At Paris-Tours, Sebastien Hinault ended a career that began in 1997. The Breton recounted his career to Velochrono in a recent, lengthy interview. 

“Like all the others, I set conventional targets with the aim to get to the Tour de France where I hoped to be selected. Finally, I wasn’t taken and I reported to the Vuelta, a race that also appealed to me. I was not too disappointed over the Tour because it was not necessarily my intention to enjoy the Tour because then it would be all over. The season did not end in July and I still hoped to do the job until the end.”

It is perfect that Hinault is ending his career with Serge Beucherie, his DS back in his first year as a pro with GAN in 1997.

“The IAM project was very interesting. And when I learned that Serge Beucherie was included there, I said, "Why not go there? ". It was he who made me sign my first professional contract and it was also a way for me to close the loop. Over time, he became more than a sports director. He is now a friend. I especially think the team is growing and it has potential. It always wants to evolve and push the limits. The boss, Michel Thétaz, is one that characterizes the best. He is both very serious and lighthearted. This is a good mix to aim high.”

With both Chris Horner and Davide Rebellin continuing their careers at 43, people are wondering if Hinault is earning his career to early. But the Frenchman laughed the claim off, claiming it was time for him to end his career and he knew it.

“Physically, I still feel able to do one or even two more seasons. It must stop at the right time and I do not see myself having a good year and being able to perform at my best. I actually chose to retire and preserve the good memories.”

“It's been a while since I thought the season that was happening could be my last. I have thought more seriously for about a year and I thought that 2014 was likely to be my last year in the pros. I once told two friends, a coach and my osteopath, that I was able to go on until I was forty years old and I have proved them right. I have now and I think that's a good age and the right time to say stop.” 

Hinault says that one of his biggest reasons for stopping was so that he could escape the weariness of being a professional bike rider.

“I wanted to avoid that. Although at times I missed races because sometimes tend to become stereotyped. This is my eighteenth professional season and the time had come to move on, not off on a wrong note. I have other life plans.”

Hinault looks back at his career with fond memories and says that despite it being tough at times, he had a fun career that he enjoyed very much.

“My career has been very long, but these eighteen years marched by without me even noticing. I did not see the time passing, the feeling of having ridden so long despite that often make me notice that I had a long career. I especially had fun riding, working out. Without this notion of fun, I probably would have found particularly long seasons and I would have probably tired much faster. I think I have this longevity in a healthy environment, my family who always supported me. When I was doing recovery or a massage, there was often someone available. For training, I often had friends I could find in the teams for which I rode. So all this has helped me to ride a bike as long while trying to keep the fun in it.”

Despite having been in the sport for so long, Hinault seems remarkably fresh mentally, something he attributes to the knowing that he made the most of his opportunities and couldn’t do any more with his career.

“I admitted that I had a great job and I had a great extraordinary opportunity. I tried to make the most of what is, for me, a passion and I am not going to look jaded.”

Hinault was active in many different aspects of cycling, from French Cup events to sprints to cobbled classics in Flanders.

“I realized that I did not have exceptional physical qualities and so I set out to exploit mine to the fullest. I got out not too bad but I also took pleasure in my work for leaders who have brought me satisfaction when they were winning races.”

Hinault also has a message for the younger generations who want to make it in the pro ranks and have a career as long as the veteran Frenchman’s:

“I trained seriously, paid attention to food and I have not had too many health problems. I have not had too many serious falls and I know that injuries can slow your progress; it is significant if you want to last. The bike is primarily a sport of patience and experience. If we want to exploit our physical qualities to the maximum, it is by working and by being patient and we finally get there. That's what I try to convey to future generations.” 

Hinault says that despite his long career, he has very little regrets and will leave cycling a happy man.

“The only regret I might have is to have made the first half of my career at a time when we could afford things we can do today. I still had dirty people to ride against and I am sure that cycling has cleaned up thanks to all that has been put in place by the governing bodies, including the biological passport. I would have preferred started my career now or three or four years ago when there was a big awareness. There, I could say that I would probably have had another career.”

Hinault has ridden through things like the Festina affair and Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich, so there is no one better to judge how much the peloton has changed for the better in terms of their attitude to performance enhancing drugs.

“Almost everyone is aware that it is no longer possible to do certain things. There was a tolerance of certain practices during the 90s but now know they cannot cheat. The Armstrong case also demonstrates that nobody is safe and can be sanctioned several years after the events. Currently, zero tolerance has even become a priority for team managers and the commitment of sponsors. Tracking riders is such that it is very difficult not to get caught. All is not perfect yet but things are moving in the right direction. 

As for the recent Astana cases concerning the Iglinskiy brothers, Velentin and Maxim, and stagaire Ilya Davidenok, Hinault weighs in with his view on one of cycling’s hottest topics just now:

“It goes back to what I was saying. I do not see teams establishing an organized doping program. My opinion is that their team bosses did not provide the Iglinskiy brothers with products and they acted on their own with products purchased through a mafia network. The fear of being punished means that doping cases come increasingly isolated cases.”

However, Hinault acknowledges that while doping is less and less of an occurrence in the bunch, cyclists are still branded with the labels of the past.

“The image of the general public of the cyclist has been and, in my opinion, will be the image of doping. Work is being done in this area although I think we, the riders, have made great efforts to make things change. Unfortunately, there are still some ugly ducklings lying around and doesn’t help our reputation change. The mentality of the riders has changed, that's for sure. The media also have their share of responsibility. Sometimes, doping makes the headlines rather than great performances. We still tend to emphasize the negative rather than the positive.”

As for Hinault’s 2015, he had this to say:

“I will stay in the circuit, as they say. Nothing is formalized yet but I would like to continue in this world of cycling that I love and that gave me a lot. I think I also have something to offer it in return.” 

And is another life without the bike possible for him?

“Probably but I do not know if I could live without cycling. This is something I always have in me. Without him, I do not know. Time flies, especially when we love what we do. I always had a passion after all these years and when one takes pleasure, it's much easier. I often remark, "I have never worked." Cycling, it is not working. It is sometimes said to me: you don’t get sick of it? No, if I do a normal job, probably yes, but my situation is almost enviable. I do not have the right to complain.”