Just finished reading Richard Moore's Slaying The Badger and had to watch this, well before my time but the sense of drama even from this short video is pretty impressive!
"Every one of the likely contenders for the Tour this year had attacked today, and they've been beaten fair and square by the American from California. LeMond punches the sky" Legendary call by Mr. Phil Ligget! To this day one of my favorite moments ever in the Tour.
Wow... I wish that the argument here still mattered. Remember when the word "controversy" meant "tactics," or at worst, "betrayal"- and not doping? Who would have thought that the most beautiful, most difficult, most heart-wrenching sport in the world could be ruined? Thank you Greg, for everything; you're the best. And thanks Badger. To hell with everyone and everything that came to the Tour after this era was over.
Great stuff. Note the average speed - about 30 km/h, well down on the average speeds over the the mountains these days. I don't think the dramatic improvement is down to the bikes. It makes you wonder.
You say he bonked, but what a mistake not eating! He was not a rookie, anyway he was supposed to help Lemond win the Tour, after greg helped him win his 5th title.
@JF77MCR Cycling was a little back then in that they'd have much bigger range of speeds through the mountain stages. They would relax for 2/3rds of the race and then go super hard up the climbs. Now they set a faster pace between climbs and up unimportant climbs. It is just a slightly adjusted culture and set of expectations within the peleton. The averages up the category H climbs at race level are much the same as they are now, just the average for the whole stage is up now.
i don't wanna be a negative guy but they def doped back in the 80s (and before that too...back to coppis days). they hadnt access to EPO but they used blood doping, various stimulants (epehdrine, amphetamine etc etc), cortisone, anabolic steroids (aid recovery .) among other things.
@drewp66 Greg Lemond's Vo2 max is higher than any other measured cyclist including Armstrong up near 92. This probably accounts for his results, not taking drugs. The way Greg has fought against doping over the years, speaks volumes. He risked a lot in the Floyd Landis doping trials by coming forward once again.
but they improved, trainings methodes, food dieets, etc these days riders pick there races. Dont put everything on drugs use. Its getting cleaner and cleaner, other sports can take a example from cycling.
Those steel bikes are nightmare to ride if compare them to new ones alloy and carbon...weight, stiffness, comfort of position + clipless shoes with carbon soles, wheels light as hell and stiff at the same time>> No need to wonder, you should now!!!
I have to wonder if you've ever ridden a bike from this era? They were (and still are) a pleasure to ride. Positioning is still pretty much the same, and I've never found clipless pedals to be any more efficient or easier to use than toe straps (in fact, I like the "connected" feel of clips and straps), a good pair of 32 spoke wheels rolls just fine and doesn't cost a fortune, and you'd only notice the "extra" weight of a steel frame if you've been spoiled by an ultralight, ultra-expensive, somewhat fragile carbon frame!
Greg LeMond's average speed in the time trial, 54.545 km/h, was the fastest in Tour de France stage history; since then, only the 1994 prologue has been faster.[1 On a boat anchor with aero bars? What proof does he have that he was clean? Many others were doping at this time. Testing was very easy to beat back then. Clearly he could have been using performance enhancing substances. Greg should be asked to prove that he did not dope during his three tours.
As good as Greg was Hinault was right up there with Merckx. His attack was suicide because he wasn't trying to win the tour. He just wanted to destroy everyone else.
Loved being young during this time.
Just finished reading Richard Moore's Slaying The Badger and had to watch this, well before my time but the sense of drama even from this short video is pretty impressive!
"Every one of the likely contenders for the Tour this year had attacked today, and they've been beaten fair and square by the American from California. LeMond punches the sky"
Legendary call by Mr. Phil Ligget! To this day one of my favorite moments ever in the Tour.
The 2nd song is 'Would I lie to you' by The Eurythmics.
Wow... I wish that the argument here still mattered.
Remember when the word "controversy" meant "tactics," or at worst, "betrayal"- and not doping?
Who would have thought that the most beautiful, most difficult, most heart-wrenching sport in the world could be ruined?
Thank you Greg, for everything; you're the best. And thanks Badger. To hell with everyone and everything that came to the Tour after this era was over.
