Dave Brailsford has said the French public are different to other Europeans. And they may yet end up with a Tour de France for French teams, adding that might work better for the French (Photo: Pete Goding)
Brailsford says "French cultural thing" at heart of hostility towards Team Sky
Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford has said the hostile reception endured by the team on the Tour de France is down to “a French cultural thing”.
He said even when Chris Froome’s salbutamol case was resolved, the team had experienced no such problems at the Giro d’Italia this year.
And he believed if the French continued to disrespect “top international teams” they would stop coming to the Tour de France.
The remarks are very likely to result in a backlash towards Team Sky. And if any disaster were to befall Geraint Thomas or Chris Froome, as it did Vincenzo Nibali, Brailsford would find himself accused of whipping up sentiment.
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Asked why he believed the French were not booing other international teams, Brailsford said: “But they’re not winning though, are they?”
His remarks were made on the second rest day before the final week of action.
“I don’t think it’s going to stop,” Brailsford said of the hostile reception, which has extended to Froome being shoved and spat at by a very small number of fans.
“I’m not too optimistic on that front. We’re trying to remain dignified, we’re trying not to react and we’re trying not to get distracted by it.
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“But I don’t think spitting and throwing things has a place in professional sport.
“I’m not sure it’s got a place in everyday life. But it seems to be the thing that’s done here. It’s a shame but we’re not going to let it distract us.
“It’s interesting that we’ve just done the Giro and Chris’s case was open then and the Italians were fantastic.
“It just seems to be a French thing. Like a French cultural thing. I’m not sure they’d have liked their football players being spat at in Russia,” he said of the World Cup.
“I’m sure there would have been a word or two about that. But it’s OK to spit on us, and on our staff. Emma Kennaugh (press officer) is 21. She’s trying to drive around France and it’s very intimidating for her, to be spat at.
“Personally I’d have a bit of an issue if that was going on in my country. But there we go. We’ll just carry on.
“The Tour de France is promoted as the world’s greatest annual sporting event. And if you want the best international riders to come to your country then maybe treat them with a little more respect.
“If you don’t want them to come, you can maybe have the Tour de France for French teams - that might work.
“But if you want international teams to come then treat them with the same respect that you’d want your team to be treated when they go to Russia, the World Cup or wherever else.”
However, he said he was used too hostility and had endured it for years.
“We know we’re going to get stick from the crowd. We know we’re going to get abuse and we know that not a lot is going to be done about it. That’s part of winning.
“The more it happens the more you determined you get. We don’t react to it. We’ll smile and try and win the race.”
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