Can France’s World Cup success help in the fight against Islamists?

It’s not surprising that so many Frenchmen and women partied in Paris last Sunday to celebrate their country’s World Cup success. The French side played with style and panache and deserved their victory; there’s also the fact that France hasn’t had much to cheer about in recent years when it comes to sport so they’re entitled to bask in the glory of Les Bleus. As well as cheers last week there were also some jeers – and spits and slaps – all of them aimed at the British cyclist Chris Froome as he peddled up and down mountains in the Tour de France. These are more than just surly reactions to the recent doping controversy (an anti-doping case against Froome was dropped by cycling’s governing body earlier this month), they’re the rage of a nation that has seen its most cherished sporting institution hijacked by Brits, whose cyclists have won five of the last six Tours.