I'm afraid yoou're overlooking the French history of lying, creating false evidence and engaging in deliberate scandal mongering to discredit individuals who are perceived as threats to French honor, whether merited or not.
Go all the way back to the Dreyfus affair, or to the more recent bombing of the Greenpeace ship to see how this operates.
The "smoke" you're referring to is really the reality of 7 Tour de France victories by an American--something the French can't stomach.
Greg LeMond: Lance Armstrong Threatened Me
I'm afraid yoou're overlooking the French history of lying, creating false evidence and engaging in deliberate scandal mongering to discredit individuals who are perceived as threats to French honor, whether merited or not.
Go all the way back to the Dreyfus affair, or to the more recent bombing of the Greenpeace ship to see how this operates.
The "smoke" you're referring to is really the reality of 7 Tour de France victories by an American--something the French can't stomach.
Nor Greg Lemond.