"I don't see anyone who could worry him" - Pogacar the man to beat at the 2026 Tour for Bernard Hinault

Bernard Hinault was the last French rider to win the Tour de France and is, alongside a few others, a record holder. He is held very dearly by the French and his opinion is also a very important one. Besides Tadej Pogacar and Paul Seixas, the now 70-year old also extensively talked about the Alpe d'Huez, the highlight of the 2026 route and the location of his last road stage win at the Tour back in 1986.

"I've climbed it several times and won it once with Greg LeMond. He had the jersey, but I didn't let him take the victory at Alpe d'Huez, because it's not every day you win there. And above all, it was my last year," Hinault said in the microphone of Cyclism'Actu. This was now 39 years ago, the year after his final Tour and his last year as a pro rider, an image that has been shown at the Paris Tour presentation this Thursday and is often remembered as one of the most iconic moments of the Alpine mountain.

"It's certainly rare for two teammates to arrive together at Alpe d'Huez, with the yellow jersey and the one who would finish second behind them. It was quite exceptional". Most recently, it has been used at the 2022 race, won by Tom Pidcock from the breakaway whilst Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard battled for the yellow jersey behind the day after Pogacar cracked on the Col du Granon. We should see the same battle next summer, although likely in different circumstances.

But having the Alpe d'Huez twice in a year is not surprising news to 'The Badger': "We've done it before, let's not forget that. I've already done it once. It was a long time ago; you have to look in the archives: we climbed it two days in a row. But these are two different routes this time. The first climb is via the traditional road, and the other via the Sarenne climb, so we're coming in from behind. I don't know this climb yet, so I can't say what it'll be like, but it'll be a big day of cycling."

However Hinault doesn't offer any particular special insight to the climb, keeping it quite simply on how to perform well up it. "You have to be at the front, that's all. Don't get caught out and don't let anyone get away. If you want to win at Alpe d'Huez, you can't let an opponent get away, and then it'll go well."

It's quite impossible to design a Tour de France route that doesn't feature Tadej Pogacar as the man to beat at this point in time, but aside from that, Hinault believes his five-Tour record should be matched by the Slovenian in a matter of a few months. "Yes, I think it's a Tour made for him. When you see how he's dominating right now, barring an incident, I don't see anyone who could worry him".

On Paul Seixas' potential (but unlikely) participation, perhaps the hottest topic in France right now, Hinault has a clear opinion, and it mimics that of most: "In my opinion, no. I think it's better for him to look towards the Giro d'Italia or the Vuelta a España to get his bearings, because there will still be some big challenges, and then he'll be able to ease off a bit".