Great stage. I was going to post this one myself, you saved me the trouble! Cheers.
Fignon missed the 85 Tour with injury. He rode in 86 but didn't start the Superbagneres stage after losing a lot of time at Pau.
Just a thought but what if fignon was there in 86 and on form! what a race that would have been!
Greg was clean, no question about that.
Thanks for the Vid's Bud
Lemond setted a average speed of 54.545 in TT because he had a lot of wind favorable and descent road to paris.
Great stuff. Note the average speed - about 30 km/h, well down on the average speeds over the the mountains these days. I don't think the dramatic improvement is down to the bikes. It makes you wonder.
You say he bonked, but what a mistake not eating! He was not a rookie, anyway he was supposed to help Lemond win the Tour, after greg helped him win his 5th title.
Why did Hinault attack? well thats what made him great. To try to prove you are the strongest, to sew seeds of doubts into your opponents.
Toe straps!
Those were te days.
@JF77MCR Cycling was a little back then in that they'd have much bigger range of speeds through the mountain stages. They would relax for 2/3rds of the race and then go super hard up the climbs. Now they set a faster pace between climbs and up unimportant climbs. It is just a slightly adjusted culture and set of expectations within the peleton. The averages up the category H climbs at race level are much the same as they are now, just the average for the whole stage is up now.
...and as ever the mercurial Robert Millar always at the head of affairs...our best ever roadman in the last 20 years.
Great stuff. Really enjoyed watching some real old-fashioned racing. But was that music on the original broadast?
THIS IS CYCLING.
He was out with an injury
Hinault mishifts again in the video. I suppose the Campy Synchro shifters were not the best and the reason Campy changed them.
i don't wanna be a negative guy but they def doped back in the 80s (and before that too...back to coppis days). they hadnt access to EPO but they used blood doping, various stimulants (epehdrine, amphetamine etc etc), cortisone, anabolic steroids (aid recovery .) among other things.
@drewp66
Greg Lemond's Vo2 max is higher than any other measured cyclist including Armstrong up near 92. This probably accounts for his results, not taking drugs. The way Greg has fought against doping over the years, speaks volumes. He risked a lot in the Floyd Landis doping trials by coming forward once again.
wasn't la vie clair a "supplement" company?
what's the name of the first song?
but they improved, trainings methodes, food dieets, etc these days riders pick there races. Dont put everything on drugs use. Its getting cleaner and cleaner, other sports can take a example from cycling.
yup. lemond commented the same thing... insinuating widespread drug use in the peloton these days.
Those steel bikes are nightmare to ride if compare them to new ones alloy and carbon...weight, stiffness, comfort of position + clipless shoes with carbon soles, wheels light as hell and stiff at the same time>> No need to wonder, you should now!!!
I have to wonder if you've ever ridden a bike from this era? They were (and still are) a pleasure to ride. Positioning is still pretty much the same, and I've never found clipless pedals to be any more efficient or easier to use than toe straps (in fact, I like the "connected" feel of clips and straps), a good pair of 32 spoke wheels rolls just fine and doesn't cost a fortune, and you'd only notice the "extra" weight of a steel frame if you've been spoiled by an ultralight, ultra-expensive, somewhat fragile carbon frame!
Greg LeMond's average speed in the time trial, 54.545 km/h, was the fastest in Tour de France stage history; since then, only the 1994 prologue has been faster.[1
On a boat anchor with aero bars? What proof does he have that he was clean? Many others were doping at this time. Testing was very easy to beat back then.
Clearly he could have been using performance enhancing substances. Greg should be asked to prove that he did not dope during his three tours.
It was a short and fast track, mostly downhill. A lot of drivers did their personal best time trial average that day.
Hinault is not French..He is a Breton..do not go to Hinaults home village and tell then they are french, you might get a left hook!
this sport is just too wrapped up in drug abuse
it's beautiful but just too many cheaters
video is great, music sucks
As good as Greg was Hinault was right up there with Merckx. His attack was suicide because he wasn't trying to win the tour. He just wanted to destroy everyone else.