World Cup: French players need to stay away from wheeled vehicles

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Last week it was defender William Gallas overturning his dune buggy during a race with teammates in the French Alps.

On Tuesday it was striker Nicolas Anelka coming a cropper on his mountain bike as he and the rest of Les Bleus trundled downhill on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion.

What is it with the French and wheeled vehicles?

If France Coach Raymond Domench keeps coming up with these strange ways of getting his team to bond, sooner or later someone is going to get hurt.

Next up for France is a warmup game in the Reunion town of Saint-Pierre on Thursday against China, where they know a thing or two about bicycles.

Then it’s on to South Africa, where Domenech hopes to keep the wheels from coming off his team.

--Grahame L. Jones