I watched an amazing show about Greg Lamond this week. About how much sabotage the french tried against him to keep him from winning was unbelievable.
In the mid eighties, Greg was part of a team of the best riders, including some french, other euros, and him, an american. The coach was french.
In one of the last stages of the race, Greg was only seconds in time behind the french rider who was at the time the most favored french rider to win and had a ton of french company sponsors. When Greg started making a move, the french coach riding in a car behind him ordered him back claiming some story about how other riders were going to be pulling up to him, so they could work together to get him going even faster. He listened and backed off, but the other riders said the coach never said anything to them about this and greg lost a ton of time. This costing him the time gain he would need to have a chance to beat him. At that time, Greg's pace was increasing, while the french guy had been slowing down.
Greg went nuts. At that point, the french teamates all stopped talking to the other non-french team members.
The french guy won that year.
Afterwards, the french rider and coach promised Greg that next year, they would work together and the best man on the team would win. Greg and other riders mistake was believing this.
All through the training leading up to it, the french rider trained with Greg, and kept telling him they would work together during the race and whoever dominated fairly would win.
Well, as the next years race began, the french team members and coach pulled the same crap again right out of the gate. The non-french team members got togther with Greg and told him the would all worketogether to help Greg win. The team basically splintered in two groups. Throughout the race, Greg and the non-french team mates had to cook their own food and never drink anything that wasn't personally handled by themselves. Greg's wife rented a car herself and followed the team, keeping all the food and supplies they would need with her. There had been attempts to poison the non-french riders and Greg in that group and threats against Greg's life as he starting winning the race.
Greg won the race that year and left that team. I believe he went on to win 2 more tour de frances.
Yup...and he probably would have won two more in 1987 and 1988 if his dumbass brother-in-law hadn't shot him!