Laurent Fignon

Laurent Fignon

Personal information
Full name	Laurent Fignon
Date of birth	12 August 1960 (1960-08-12) (age 49)
Country	France
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Major wins
Tour de France (1983, 1984), 9 stages Giro d'Italia (1989)
Infobox last updated on:
24 May 2008

Laurent Fignon (born 12 August 1960 in Paris, France)^[1] is a French former professional road bicycle racer. He won the Tour de France twice, in 1983 and 1984, and missed winning it a third time, in 1989, by 8 seconds, the closest margin ever to decide the tour.^[2] He also won the Giro d'Italia in 1989, having been runner-up in 1984, and the Milan-San Remo Classic two times.

Amateur career

Fignon's first sport was football and he got as far as playing for his département or area. Friends encouraged him into cycling and he rode his first official race in 1976. He won it. He won 17 more races in his second season while still studying at secondary school. It was when he rode with the national 100 km time trial team that he caught the eye of the former rider and manager, Cyrille Guimard, who gave him a place in his Renault-Elf-Gitane professional team.

Professional career

Fignon won his first Tour de France in 1983 when Bernard Hinault did not start due to injury. Hinault had won the Tour in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1982, whereas Fignon was just a young newcomer on his team. Mid-way through the 1983 Tour, the leader Pascal Simon lost more than three minutes of his advantage to Fignon in a 15.6 km individual time trial, with Fignon claiming the maillot jaune two days later. Victorious also in the final time trial, Fignon, at 22, was the youngest man to win the Tour since 1933.

With his round glasses, ponytail and an air of debonnaire, Fignon was a contrast to Hinault's hard-knocks image. He earned the nickname The Professor. In 1984, Hinault changed to the new La Vie Claire team, directed by Paul Koechli, but in the 1984 Tour, Fignon and his Renault team proved stronger. Fignon won the stage 7 time trial, beat Hinault in the sprint for second place on the 14th stage, then beat him soundly in stage 16 (another time trial). On the stage to Alpe d'Huez, Fignon gained a further three minutes over Hinault; he then won the mountain top finish stage at La Plagne, stage 20 from Morzine to Crans-Montana, and the final time trial stage (22) - giving him five stage victories in the Tour. With his air of indifference in interviews and his crushing dominance, he was hailed as France's newest superstar.

A knee injury meant Fignon missed the 1985 Tour, and he did not finish the 1986 race, retiring on stage 12 to Pau. In 1987, he finished 7th overall, taking another victory at La Plagne (stage 18). He also abandoned the 1988 Tour (on Bastille Day).

In 1989, he overtook Seán Kelly to become the number one ranked cyclist in the world. That season included a win at Milan-San Remo and the Giro d'Italia. However, Fignon is also particularly remembered for finishing second in the 1989 Tour de France, losing to Greg Lemond by only eight seconds. While Greg Lemond used aerobars (handlebars which enabled a new and more aerodynamic riding position, also known as tri-bars as they had previously only been used in triathlons), a new type of teardrop-shaped aerodynamic helmet in the time trials and a rear disc wheel, Fignon used normal road handlebars, wore no helmet with his ponytail also creating additional drag and a bicycle with both front and rear disc wheels, which left him more affected by cross winds. Fignon also suffered in the 1989 tour from saddle sores and he claimed this is what really slowed him down. Before the final stage time trial, Fignon had a 50-second advantage over Lemond on general classification, but Lemond beat Fignon by 58 seconds in the stage and, with an overall lead of just eight seconds, gained his second Tour de France victory after having become the first American winner of the Tour de France in 1986.

Fignon withdrew from the 1990 Tour, but finished 6th in 1991, and 23rd overall in 1992, taking his ninth and last stage win at Mulhouse on stage 11.

Fignon won the Milan-San Remo Classic twice (1988, 1989) and the 1989 Giro d'Italia, finishing second in 1984 behind the Italian favorite Francesco Moser.

Retirement

Upon retirement Fignon managed races, notably Paris-Nice until it was taken over by ASO, the organiser of Tour de France, in 2004.

