Bernard Hinault defends Tadej Pogacar amid doping suspicions: “They are killing their own sport”

Five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault has come out strongly in defence of Tadej Pogacar, who has once again found himself the subject of doping speculation, largely due to his astonishing success and cycling’s troubled history with performance-enhancing drugs.

The fact that Tadej Pogacar is currently tearing up the rule book by winning both grand tours and one day races will not be helping the doubters. But Hinault is not one of those who doubts the Slovenian.

Speaking to RMC, Hinault took aim at the recurring suspicions and particularly the French voices behind them, "Why is it always the French who cast doubt? It's strange, isn't it? It's never the Spanish, Italian or Belgian teams. We're complainers, I think, and because we don't win, it's the others who cheat," said the last Frenchman to win the Tour.

His comments were a direct response to remarks made by Jean-René Bernaudeau, who had voiced scepticism about Pogacar’s dominance, "He is very, very strong, but if he could give guarantees that no problems will arise, that would be great."

Hinault did not hold back in his reaction, "It's still terrible, they have to stop. They are killing their own sport. They could shut their mouths from time to time, it feels good," he replied.

He went on to highlight the hypocrisy of how riders are treated depending on nationality: "What would we say if he were French? When Alaphilippe won the classics and the World Championships, did we say there was doubt? No. It breaks my heart to hear that all the time.”

For Hinault, modern cycling is more thrilling than ever, and Pogacar is at the centre of that excitement, "Before, I would sit in front of the television for the last ten minutes or the last ten kilometers because I knew nothing was going to happen," he said. "There is such a fight between these champions that it fascinates you, you think to yourself 'are these idiots going to beat each other up or what?' And they do."