Hinault was born on 14 November 1954 in the Breton village of Yffiniac, the second oldest of four children to Joseph and Lucie Hinault. The family … See more

Hinault came to cycling through his cousin René, who rode weekend races. At first he had to use the shared family bike, which he rode devotedly. He received his own bike when he was 15 as a reward for passing his school examinations, and used it to travel to … See more

After his retirement from professional cycling, Hinault moved to his farm and bred dairy cows, assisted by his cousin René, who had become an agricultural engineer. Just two … See more

• Biography portal
• Sports portal
• France portal
• Giro d'Italia records and statistics
• List of cycling records See more

1975–1977: Gitane
In January 1975, Hinault turned professional with the Gitane–Campagnolo team, run by former World Champion Jean Stablinski, … See more

Riding style and legacy
During his active career, Hinault was known as the patron of the field, meaning the rider with the highest authority. His biographer William Fotheringham has described him as "the last of the sport's patrons". In this … See more

• Augendre, Jacques (2018). Guide historique [Historical guide] (PDF) (in French). Paris: Amaury Sport Organisation. See more