French elections - a real choice denied?

[RF]

I have always advocated the use of the alternative vote in a multi-party political system. The French for their presidential election use first past the post to identify the two front runners for a second ballot.
Now here we have nine candidates for president, with the top four candidates each getting over 10% of the total vote but nobody reaching 30%. So the top two candidates have their run-off election after more than 40% of the voters have rejected them. It could have been 50% or higher.

Alternative vote would have dealt with that conundrum and make that election more interesting - by flushing out who the French really want for President.....
Maybe thats why they don't have AV. We can't have the voters getting what they really want, do we?