France’s fading Yellow Jersey

Nothing symbolises the French summer like the Tour de France. The sight of the yellow jersey flying through the idyllic countryside is a hallmark of July across the channel. However, an event that has a special place in many people’s idea of France may be losing a certain je ne sais quoi. 

It’s not just that no Frenchman has won since 1985 — although that doesn’t help. Le Tour is gradually succumbing to the crosswinds of globalisation: French riders find it harder to win, and France’s teams are in resolute decline, outcompeted by foreign money. An event which began as a French revolution is undergoing a global one.