Millar and Delgado. Part III. Pau 1986.

The 1986  was one of the most exciting editions of the Tour History, with a great duel between two mates, Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault.

Hinault arrived at the Pyrenees in front of Lemond due to his victory in the time trial of Nantes, where an unlucky Lemond was second at 44" of the Badger.

The overall was lead by the Carrera rider Pedersen, and the contenders were ready to fight the mountains.........the Pyrenees.........the favourite place for our couple. Robert Millar and Pedro Delgado were supposed to move the race, and they would not disapointed.........

Overall classification

1º.Pedersen..........39h18'58"

2º.Pelier...................at 1'03"

3º.Roche..................at 1'05"

4º.Hinault................at 1'10"

5º.Marie...................at 1'24"

6º.Mottet...................at 1'43"

7º.Zimmermann........at 1'53"

8º.Lemond................at 1'59"

9º.Vanderaerden......at 2'26"

10º.Millar.................at 2'34"

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12º.Fignon...............at 2'44"

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30º.Anderson...........at 5'30"

31º.Van der Velde....at 5'31"

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44º.Hampsten...........at 6'19"

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65º.Delgado..............at 8'04"
.........

72º. Herrera..............at 8'21"

It was 15th of July,  12th stage,  from Bayonne to Pau 217,5 kilometers.................a tough stage, even though Greg Lemond said that it was like a flat stage.with the Marie Blanque. He would regret that sentence.

Profile iciclismo.it

There was a new climb, the terrible Burdinkurutzeta ( later known as the climb that broke the pelotons):

Profile cyclingcols.com

After a little descent, still 6,5 kilometers at anaverage of 5.5% to Bagargi.

And the final part with Ichere, Marie Blanque and a 4th category cote..........

Both profiles from cyclingcols.

It was the moment for climbers, Colombians, Spaniards, a Scottish and more........

In words of Phil Liggett the superbowl of cycling had arrived, the mountains, nobody could hide....

A sunny and hot day.

Ready, steady, gooooooooo............

The first kilometers were quiet, with la Vie Claire riders in the first positions, it was a good stage for outsiders, like Bernard or Bauer.
Threre were no movements till kilometer 40, when a dangerous breakaway of 15 riders left the bunch. Among them Bernard, Pensec, Rooks, Winnen and Madiot.............a good move for Tapie/Koechli la Vie Claire.
The peloton didn´t chase and the breakaway increased the gap............2 minutes..........3 minutes.......till 6 minutes at kilometer 73, the first slopes of the Burdinkurutzeta were here waiting the riders............

Suddenly Hinault increased the rythm in the bunch, the peloton was exploding and the Badger looked confortable seeing others suffering..........he was closing the gap..........only 4 minutes and there were still some kilometers to the summit...Fignon suffered.....he is dropped.......

And Phil Anderson, one of the favourites had been dropped before ( as the yellow jersey Pedersen).

It was Hinault´s time, Lemond didn´t understand a thing, they had mates like Bernard and Bauer in front..........Delgado, Millar and the Colombian star Luis Herrera were waiting for their moment.

1 kilometer to the summit , and the advantge was less than 3 minutes to the breakaway, Hinault accelerated again and Roche cracked, the Irish dropped.................Hinault was breaking the Tour.

Finally Pensec was first in the col de Burdinkurutzeta, leading the breakaway..2'10" Hinault and the "favourites", with Roche 30" behind, but totally exhausted, and Fignon 4 minutes ahead of Pensec...........Hinault was having a nice revenge of the humiliating defeat of the 1984 Tour.

The gap was closed in Bagargi.....with the Pensec, Bernard, etc, but Roche, Fignon and Anderson were losing more time, so was Pedersen...................there was going to be a new leader in Pau..............at the moment that one was Hinault....he just had to keep the rythm........

In the descent the Spaniard Eduardo Chozas attacked and left his companions, the main group and the breakaway was now together, and Chozas took advantage to increase the gap.

And the the key moment occured, just after the 126 kilometer, after the sprint, Hinault attacked..with Delgado and his mate Bernard

Was that part of the strategy to help Lemond?

Lemond was caught distracted at the back of the group

Photo greglemonfan.com

When he noticed the situation Hinault was 30" in front.....Millar, Herrera and Zimmermann were distracted too...............

Lemond couldn´t chase his mate and the rest were looking at him............he was losing the Tour

5 kilometers later, Hinault, Delgado and Bermard, who was riding hard, joined Chozas. The advantage to Lemond´s group was 1 minute................Fignon who had reduced the advantage on the descent, was losing ground again.

Hinault´s group lead at the summit of Ichere with more than 2 minutes to Lemond´s group, Chozas was dropped.

Bernard rode hard and finally he dropped on the first slopes of the Marie Blanque, 

Photo loco de los pirineos

Lemond couldn´t chase but Herrera was forcing behind,

Photo greglemondfan.com

Lemond was saving the Tour thank to Herrera and Zimmermann

Hinault and Delgado were riding together and the gap was around 2 minutes

Photo greglemondfa.com

Another duel between Millar and Delgado, this time was the Spaniard who was leading. Millar was dropping riders, Zimmermann and Herrera were suffering and only Lemond, Madiot and Hampsten were resisting easily.

Kilometer 170, Delgado was first in the summit, with Hinault on his wheel, later Bernard 2 minutes ahead, and Lemond´s group with Millar leading 2'45" ahead.............Fignon was losing more than 9 minutes, Roche 15 and Anderson more than 20.

But Hinault and Delgado kept forcing the rythm while Millar stopped behind.......nobody wanted to favour Lemond....and Lemond was tied.........the advantage increased to more than 4 minutes just in 20 kilometers.

There were 25 kilometers left and Lemond was nervous................the gap increased to more than 5 minutes . Delgado and Hinault rode quick

Photo maurizio1

Finally Lemond attacked with Herrera on the cote 10 kilometers from the finish line,

Photo greglemondfan.com

 Millar had surrendered, Delgado was going to win this duel...............

Lemond closed the gap..................to less than 5 minutes............

Delgado and Hinault got to Pau , the Badger was going to be the new leader and conceded the stage to the Spaniard climber

Photo loco de los pirineos

The Tour was over...................Lemond arrived 4'37" behind with Herrera.............Millar arrived in the group with Zimmermann more than 5 minutes ahead.

The results of the stage:

Stage classification:

1. Pedro Delgado en 6h03'18" (Moy : 35.920 km/h)
2. Hinault ......................à 1"
3. LeMond .....................à 4'37"
4. Herrera.................... à 4'38"
5. Bauer .......................à 5'09"
6. Criquiélion................. à 5'31"
7. Rooks
8. Hampsten
9. Winnen...................... à 5'32"
10. Zimmermann
11. Millar
12. Bernard
13. Madiot
14. Caritoux ..................à 9'59"
15. Pensec ....................à 10'00"
16. Grewal
17. Pelier...................... à 11'02"
18. Claveyrolat
19. Cerin
20. Fignon

Roche and Anderson lost even more.........

Hinault was the new leader....Delgado the winner of another great duel with the Scottish

The duel was tied, Millar had won twice in the Pyrenees, Luchon 83 and Guzet Neige 84, Delgado had done the same, Luz Ardiden 85 and Pau 86....................

As you know the Tour was not over...but that is a different story...thanks again to Millar and Delgado for fighting hard in the mountains.

See you in the next duels.....in the mountains.......