1989 TDF - Lemond vs Fignon

[Fivethumbs]

That has got to be the greatest Tour de France ever. I would recommend to anyone to buy the Greg Lemond DVD set - 1986 Tour, 1989 Tour, 1989 Worlds, and 1990 Tour. I've watched them all multiple times.

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by TDot

That was the race that cemented my love for the sport. I've never forgotten that time trial at the end. It was like Rocky v Drago - Fignon with his old school tt bike and hair in a pony tail and Lemond with the most modern gear. I still have images from that tt burned in my brain. Absolutely beautiful. Will def listen to this.

Pretty much me too. Had never given the sport of cycling much though, and was sitting in my parents house at age 15 and happen to see a news broadcast showing a recap of Lemonds final winning tt, and I was instantly hooked. Got me into bike racing and triathlons for the past 30 years. After starting, I spent a scary amount of hours on a cateye cyclosimulator watching that '89 TDF on VHS over and over..

[MisterMurray]

There's a great new book out about LeMond and his career with a lot of focus on the rivalry between he and Laurent.

The Comeback

[Keith A]

Here's a nice 6 minute recap of the final TT...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3RV2ukMPNc

[johnmdesigner]

I remember when Stuyvesant bikes on 14th street had Lemond's tt bike on display after the race (they were the US distributor of Bottecchia). That really got me hooked.
I don't think Fignon ever got over it. Everyone seemed to forget about his other victories. Take a look at his 1988 Milan San Remo victory.
Many years ago I went to a charity auction for one of his bikes. I did get a nod from the Professor but probably because we both had a ponytail.

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by johnmdesigner

I remember when Stuyvesant bikes on 14th street had Lemond's tt bike on display after the race (they were the US distributor of Bottecchia). That really got me hooked.
I don't think Fignon ever got over it. Everyone seemed to forget about his other victories. Take a look at his 1988 Milan San Remo victory.
Many years ago I went to a charity auction for one of his bikes. I did get a nod from the Professor but probably because we both had a ponytail.

Exactly. His list of victories is impressive. He could win on any terrain.

[54ny77]

I remember that store! (I think.)

Wasn't it on 14th on the west side of town?

Originally Posted by johnmdesigner

I remember when Stuyvesant bikes on 14th street had Lemond's tt bike on display after the race (they were the US distributor of Bottecchia). That really got me hooked.
I don't think Fignon ever got over it. Everyone seemed to forget about his other victories. Take a look at his 1988 Milan San Remo victory.
Many years ago I went to a charity auction for one of his bikes. I did get a nod from the Professor but probably because we both had a ponytail.

[johnmdesigner]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

I remember that store! (I think.)

Wasn't it on 14th on the west side of town?

Yessir! The original "Meatpacking District". When it still had meat.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by bikingshearer

And saddle sores. Don't forget that Fignon rode that last time trial with significant saddle sores. Credit to him, he never used that as an excuse.



Credit also to Lemond for winning that race. Fignon had a superior team and was a hell of a rider; Lemond had to make do with significantly less help, especially in the mountains. And like Dumolin this year, Lemond rode that final TT without time checks from his team car. His strategy was to go all out, as hard as he could in an all-or-nothing effort. If he cracked, he cracked, but he was going to give 100% until he couldn't any more. Time checks when in that mode likely would have been more of a distraction than a help, and I think he was smart to take the approach he did. In any event, it worked.



Check out some old photos of the faces of Lemond and Fignon on that final podium. They say everything there is to say about "the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat."

Lemond won because he used that aerobar. Without that, he would have lost the tour. He won by only 8 seconds. Fignon was obviously clueless as to the importance of aerodynamics in a time trial.

[bob heinatz]

I remember watching that tt and it was exciting. Lemond was great to watch.

[BrianE]

Like many others here, this was THE imagery that set the hook for me. Few if any of the subsequent tour have lived up to the Lemond vs Fignon duel. I guess today's ceremonial romp into the Champs is the way it must be but I sure would like to see them revert to an individual time trial for the final stage....

[makoti]

I saw Fignon in DC at the TdT. He was making his way through the crowd on his bike. Came up to the curb, stopped, front wheel up on the grass, back wheel up, track stand to grab the police tape, it was about the level of his stem, bends way down, slips under it, off he goes. All while clipped in. At that time, I'd never seen anyone so completely part of his bike like that. I'm not that graceful walking across the hall.

[TDot]

I love how impactful that tour was - clearly affected so many of us this side of the Atlantic and for many of us, started our love affair with the sport. To what extent did Lemond's win impact bicycle manufacturing in the US? In Canada, our biggest manufacturers are still pretty small - Mariposa and the great Marinoni - but at least for Marinoni he was born and bred for the sport well before he arrived in Montreal. Do you think that Lemond's victory spurred the industry in the US? On a side note, so happy to be part of this forum - thanks to you all for being awesome!

[merckx]

Originally Posted by TDot

I love how impactful that tour was - clearly affected so many of us this side of the Atlantic and for many of us, started our love affair with the sport. To what extent did Lemond's win impact bicycle manufacturing in the US? In Canada, our biggest manufacturers are still pretty small - Mariposa and the great Marinoni - but at least for Marinoni he was born and bred for the sport well before he arrived in Montreal. Do you think that Lemond's victory spurred the industry in the US? On a side note, so happy to be part of this forum - thanks to you all for being awesome!

This is a good question. I do believe that there was a knee-jerk reflex in bicycle sales, and even in road racing, but the emergence of the mountain bicycle at that time eclipsed all.

[merckx]

Originally Posted by MikeD

Lemond won because he used that aerobar. Without that, he would have lost the tour. He won by only 8 seconds. Fignon was obviously clueless as to the importance of aerodynamics in a time trial.

It was Guimard who was clueless.