The Tour de France is more than just a cycling race; it's a cultural phenomenon that captivates audiences worldwide. But what makes a Tour de France winner truly special? Is it the crushing victory, or the heroic defeat? Tadej Pogacar, the current champion, is finding out the hard way that the French public has a peculiar taste for the underdogs. As he navigates the Alps, he's likely to encounter the same catcalls and boos that have become a rite of passage for many Tour de France winners before him.
The French public has a long-standing love affair with the noble peasant, the valiant loser, the one who tries their utmost but falls just short. This is the essence of the MJPP principle, named after the rivalry between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor in the 1960s. Anquetil, the cold, clinical time-trial specialist, and Poulidor, the warm-hearted peasant, embodied this duality. Anquetil won the Tour multiple times, but his victories were often unreadable and unexciting to the French public. Poulidor, on the other hand, became the most popular athlete in France, despite never winning the Tour. This dynamic set the tone for how the French perceive Tour de France winners.
The FFL, or Federation Francaise de la Lose, is a popular Instagram feed dedicated to those who don't win. They helped organize Thibaut Pinot's massive farewell party on a stage through the Vosges in 2023, where Pinot made a heroic solo attack, only to be chased down by the clinical UAE team led by Pogacar. This perfectly illustrated the MJPP principle: the French love their heroes to win, but they also want them to compete and smile like Poulidor.
However, the French public's expectations have changed in recent years, particularly after the doping scandals of the 1990s and 2000s. The Tour stars are now expected to be clean and perceived as clean. This adds an ethical twist to the MJPP tendency, as the underdogs finding interesting ways not to win are now seen as occupying the moral high ground. As a result, riders like Chris Froome, Eddy Merckx, and Bernard Hinault faced boos and catcalls for their victories.
Pogacar, despite his charisma and ethics, is likely to face the same treatment. The French want their heroes to win as much as Anquetil, but they also want them to compete and smile like Poulidor. They don't want even the remotest doubts about the winner's probity. This makes it an impossible triangle to square for some riders. But for Pogacar, the challenge is to find a way to balance his dominance with the French public's love for the underdog.
In conclusion, the Tour de France is more than just a cycling race; it's a cultural phenomenon that reflects the French public's love for the underdog. Pogacar's journey through the Alps will be a test of his ability to navigate this complex dynamic and find a way to win over the French public, even if it means facing the same catcalls and boos that have become a rite of passage for many Tour de France winners before him.
