1st of July 1989,a good Tour to come. The former winner Pedro Delgado was the main favourite,so was Laurent Fignon after winning Milan San Remo and the Giro.The PDM team with Alcala, Kelly, Theunisse and the runner up of 1988 Steven Rooks were a menace.Other challengers were the Colombians Parra and Herrera,the American Hampsten and the Dutch Breukink.
And What about the former winners Roche and Lemond ?.......impossible to know...........
And then the prologue, a day to situate riders, but not an important day..............it would conditionate the Tour.
The winner, Breukink ,and the contenders in the first positions:
- Erik Breukink: 9min 54sec
- Laurent Fignon @ 6sec
- Sean Kelly s.t.
- Greg Lemond s.t.
- Steve Bauer @ 8sec
- Charly Mottet @ 9sec
- Miguel Indurain @ 10sec
- Joël Pélier s.t.
- Peter Stevenhaagen s.t.
- Jörg Muller s.t.
Roche lost 24", he was 37th........however the event of the day was Delgado´s distraction.......the Spaniard arrived 2'40" late to the start line and los t 2'54" to Breukink, he was the last in the overall in the 198th position........it was nearly lost for him..............it was a historic moment for the Tour............a drama for Delgado..............later he would say that he had gone to train and he thought it was early to start.........a decisive distraction.
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| Foto www.pedrodelgado.com |
However, bad news hadn´t finished for Delgado. The next day, with two stages, were the scenary where the Spaniard attacked, without success........he lost energy and he suffered in the team tiem trial in the afternoon...............his teammamtes had to wait for him and Reynolds was last 4'34 ahead of SUPER U.
Delgado was losing 7'20" with Fignon.........the Tour was over, and it was starting...Fignon said to the press that if he were in the situation of Delgado he would quit............but Delgado was not going to surrender....he wanted to defend his crown.........
Things improved for Delgado in the way to Wasquehal, with the pave, he recovered 50 positions, and the following day an important stage, the 73 kilometer individual time trial from Dinard to Rennes.
Delgado took advantage of being one of the first riders to ride the ITT........with good weather.........he was going to be the best time.
The time for Delgado 1h 38' 36", the faster. A little time later it was raining cats and dogs and the best riders didn´t macth the time of Delgado. Kelly had a bad day, Breukink and Bauer lost more than 1'30" and 2' respectively......only Fignon and especially Lemond were close to the time of Delgado.
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| Foto bikeraceinfo.com |
Lemond used the handlebars ( handlebars that were first used in the Tour de Trump in U.S.A. weeks before )...........they would be legendary............
Finally Fignon lost 32" to Delgado, but Lemond did a superb part of the time trial and won the stage by 24" over the Spaniard...............a great comeback for the american.stage and yellow jersey........with 5 seconds to Fignon..............a ridiculous advantage..............
Three years later he was again the leader
Three years later he was again the leader
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| Foto www.greglemondfan.com |
Delgado jumped to the 28th position 7 minutes ahead of Lemond.......he had recovered the ilusion, the Tour seemed to be impossible , but the mountains were still to come and Delgado could be the judge of the race.
After the individual time trial, there were 3 flat stages that won Pelier, De Wilde and Martin Early respectively.
The Pyrenees were coming and the overall remained like:
1º. Greg Lemond.....37h11'25"
2º. Fignon..................a 5"
3º.Marie....................a 40"
4º. Breukink...............a 1'51"
5º.Sean Yates...........
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9º.Bauer..................a 3'45"
10º.Mottet...............a 4'09"
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Delgado..........a 6'57"
It was the moment for climbers.......Millar, Herrera, Hampsten, Delgado.........
Pau Cauterets 147 km
Cauterts-Superbagneres 136 km
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