on the road since 2012 are ITTs and the ToC against 2nd tier GC guys
Froome doesn't get on with him and vice versa.....
Yeah I'd have put wiggo in going on the above as well
Who are you? Dave Brailsford's cheerleader? Try not to be so condescending.
I would give Wiggins a chance to rehabilitate himself. He seems to have made a genuine effort to try to work with the system. To be honest I don't think Wiggins did very much wrong except be second best to Froome. The bonus affair was unseemly, but to be fair to him Froome did not seem to want to play his role of playing second fiddle when Wiggins was nominated the GC contender. Perhaps he has burnt all his bridges, but if this snub doesn't tell him exactly where he lies in the pecking order I don't know what does....but given the rumours over Garmin I think he has taken the hints.
As for Sir DB: this seems to be more about his ego than anything else. Why couldn't a French contender rise out of a French team? Or do you still think it is a matter of 'marginal gains'. Nice PR, but I can't see Sky doing things which BMC, Astana and Trek do. Big names, big money. If a French rider becomes a credible Tour contender then it's all grist to the mill.
Colin with all due respect wiggo was not part of the conversation , I was answering why he shouldn't be there .
As for a French rider going to SKY ....can't see it , it's more likely DB will go to a French team now he's cut ties with BC
As for condescending have you read your response to me?
This, definitely this!!
I don't think he's said that couldn't happen, do you ? Sounds like he was just talking about something he fancied doing, and yeah - nice PR with l'Equipe, but you know what .. he might actually just think it'd be a craic to do. I do.
Who are you? Dave Brailsford's cheerleader? Try not to be so condescending.
I would give Wiggins a chance to rehabilitate himself. He seems to have made a genuine effort to try to work with the system. To be honest I don't think Wiggins did very much wrong except be second best to Froome. The bonus affair was unseemly, but to be fair to him Froome did not seem to want to play his role of playing second fiddle when Wiggins was nominated the GC contender. Perhaps he has burnt all his bridges, but if this snub doesn't tell him exactly where he lies in the pecking order I don't know what does....but given the rumours over Garmin I think he has taken the hints.
As for Sir DB: this seems to be more about his ego than anything else. Why couldn't a French contender rise out of a French team? Or do you still think it is a matter of 'marginal gains'. Nice PR, but I can't see Sky doing things which BMC, Astana and Trek do. Big names, big money. If a French rider becomes a credible Tour contender then it's all grist to the mill.
Explains why he never picked wiggins. Ffs he picked Danny pate but left wiggins out.
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