Fignon remains organiser for races such as Paris-Corrèze. He criticised French cycling, lamenting in L'Equipe that, "The sports directors don't do a good job any more. They lack competence and don't have authority over their riders. The non-results of French teams are not only the consequences of doping," alluding to the stringent French doping control.

On his relationships with Cyrille Guimard and Bernard Hinault, Fignon said that with Bernard Hinault, Guimard already found a champion, whereas with himself, Guimard made a champion. Therefore his bond with Guimard was stronger than Hinault's bond with Guimard.

In June 2009, Fignon revealed that he was undergoing chemotherapy for advanced intestinal cancer. He also admitted having used doping products when queried about the link between his cancer and past doping.^[3].

Fignon has written a book on his life "Nous étions jeunes et insouciants" (We were young and carefree) released in June 2009.

Significant victories by year

References

See also

• List of doping cases in cycling

v • d • e Winners of the general classification in the Tour de France 1903 Maurice Garin • 1904 Henri Cornet • 1905 Louis Trousselier • 1906 René Pottier • 1907-1908 Lucien Petit-Breton • 1909 François Faber • 1910 Octave Lapize • 1911 Gustave Garrigou • 1912 Odile Defraye • 1913–14 Philippe Thys • 1915–18 World War I • 1919 Firmin Lambot • 1920 Philippe Thys • 1921 Léon Scieur • 1922 Firmin Lambot • 1923 Henri Pélissier • 1924–25 Ottavio Bottecchia • 1926 Lucien Buysse • 1927–28 Nicolas Frantz • 1929 Maurice De Waele • 1930 André Leducq • 1931 Antonin Magne • 1932 André Leducq • 1933 Georges Speicher • 1934 Antonin Magne • 1935 Romain Maes • 1936 Sylvère Maes • 1937 Roger Lapébie • 1938 Gino Bartali • 1939 Sylvère Maes • 1940–46 World War II • 1947 Jean Robic • 1948 Gino Bartali • 1949 Fausto Coppi • 1950 Ferdinand Kübler • 1951 Hugo Koblet • 1952 Fausto Coppi • 1953–55 Louison Bobet • 1956 Roger Walkowiak • 1957 Jacques Anquetil • 1958 Charly Gaul • 1959 Federico Bahamontes • 1960 Gastone Nencini • 1961–64 Jacques Anquetil • 1965 Felice Gimondi • 1966 Lucien Aimar • 1967 Roger Pingeon • 1968 Jan Janssen • 1969–72 Eddy Merckx • 1973 Luis Ocaña • 1974 Eddy Merckx • 1975 Bernard Thévenet • 1976 Lucien Van Impe • 1977 Bernard Thévenet • 1978–79 Bernard Hinault • 1980 Joop Zoetemelk • 1981–82 Bernard Hinault • 1983–84 Laurent Fignon • 1985 Bernard Hinault • 1986 Greg LeMond • 1987 Stephen Roche • 1988 Pedro Delgado • 1989–90 Greg LeMond • 1991–95 Miguel Indurain • 1996 Bjarne Riis • 1997 Jan Ullrich • 1998 Marco Pantani • 1999–2005 Lance Armstrong • 2006 Óscar Pereiro • 2007 Alberto Contador • 2008 Carlos Sastre • 2009 Alberto Contador

v • d • e Winners of the young rider classification in the Tour de France 1975 Moser • 1976 Martínez Heredia • 1977 Thurau • 1978 Lubberding • 1979 Bernaudeau • 1980 Van der Velde • 1981 Winnen • 1982 Anderson • 1983 Fignon • 1984 LeMond • 1985 Parra • 1986 Hampsten • 1987 Alcalá • 1988 Breukink • 1989 Philipot • 1990 Delion • 1991 Mejía • 1992 Bouwmans • 1993 Martín • 1994–1995 Pantani • 1996–1998 Ullrich • 1999 Salmon • 2000 Mancebo • 2001 Sevilla • 2002 Basso • 2003 Menchov • 2004 Karpets • 2005 Popovych • 2006 Cunego • 2007 Contador • 2008–2009 A. Schleck

