Tour de France 1989

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The 1989 Tour de France is widely regarded as one of the most dramatic and closely contested editions of the race in history. The race was won by American cyclist Greg LeMond, who narrowly defeated his French rival, Laurent Fignon, in the final stage time trial.

The race began on July 1, 1989, in Luxembourg, and consisted of 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,285 kilometers. The race featured several challenging mountain stages, as well as a number of individual and team time trials.

LeMond, who had won the Tour de France in 1986 and was returning to racing after a near-fatal hunting accident, was viewed as the favorite to win the race by many observers. Fignon, who had won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984, was also considered a strong contender, despite struggling with injuries and weight gain in the years leading up to the race.

From the early stages of the race, it was clear that the battle for the yellow jersey would be a close one between LeMond and Fignon. Both riders were in excellent form, and they exchanged the yellow jersey multiple times throughout the race.

On stage 2, a team time trial in Luxembourg, Fignon’s team, Super U, took the stage victory. However, LeMond responded on stage 5, time-trial into Rennes. He took the yellow jersey from Acácio da Silva of Portugal, and opened up a back and forth exchange with Fignon that would see both riders share the leader’s jersey five times between them for the remainder of the race, never for more than five stages.

The final week of the race featured mountain stages in the Alps, where LeMond and Fignon continued to battle for the yellow jersey. Fignon regained the yellow jersey on the legendary Alpe d’Huez and held it all the way to Paris. However, unlike other editions of the race, Paris was not to be a procession: The decisive stage of the race was the 24.5-kilometer time trial on the final day of the race. Going into the stage, Fignon held a 50-second lead over LeMond.

Fignon had won the Tour de France twice before and was widely considered one of the best time trialists in the world. However, he was suffering from knee pain and had been unable to train properly for the time trial. In contrast, LeMond had been preparing specifically for the time trial and was confident that he could make up the deficit.

LeMond rode an exceptional time trial, completing the course in 26 minutes and 57 seconds, which was the fastest time of the day. Fignon, in contrast, struggled with his knee pain and completed the course 58 seconds slower, losing the yellow jersey to LeMond by just 8 seconds.

The victory was a remarkable achievement for LeMond, who had returned to the sport after a serious hunting accident that had left him with life-threatening injuries just two years earlier.

The race was also significant for the technological innovations that were introduced during the race. Both LeMond and Fignon rode with aerodynamic handlebars and helmets, which gave them a significant advantage over their competitors.

The 1989 Tour de France was a landmark moment in the history of the sport, marked by the dramatic and closely contested race between LeMond and Fignon. The race also marked a turning point in the global popularity of the Tour de France, as it was the first edition of the race to be broadcast live on television in the United States, further fueling the popularity of cycling in America. The 1989 edition of the race will forever be remembered as a thrilling and iconic moment in the sport’s history.