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Many here know of my love for cycling and the sport of bicycle racing. I have been a fan of bicycle racing since the early 1980’s when I switched to the sport from foot-racing after some running injuries. Tonight I am writing about one of the greatest racers of our time, two-time Tour de France winner, Laurent Fignon, who died in Paris on Tuesday.
I never met Laurent Fignon. Despite his two victories at the Tour de France, Fignon was more famous for losing the Tour on the last day in a time trial duel with American Greg LeMond in 1989. LeMond was making a comeback from a hunting accident in which he was shot by his brother-in-law while turkey over two years before. Though he won the Tour de France himself in 1986, some thought his career was over for good following the accident, which very nearly took his life. They say he still carries buckshot pellets in his body.
LeMond resumed cycling in 1988, about a year after the hunting accident, but until the end of the 1989 Giro d’Italia (the Italian Grand Tour. There are only three Grand Tours in existence, all three week long races: the Tour de France, the greatest race of them all, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana, the Tour of Spain.), LeMond had not been seriously competitive in any of the races he entered. Finally, near the end of the Italian Tour, he responded to iron injections to correct an anemic state and he rode well in a mountain stage, followed by a second place finish in the final time trial. He finished the race well over two hours behind race winner, Laurent Fignon.
LeMond was not mentioned among the favorites for the 1989 Tour de France (about six weeks after the conclusion to the Giro d’Italia). Still, he was competitive throughout and was to begin the final 24.5 km (15.2 mi.) time trial trailing Fignon by what was considered by most to be an insurmountable margin of 50 seconds. Using aerodynamic technology drawn from triathlon specialists, LeMond beat Fignon by 58 seconds to win the closest Tour de France ever raced. The final victory margin, after 20 days and well over 2,000 miles of racing: 8 seconds. (There was an ironic picture posted the next week showing Fignon by the side of the road taking a ‘nature break,’ with the caption reading where could he have gotten another 8 seconds? Of course, only time taken at the finish line counts against those 8 seconds, and you may be sure that he finished the stage on which the picture was taken without losing any time.)
Fignon finished the time trial completely exhausted, collapsing on the ground at the finish, unable to support his own weight. Many feel his popularity in France was greater after that defeat (which was devastating to him, personally) than his previous victories ever were, due to his fighting spirit, and sympathy his defeat brought him.
One final encounter awaited the two wheeled gladiators, several weeks later, at the World Professional Road Racing Championships in Chambery, France, when, as told in the Sports Illustrated Archives article, in what had to be a terrible case of deja vu, LeMond chased down Fignon three times in the final 2.5 miles (of a 163 mile race) before winning the sprint for his second World Championship title. For all his incredible victories, Fignon never won a World Championship title.
I only saw Fignon race one time, in the World Professional Road Racing Championships in 1986 (the year LeMond won his first Tour), held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was new to cycling myself at the time, and it was the first time I saw a race with riders of that caliber. My first view of the peleton was when they were climbing a mile long grade on the Air Force Academy grounds where the race was held. They were riding relaxed, ten abreast, at a pace I’d never be able to maintain. Right at the front was the great French champion, Bernard Hinault. I got chills!
Friends and I hiked all around the course during the race (it was about 15 km in length, and they were doing about 17 laps, for appx. 160 miles). I never saw the racers in distress, not even from the 6,000+ foot altitude, which had us huffing and puffing just hiking around. There were several breakaways during the race, but none seemed very serious. With a couple of laps to go, we were down from the start finish to watch the peleton on a fast decent on the back side of the race course, which the racers took at a guestimated 50 mph. As they passed us it looked like two racers were getting spun off the back, but they were riding upright, one hand on the bars, looking back UP the course. When we looked up to see what they were looking at, we saw a rider had flatted and was getting a bike change. Moments later that rider came flying past us to group up with his teammates to try to chase back. The rider was Laurent Fignon. We headed back up the course toward the finish, intrigued to see whether Fignon could make it back when the race was on full like that. Approaching the finish a small group of new breakaway riders approached us, eleven total. At the front of that group was Laurent Fignon! Not only had he made it back, he rode straight through the bunch and into the race-winning breakaway!
We made it back to the finish for the start of the final lap. The crowd went wild as Greg LeMond unleashed an attack coming through, but for him it was not to be. Italy’s Moreno Argentin won the race. Fignon had been dropped (“left behind” in bicycle racing parlance) by attacks out of that breakaway (probably not least because of the effort required to recover from the flat tire), but it was still unforgettable to see him race in person.
(SI has an archived article on that race, as well, here.)
In June of 2009 Fignon revealed he was being treated for metastatic cancer (pancreatic). At one point he came to the United States for treatment, assisted by Lance Armstrong and the Livestrong Foundation. He was a broadcaster during this year’s Tour de France, despite his massive health problems. Here is how it was described in cyclingnews.
Fignon analysed this year’s Tour de France for France Television and his colleague Gérard Holtz spoke of his “formidable courage” in carrying out his commentary duties while undergoing treatment for cancer.
“He was honest, sincere and direct, and a huge plus for our team,” Holtz said. “He was an enormous champion right to the end. He had lost a huge amount of weight and could barely talk, but right to the end he showed the resistance of a champion.”
Some pictures of Fignon (both racing, and after his career) may be found at this VeloNews link.
Finally, here is a YouTube homage for Laurent Fignon. It does show his collapse after that time trial with Greg LeMond.
You know, nothing about Laurent Fignon’s life and death makes a great difference in the struggles we share on this blog, but it matters that this man lived, and it matters now that he’s gone, too. Rest in peace, Laurent Fignon, and thank you for all you gave.
Thank you for reading.
On to tonight’s comments!
