RIP Laurent Fignon
Two-time Tour de France winner Laurent Fignon has died at the age of 50 following a battle with cancer.The Frenchman won the Tour in 1983 and 1984 and was second in 1989 when he lost by eight seconds, the smallest margin in the history of the race.
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The 1989 race, when his American rival Greg LeMond overcame a huge deficit on the final stage time trial to claim outright victory, was arguably the most thrilling in Tour history.
For three weeks they dogged each other, the leader's yellow jersey passing back and forth between them. Finally, with only the last-day time-trial to go, Fignon had amassed a 50-second lead that appeared decisive.
But LeMond, riding with an aerodynamic helmet and new-style triathlon handlebars that Fignon maintained were illegal, set a blistering pace - the fastest full-length time-trial stage ever ridden at the time.
Fignon rode last, using traditional handlebars and with his ponytail blowing in the wind. He gave everything he had, collapsing to the ground after crossing the finishing line. But it was not enough.
[...]
The 1989 race, when his American rival Greg LeMond overcame a huge deficit on the final stage time trial to claim outright victory, was arguably the most thrilling in Tour history.
For three weeks they dogged each other, the leader's yellow jersey passing back and forth between them. Finally, with only the last-day time-trial to go, Fignon had amassed a 50-second lead that appeared decisive.
But LeMond, riding with an aerodynamic helmet and new-style triathlon handlebars that Fignon maintained were illegal, set a blistering pace - the fastest full-length time-trial stage ever ridden at the time.
Fignon rode last, using traditional handlebars and with his ponytail blowing in the wind. He gave everything he had, collapsing to the ground after crossing the finishing line. But it was not enough.