"Bernard burst into tears, which I hadn’t expected at all": Prudhomme shares story of how he discovered Hinault's "soft" side
Cycling
Bernard Hinault doesn't need much of an introduction as a five-time Tour de France champion, and last French winner of the Grande Boucle. But his contribution to the race's legacy did not stop there as Hinault continued to promote Tour in a position in charge of public relations and protocol.
That was until 2016 when 'The Badger' informed Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme that that summer's Tour would be his last in an active role.
"It was one in the morning, and in the car, Bernard told me: 'I just had a grandson, I've been on the road for 40 years. My grandfather taught me everything, grandparents are meant to pass things on... This will be my last Tour,'" Prudhomme recounts in the podcast Christian Prudhomme, Twenty years of Tears and Thrills.
Prudhomme himself has been in charge of the world's biggest race for a decade at that point, but to no longer have his close friend and the sport's legend by his side from then on was a blow.
A new side to The Badger
But the decision to stop was reasonable, and Prudhomme would not hold it against Hinault. Rather than that, he's prepared a special farewell for his colleague on the edition's final stage.
"On Radio Tour, I said: 'You won’t mind me saying this today, but I’m only going to mention one name, that of Bernard Hinault, who gave his talent, his sweat, his blood to the Tour de France,'" Prudhomme recounts emotionally.
"The moment I said 'his blood', Bernard burst into tears, which I hadn’t expected at all. Bernard Hinault, the tough guy; Bernard Hinault who won everything, the five-time winner of the Tour de France; Bernard Hinault and his rainbow jersey in Paris-Roubaix, despite the dog crossing the road; Bernard Hinault, with his strong character, crying, and saying, 'It's too much, it’s too much.' In fact, Bernard is incredibly sensitive. He’s so vulnerable…"
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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