From Ebby:
FiredUpInCA sums it up well with a comment heading that sounds like it’s ripped from the Rec list.
Breaking: Corporations are full of crap
(Ebby notes the commenter subsequently posted the comment AS a diary!)
From NCrissieB:
From Sunday's Morning Feature, OHknighty offers this gem about Colorado congressional candidate Ken Buck saying "federal involvement" since the 1950s has made our schools worse.
From JanF:
In Sunday's Morning Feature, WineRev provides us with a preview of the media turning their heads towards the NEWEST story in mid-October:
Cue up Bill Conti and the theme from "Rocky." The loveable losers, the underdogs, are on the comeback trail! A Rally! Upset in the making?
Now THAT'S a story! Fresh! Exciting! NEWS even!
"Nebraska Dems closing gap!"
"Rossi looks surprisingly weak in Washington."
"Tea Party support looking soggy in Florida races."
"In an unexpected week of campaigning, Democratic candidate for Senate in NC has moved ahead...."
"I think she's nuts," says Truckee, NV housewife about Sharron Angle. "I've never voted for a Democrat in my life but I'm going to have to in 3 weeks because that lady is no lady. I don't want her on the same highway as me."
From Gooderservice:
yogipohaku sends the following, which should make a great new Dem Talking Point:
" If the US had a dollar for every Republican distortion of the facts, the US would already have a budget surplus like it did when Clinton was president"
My submissions:
If you want to read a comment by someone who finds ownership of one's gender to be liberating, you cannot do better than this comment by fou.
In fact, this is my personal pick for the night. If you can only read one submitted comment tonight, read this one.
ivorybill explains how Kossack contributions have saved lives. Encouraging, indeed!
Top Mojo, excluding the tip jars and usual high mojo comments:
1 I acknowledge the primary purpose of this site by teacherken - 112
2 NN10.2 by aaraujo - 89
3 Oy by Bouwerie Boy - 76
4 New recruit-- bat- by kerflooey - 76
5 asdf by Amber6541 - 74
6 Can't have a sekrit army without by blue jersey mom - 71
7 Some things can get messy. by Amber6541 - 69
8 Yes, Sekritarmy Is: Confident, Resolute, & True: by leonard145b - 67
9 Secret Crane Brigade Waiting for Commands by Sand Hill Crane - 66
10 I've got an attic guest... by palantir - 63
11 Pumpkin snoozing in the sun by Bouwerie Boy - 63
12 Pleez Lissen 2 Woozle - This Doesn't End Well: by leonard145b - 61
13 More time for cat to spread the word by kerflooey - 60
14 You are very welcome. by rserven - 59
15 help spread the word by aaraujo - 59
16 Nor Without Sekritarmy Ninja Cat: by leonard145b - 59
17 #Sekritarmy bootcamp training by caravanserai - 59
18 No they are not. Can an 8-week-old by blue jersey mom - 58
19 great batch of lolz!!! by bubbanomics - 58
20 #sekritarmy: Teh Woozles of War by aoeu - 58
21 Heh... by SmartAleq - 58
22 I am old enough to remember the days by blue jersey mom - 57
23 Not so fast....... by Texnance - 57
24 They are waiting for FightingBobFest next week by Sand Hill Crane - 57
25 Resegregation! by MediaFreeze - 56
26 Corporations have been trying to kill unions by aaraujo - 56
27 START SPREADING THE NEWS! by Horsefeathers - 56
28 Don't forget the zombies! by Texnance - 56
29 Thanks to by indiemcemopants - 55
30 KEEP THE GUVMINT OUTTA MY LIFE! by MinistryOfTruth - 54
31 Like every army, by caravanserai - 54
32 Sekritarmy Can Haz Mind Control Superpowers: by leonard145b - 54
33 Oh dear by Sand Hill Crane - 54
Top Mojo, everything included (of 13433 comments in the past 24 hours)!
1 There should be Daily Kos/Netroots Nation by aaraujo - 339
2 Tip Jar by indiemcemopants - 258
3 I'm going to track every Republican by RLMiller - 223
4 Tip Jar by teacherken - 208
5 Tip Jar by Sara R - 188
6 Tip Jar by griffin459 - 136
7 tips by whoknu - 122
8 I acknowledge the primary purpose of this site by teacherken - 112
9 Tip Jar by Benintn - 96
10 Help Pakistan! by JaxDem - 93
11 NN10.2 by aaraujo - 89
12 Tips/Flames by Rimjob - 80
13 TIPS by Trix - 79
14 Oy by Bouwerie Boy - 76
15 New recruit-- bat- by kerflooey - 76
16 asdf by Amber6541 - 74
17 Can't have a sekrit army without by blue jersey mom - 71
18 Some things can get messy. by Amber6541 - 69
19 Yes, Sekritarmy Is: Confident, Resolute, & True: by leonard145b - 67
20 Secret Crane Brigade Waiting for Commands by Sand Hill Crane - 66
21 Tip Jar for an Alaskan fisherman for Senate by MinistryOfTruth - 65
22 I've got an attic guest... by palantir - 63
23 Pumpkin snoozing in the sun by Bouwerie Boy - 63
24 Pleez Lissen 2 Woozle - This Doesn't End Well: by leonard145b - 61
25 More time for cat to spread the word by kerflooey - 60
26 You are very welcome. by rserven - 59
27 help spread the word by aaraujo - 59
28 Nor Without Sekritarmy Ninja Cat: by leonard145b - 59
29 #Sekritarmy bootcamp training by caravanserai - 59
30 No they are not. Can an 8-week-old by blue jersey mom - 58
31 #sekritarmy: Teh Woozles of War by aoeu - 58
32 great batch of lolz!!! by bubbanomics - 58
33 Heh... by SmartAleq - 58
Please submit your own comment 'finds' below!