Bernard Hinault is "Le Blaireau," the Badger. Tough as old boots, he is the old warrior of the French peloton, as revered as he is feared for his ferocious attacks. He has won 5 Tours de France, marking his name into the history books as a member of cycling's most exclusive club.
Yet as the 1986 Tour de France ascends into the mountains, a boyish and friendly young American named Greg LeMond threatens the Badger—and France’s entire cycling heritage. Known as "L'Américain," the naïve Tour newcomer rides strongly, unafraid.
The stakes are high. Winning for Hinault means capping his long cycling career by becoming the first man to win the Tour six times. For LeMond, a win will bring America its first Tour de France victory. So why does their rivalry shock the world?
LeMond and Hinault ride for the same team.
Asked by a reporter why he attacked his own teammate, the Badger replies, "Because I felt like it." and "If he doesn't buckle, that means he's a champion and deserves to win the race. I did it for his own good."
LeMond becomes paranoid, taking other riders' feed bags in the feed zone and blaming crashes on sabotage. Through it all, with the help of his American teammate Andy Hampsten, LeMond rides like a champion and becomes the first American to win the Tour de France. His win signals the passing of cycling's last hide-bound generation and the birth of a new breed of riders.
In Slaying the Badger, award-winning author Richard Moore traces each story line to its source through innumerable interviews—not only with LeMond and Hinault in their own homes but also with teammates, rivals, race directors, journalists, sponsors, and promoters. Told from these many perspectives, the alliances, tirades, and broken promises divulged in Slaying the Badger build to the stunning climax of the 1986 Tour de France. Slaying the Badger is an incomparably detailed and highly revealing tale of cycling's most extraordinary rivalry.
Slaying the Badger
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
"[Slaying the Badger is] a gripping narrative of this psychological and physical three-week war." — Wall Street Journal
“Rich in drama and emotion. As racing books go, Moore’s book just might be the greatest ever.” — Outside magazine
"[Slaying the Badger offers] intriguing insight into one of professional cycling's greatest rivalries...Where Slaying the Badger succeeds is in making such a well-known story so readable." — BikeRadar.com
"Richard Moore's excellent new book Slaying the Badger reexamines the mythology of this great race, attempting to shed new light on the motivations of these two great riders and what really happened on the roads of France in the summer of '86. What helps set Moore's book apart is the array of characters he brings to the story...A thrilling read." — Red Kite Prayer
"[Moore assembles] a stellar cast of interviewees, about twenty in all…The stars are, inevitably, Hinault and LeMond themselves, both with their own memories of what did and did not happen. But they're almost outshone by three of the supporting cast...For those three interviews alone, Slaying the Badger is worth reading.” — Podium Cafe
"Both men invite Moore into their homes: a privilege that clearly took some badger-like tenacity to secure. But it was worth the effort as Moore gains fresh insight into the rivalry." — East Anglian Daily Times
"Captivating...Slaying the Badger is a mixture of clear-eyed journalistic analysis and unashamed nostalgia." — The Times Literary Supplement
"Masterly, relevant and intriguing." — Washingmachinepost.net
"Moore entertainingly unravels the complexities of the relationships within the peloton." — Guardian
"Moore magnificently offers a fresh perspective, bringing alive this supreme tussle...A gripping read." — Blazin' Saddles, a blog from Eurosport.com
From the Back Cover
Sports/Cycling
Tour de France, 1986: The battle lines are drawn. America’s hope, Greg LeMond, fights to dethrone “the Badger,” French hero Bernard Hinault.
Former world champion LeMond is gunning for his first Tour victory. Hinault is clawing his way toward a record-breaking sixth.
LeMond, mercurial and raw, struggles for recognition. Hinault, fiercely combative and relentlessly aggressive, wants to go out on top.
On his side, LeMond has two team allies. But Hinault has five.
And there’s one other problem: They’re on the same team.
Their explosive rivalry burned the rule book, shredded friendships, shattered careers, and destroyed convention. It also led to the greatest Tour de France ever raced, an epic, chaotic, confounding, and ultimately exhilarating war of pure adrenaline, cold-blooded calculation, and extraordinary athleticism.
Heroism, treachery, spectacle, controversy, betrayal: In detail and emotion, Richard Moore brilliantly reconstructs the mind-boggling story of the 1986 Tour de France, the greatest race of them all.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Authors
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
“ Then of course you build all of that around an epic dual - it is a story and read that even someone with no ties to cycling would enjoy. ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Crispin
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
An excellent book that is well written and researched. The author seems to have researched the history of Lemond, Hinault and Kochli thoroughly giving entertaining insight into each character. An illuminating read which I couldn't wait to get back to each day. Well worth it.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Hank Rearden
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Greg LeMond and my brother inspired me to start riding and racing. Back in the day if we wanted detailed info about races we had to wait for the next issue of Velo News or Winning magazine. Then CBS or one of the networks started covering the Tour de France on Sundays. We loved the coverage even though it only scratched the surface of the drama that is professional bicycle racing.
