Luc Leblanc, one of the great figures of French cycling in the 90s with two stage victories in the Tour de France and the world champion title achieved in 1994, has released a book in which he recounts the drama he has lived through throughout his life beyond his champion figure.
The Frenchman gave an interview to Le Parisien on the occasion of the presentation of su book entitled ‘L’importante, c’est de rester vivant (The important thing is to be alive)’, to advance some of the episodes that count in this book.
One of the episodes of his life that Leblanc tells is a shocking story about how he was about to take his own life in 2003. “That day, I took my rifle and went to the woods. I put the barrel of the rifle to my throat. But then I thought about my children and my family. Finally I left the rifle and returned to my house.
A Leblanc who has been followed by very hard episodes since, At the age of 12, he was the victim of a car accident in which he was injured but in which his brother died. “The driver’s license was only taken away for two months. And I still ask myself a question about it: ‘why him and not me?’”
Leblanc also reveals the tense relationship with Laurent Fignon the time in which both runners coincided in the Castorama and he was also the victim of a deception by his financial adviser, who kept a large part of his profits and that led to Leblanc being accused of fraud.
As if this were not enough, Leblanc also recounts the episodes he experienced in the world of doping the year he was on the Festina team, in 1994. “I was at Festina and I went to see our doctor to tell him how many colleagues had changed their performance. He explained to me that if I wanted to continue at the highest level I had to do with them or else I would end my career ”.
However, the publication of this book has given new energy to Leblanc, who told Le Parisien that he wants a new opportunity to share his experience in cycling. “I want to take care of young people and their formation. I know how to prepare future champions without hindering them from reaching the highest level”. A new Luc Leblanc who wants to be remembered as the cyclist who overcame the hard obstacles that life put him.