v • d • e Tour de France Combativity award winners 1956 Darrigade • 1957 Barone • 1958 Bahamontes • 1959 Saint • 1960 Graczyk • 1961 Team West-Southwest • 1962 Pauwels • 1963 van Looy • 1964 Anglade • 1965 Gimondi • 1966 Altig • 1967 Letort • 1968 Pingeon • 1969–1970 Merckx • 1971 Ocaña • 1972 Guimard • 1973 Ocaña • 1974–1975 Merckx • 1976 Delisle • 1977 Knetemann • 1978 Wellens • 1979 Kuiper • 1980 Levavasseur • 1981 Hinault • 1982 Clère • 1983 Demierre • 1984 Hinault • 1985 Ducrot • 1986 Hinault • 1987 Delgado • 1988 Simon • 1989 Fignon • 1990 Chozas • 1991–1992 Chiappucci • 1993 Ghirotto • 1994 Poli • 1995 Buenahora • 1996–1997 Virenque • 1998–1999 Durand • 2000 Dekker • 2001–2002 Jalabert • 2003 Vinokourov • 2004 Virenque • 2005 Pereiro • 2006 de la Fuente • 2007 Txurruka • 2008 Chavanel • 2009 Pellizotti

v • d • e Winners of the general classification in the Giro d'Italia 1909 Luigi Ganna • 1910–11 Carlo Galetti • 1912* Team Atala • 1913 Carlo Oriani • 1914 Alfonso Calzolari 1915–18 World War I 1919 Costante Girardengo • 1920 Gaetano Belloni • 1921–22 Giovanni Brunero • 1923 Costante Girardengo • 1924 Giuseppe Enrici • 1925 Alfredo Binda 1926 Giovanni Brunero • 1927–29 Alfredo Binda • 1930 Luigi Marchisio • 1931 Francesco Camusso • 1932 Antonio Pesenti • 1933 Alfredo Binda • 1934 Learco Guerra 1935 Vasco Bergamaschi • 1936–37 Gino Bartali • 1938–39 Giovanni Valetti • 1940 Fausto Coppi 1941–45 World War I 1946 Gino Bartali • 1947 Fausto Coppi • 1948 Fiorenzo Magni • 1949 Fausto Coppi • 1950 Hugo Koblet • 1951 Fiorenzo Magni • 1952–53 Fausto Coppi 1954 Carlo Clerici • 1955 Fiorenzo Magni • 1956 Charly Gaul • 1957 Gastone Nencini • 1958 Ercole Baldini • 1959 Charly Gaul • 1960 Jacques Anquetil 1961 Arnaldo Pambianco • 1962–63 Franco Balmamion • 1964 Jacques Anquetil • 1965 Vittorio Adorni • 1966 Gianni Motta • 1967 Felice Gimondi • 1968 Eddy Merckx 1969 Felice Gimondi • 1970 Eddy Merckx • 1971 Gösta Pettersson • 1972–74 Eddy Merckx • 1975 Fausto Bertoglio • 1976 Felice Gimondi • 1977 Michel Pollentier 1978 Johan de Muynck • 1979 Giuseppe Saronni • 1980 Bernard Hinault • 1981 Giovanni Battaglin • 1982 Bernard Hinault • 1983 Giuseppe Saronni 1984 Francesco Moser • 1985 Bernard Hinault • 1986 Roberto Visentini • 1987 Stephen Roche • 1988 Andy Hampsten • 1989 Laurent Fignon • 1990 Gianni Bugno 1991 Franco Chioccioli • 1992–93 Miguel Indurain • 1994 Evgeni Berzin • 1995 Tony Rominger • 1996 Pavel Tonkov • 1997 Ivan Gotti • 1998 Marco Pantani 1999 Ivan Gotti • 2000 Stefano Garzelli • 2001 Gilberto Simoni • 2002 Paolo Savoldelli • 2003 Gilberto Simoni • 2004 Damiano Cunego • 2005 Paolo Savoldelli 2006 Ivan Basso • 2007 Danilo Di Luca • 2008 Alberto Contador • 2009 Denis Menchov *This Giro was contested solely by teams, with no individual classification