Pinot and Péraud bridge 30-year gap at Tour de France

Separated by 13 years in age, Jean-Christophe Péraud and Thibaut Pinot combined to bridge a 30-year gap for French cycling at the Tour de France on Sunday. For the first time since 1984, when the late Laurent Fignon preceded Bernard Hinault, two Frenchman stood on the final podium in Paris. Indeed, it was the first time since 1997 that any Frenchman had finished higher than fourth overall.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.