“Slaying the Badger” goes beyond just a story about a cycling race.

I remember watching Greg LeMond seize the 1989 Tour de France from Laurent Fignon’s grasp with an amazing ride in the final time trial. But I don’t have direct memories of the 1986 Tour. So I was very pleased to watch Slaying the Badger, the latest film from ESPN’s 30 for 30 this past week.

Going in, I was certain that Hinault owed LeMond the 86 Tour de France as LeMond’s just reward for letting Hinault win the 85 Tour. Halfway through I had come around to thinking the team director was the villian and that maybe Hinault wasn’t such a backstabber after all. And at the end, I was convinced Hinault was pond scum.

Like all the best stories, Slaying the Badger is a story about people. Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond were two of the great riders of their time. And they were both on the same team. A very good watch for the sports fan.