Jean-François Bernard

Personal information
Full name	Jean-François Bernard
Date of birth	May 2, 1962 (1962-05-02) (age 47)
Country	France
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	All Rounder
Professional team(s)1
1984-1986 1987-1990 1991-1994 1995 1996	La Vie Claire Toshiba Banesto Chazal Agrigel-La Creuse
Major wins
Paris-Nice 1992 Criterium International 1992
Infobox last updated on:
October 13, 2007 1 Team names given are those prevailing at time of rider beginning association with that team.

Jean-François Bernard (born May 2, 1962 at Luzy, Bourgogne, France) is a former French professional road bicycle racer. He turned professional in 1984 for La Vie Claire, led by Bernard Hinault. He was seen as Hinault’s successor as a winner of stage races from 1986.

Bernard wore the maillot jaune in the 1987 Tour de France and won two stages, both time trials, including one on Mont Ventoux. He finished the race third behind Stephen Roche of Ireland and Pedro Delgado of Spain.

He won three stages in the 1988 Giro d'Italia and led the race, but he crashed in a tunnel, injured his back and abandoned the race. The next year he needed an operation and months of recuperation for fibrosis in his left knee.

A saddle sore and another operation forced him out of the 1990 Tour de France.^[1] He never again challenged in the grands tours. In 1991 he joined the Spanish team, Banest which had two leaders for stage races in Delgado and Miguel Indurain. Bernard helped Indurain dominate the Tour.

Bernard won the 1992 Paris-Nice.

Bernard retired at the end of 1996 with 52 professional wins. He is now a consultant for L'Équipe, L'Équipe TV and Eurosport. In 2005 a race, La Jean-François Bernard, was organised in the Nièvre region of Bourgogne as part of the Trophy of Bourgogne, an amateur competition.^[2]

[edit] Palmarès

•  France Amateur road race champion 1983.
• Paris-Nice : 1992 (Second in 1987)
• Critérium International : 1992
• Tour Méditerranéen : 1986
• Giro dell'Emilia : 1987
• Coppa Sabatini : 1985
• Grand Prix de Rennes : 1987
• Ronde d'Aix en Provence : 1988
• Circuit de la Sarthe 1992, 1993
• Winner of 3 stages of the Tour de France
• Winner of 4 stages of the Giro d'Italia
• Winner of 1 stage in Vuelta a España

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Palmares of Jean Francois Bernard