Tadej Pogačar is walking quietly on the roads of the Tour de France, reducing the suspense to nothing (except in the event of abandonment). A slight feeling of discomfort also hangs over the world of cycling in front of this emperor of the little queen, who could take her fourth yellow jersey in six editions on Sunday and only 26 years old. Thomas Voeckler, in Southwestcan no longer even simulate his disenchantment: « Pogačar did not impress me more this year than in 2024 … He tries to convince himself that there is a suspense, otherwise it will be boring. […] A man above the lot, even nice, ends up annoying. » A situation which is reminiscent of the mixed feelings that arouses in France the arrogant domination of PSG on our league 1. So, is victory appreciable only if it remains unreported?
A story of domination
However, this configuration is not frankly new. In the 2000s, Olympique Lyonnais by Jean-Michel Aulas chained seven consecutive titles, while Lance Armstrong also encroached seven towers from France between 1999 and 2005-yellow jerseys finally withdrawn due to proven and confessed doping. We have to pray on the side of Amaury Sport Organization so that Slovenian does not become his unworthy successor, at least from this point of view.
Modern sport is based on many myths, which found the power of attraction of this incomparable – and very profitable – a secular religion. Among them, a certain approach to equal opportunities. Or rather the very liberal adage « equality at the start, inequality of the results »since largely beaten by sociologists, including this brave Pierre Bourdieu. And although more and more capitalist and productivist, sport transformed into a popular show also needs, to sell, legends, success as well as surprised victories to keep the public who became a customer.
Textor’s prediction
The philosopher Roger Caillois underlined in this way, in 1958, the importance of chance in the construction of the figure of the champion and the romantic writing of a competition: « The hazard denies work, patience, skill, qualification; It eliminates professional value, regularity, training. He abolishes the accumulated results in an instant. He is total disgrace or absolute favor. He brings to the happy player infinitely more than can give him a life of work, discipline and fatigue. » However, what remains of this beautiful illusion if the best, the most hard-working, the strongest, the richest, the best equipped is guaranteed to win? The reality of power relations – whether economic or sports (often both, as in the case of PSG) – sometimes tends to annihilate tragedy, and to kill the famous hen with gold eggs. John Textor, who has already become a pariah, already lamented it: « Who will be interested in the French championship and watch it on TV if we already know who will win? Everyone is fighting for second place, it’s always the same team that wins. »
The democratic dream of sport takes a hit. Pedro Delgado, winner of the Tour in 1988, does not hesitate to compare in AS The reign of Pogačar to a « dictatorship »suggesting that sport loses its democratic essence there. However, France is not frankly a land of election of liberal utopia. She continues to maintain her egalitarian passion in her own way, including in sport (« We lose to win »). Witness his love for the little thumbs, the brilliant seconds (Brest), the eternal dolphins (Poulidor), or the surprises, as ephemeral they are (Kévin Vauquelin) … A chance for the audiences or the future LFP chain?
Gabriel Moscardo (still) loaned