This is a great book. A great read about really what was the pivotal point in pro cycling in the modern era. Hinault represented the "old guard" of cycling. A figure so prominent an dominating that he was in fact the "patron of the peleton". Riders were in awe of him and often outright feared him. Some loved him, some hated him. LeMond represented the American invasion into one of the holy of holy European sports. Even though Jock Boyer had been there for years he wasn't a talent like LeMond. I always admired LeMond because he respected the sport and the traditions of sport. The 1980's to me represents the end of the "honest" cycling era. Sure there were doping issues during the 60's 70's and 80's (Delgado in '88) etc... But EPO really changed the sport and has ruined cycling IMO. I digress.
If you are a fan of bicycle racing and especially a fan of the Hinault, Fignon, LeMond, Roche, Kelly era of the 1980's this is a must read book. Moore goes way out of his way to write a fair and balanced book on what was, is, to many of us one of the greatest and most dramatic Tour de France races ever. Because of technology, sophisticated doping, and the money now involved in cycling racing like this no longer happens today. Cycling has become a sport of specialists and is orchestrated to the minute detail. Love him or hate him Hinault raced like few have after him. Panache is the perfect word to describe his "style". While I land squarely on the side of LeMond and how he carried himself professionally during his career and after. The Badger certainly added spice and character to his era of domination.
Buy, borrow, or even steal this book. It is that good.
This is a great book. A great read about really what was the pivotal point in pro cycling in the modern era. Hinault represented the "old guard" of cycling. A figure so prominent an dominating that he was in fact the "patron of the peleton". Riders were in awe of him and often outright feared him. Some loved him, some hated him. LeMond represented the American invasion into one of the holy of holy European sports. Even though Jock Boyer had been there for years he wasn't a talent like LeMond. I always admired LeMond because he respected the sport and the traditions of sport. The 1980's to me represents the end of the "honest" cycling era. Sure there were doping issues during the 60's 70's and 80's (Delgado in '88) etc... But EPO really changed the sport and has ruined cycling IMO. I digress.
If you are a fan of bicycle racing and especially a fan of the Hinault, Fignon, LeMond, Roche, Kelly era of the 1980's this is a must read book. Moore goes way out of his way to write a fair and balanced book on what was, is, to many of us one of the greatest and most dramatic Tour de France races ever. Because of technology, sophisticated doping, and the money now involved in cycling racing like this no longer happens today. Cycling has become a sport of specialists and is orchestrated to the minute detail. Love him or hate him Hinault raced like few have after him. Panache is the perfect word to describe his "style". While I land squarely on the side of LeMond and how he carried himself professionally during his career and after. The Badger certainly added spice and character to his era of domination.
Buy, borrow, or even steal this book. It is that good.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Slaying The Badger:LeMond, Hinault, and the Greatest Ever Tour de France
September 12, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I had read portions of this book in a cycling magazine, and they were so good, I had to get the book. Very well-written, with a real understanding of the inside aspects to professional cycling. Richard Moore's style fits the true-life characters very well, as he moves from interview to interview with the main and the associated people in the story. One would not need to be a hard-core cycling fan to appreciate this book; it's a real page turner.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful
Completely engaging. Detailed, even-handed treatment of two cycling giants in their signature confrontation, viewed from within and from without. Spectacular.
Published 7 days ago by DMac
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining, insightful look inside the world and history of cycling...
If the opening scenes of this book don't hook you in and fill you with the excitement and drama the Tour de France brings for fans and riders alike then you probably aren't a fan... Read more
Published 24 days ago by Thomas Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile read
This was a great book that gives insight into two cycling legends. The 1986 tour was before my time so I did not get to see but reading about it was a thrilling experience. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ted J ODowd
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply fabulous.
I remember my younger brother and I checked results of the "Tour" daily to see where Greg LeMond was in the race. What a battle! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mickey Maguire
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Great coverage and interviews of an epic battle between two teammates. Gives a better understanding of the two personalities, although Hinault is still hard to understand.
Published 1 month ago by Rose Kerr
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read.
If you like cycling then you will love this book. It adds to what is already a very well known tour and gives a glimpse into the strangely similar lives of Lemond and The Badger. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Paul Magaletti
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very well written
I was just getting into cycling seriously when the events related in this volume transpired. I have a fairly vivid memory on how the rivalry between these 2 was reported, but... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Arnim Polster
3.0 out of 5 stars
Theseus v. the Minotaur
Slaying the Badger was a dissapointment to me. It reminded me of the journalism at the time in the U.S. Read more
Published 1 month ago by snailmartyr
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Moment in a Different Time
A detailed character study of two super alphas. One on the raise and the other looking into the end of his glory, a promised victory might of been anything but. Read more
Published 2 months ago by T Stig
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great view into the workings of one of the best tours ever. Read this...
You can't beat going behind the scenes of not one, but two legends. Both riders far from perfect. Book really captures their personalities, struggles and thoughts. Read more
Published 2 months ago by S. Higgins
