For 31 years now, the French have been more stylish than successful in their national Tour. But where did French Tour style start?
Was it with Henri Desgrange, the Tour’s suave dictator – oh, sorry, director – buttoned up like an ageing gangster in a double-breasted suit?
Was it his deputy and successor, Jacques Goddet, who was renowned for wearing a linen safari suit and pith helmet? Or was it Desgrange, when, as a young man in the 1890s, in a dragon-motif wifebeater and with a sharply waxed moustache, he showed he could pose to put any hipster to shame?
In truth, it’s always been about the riders: right from first winner, ‘the little chimney sweep’ Maurice Garin, who looks eerily like Brad Pitt’s grandfather, and his contemporary, Lucien Pottier, whose predilection for racing in shepherdesses’ hats did not save him from an untimely demise.
After the First World War, cycling entered its ‘Golden Age’ and a new breed of hero emerged, accessorised with tubular tyres, goggles and woollen jerseys.
This was when René Vietto had the attitude of James Dean, 20 years before James Dean did himself, and Roger Lapébie made women, men, friends and rivals, all go weak at the knees.
In the ‘50s and ‘60s it was the era of the matinée idol cycling star, and during the Tour fans gorged themselves on the pictures printed three times a week in the Miroir-Sprint of the suave Louison Bobet, rugged Raphaël Géminiani and aloof Jacques Anquetil (who was so cool when he was racing he can be forgiven some later style faux pas, like his side parting and shirt collars in the ’70s)
The ‘70s and ‘80s served us up some horrors and French riders – and French kit – weren’t immune. Laurent Brochard, perhaps, represented a style nadir, but some of it could (it might be argued) be the forerunner of the postmodern, ironic ‘so bad it’s good’ look. Look at Jacky Durand, for example, pictured in his Castorama ‘dungarees’ kit cycling supersonically away from Saturn and its rings.
But it wasn’t all bad: for every Castorama there was a La Vie Claire, and every Brochard was balanced out, perhaps, by a Charlie Mottet rocking amazing shades and a to-die-for lo-pro. And Laurent Fignon, the greatest of them all, could look good in any kit – Renault-Elf, Système U, Castorama, you name it.
Really, the best look of all is the winning look. The yellow look. Just ask Bernard Hinault how that feels, and let’s hope another French rider models it soon.
Who are your French cycling style favourites?