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Laurent Fignon

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

Biography

   Fignon (left) and Robert Millar on the Tour de France podium in 1984
   Fignon (left) and Robert Millar on the Tour de France podium in 1984

   He won his first Tour de France in 1983 when Bernard Hinault did not
   start due to injury. Hinault was the winner of the Tour in 1978, 1979,
   1981 and 1982, whereas Fignon was a young newcomer on the same
   Renault-Elf- Gitane team directed by the legendary Cyrille Guimard
   (Hinault's fallout with Guimard the following year meant that Fignon
   became Guimard's new protégé). Mid-way through the 1983 Tour, the race
   leader Pascal Simon lost more than three minutes of his advantage to
   Fignon in a 15.6km 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 thus earned the nickname
   The Professor. In 1984 Hinault had changed to the new La Vie Claire
   team, directed by Paul Koechli, but in the 1984 Tour Fignon and his
   Renault team proved the 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-Sanremo and the Giro
   D'Italia. However, Fignon is also particularly remembered for finishing
   second in the 1989 Tour de France when he lost 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) and a new
   type of teardrop-shaped aerodynamic helmet in the time trials, Fignon
   used normal road handlebars and wore no helmet, and his ponytail also
   created additional drag. 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 trail, 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 did not complete 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.

   However, Fignon was more than just a great Tour rider. He won the
   Milan-Sanremo Classic twice (1988, 1989) and the 1989 Giro d'Italia
   despite suspicions of the Italians using unfair tactics to favour their
   own riders. Fignon probably would have won the Giro in 1984 as well,
   had an Italian TV helicopter not flown to the side of Fignon in the
   last individual time trial, as required, but behind Italian favorite
   Francesco Moser.

Retirement

   Upon retirement Fignon started to become involved with managing several
   races, most notably Paris-Nice until it was taken over by ASO, the
   organizer of Tour de France in 2004.

   Fignon remains active as a race organizer, for races such as
   Paris-Corrèze. He recently criticized the state of 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 any authority over their
   riders. The non-results of French teams are not only the consequences
   of doping," alluding to the more stringent French doping control
   practices compared to other nations'.

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

Significant victories by year

   1982 Renault-Elf-Gitane

     * 1st, Critérium International

   1983 Renault-Elf-Gitane

     * 1st, Critérium International
     * 1st, Overall, Tour de France (and Stage 21 win)
     * Stage, Tirreno-Adriatico
     * Stage, Critérium International
     * Stage, Vuelta a España

   1984 Renault (Gitane)

     * 1st, Overall, Tour de France (and Stage 7, 16, 18, 20 and 22 wins)
     * 2nd, Overall, Giro d'Italia (and King of the Mountains and Stage 20
       win)
     * Flag of France  France National Road Race Cycling Champion

   1986 Systeme U (Gitane)

     * 1st, La Flèche Wallonne
     * Stage, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

   1987 Systeme U (Gitane)

     * Two stages, Paris-Nice
     * Stage, Vuelta a España
     * 7th, Overall, Tour de France (and Stage 21 win)

   1988 Systeme U (Gitane)

     * 1st, Milan-Sanremo
     * Stage, Critérium International
     * 1st, Paris-Camembert

   1989 Super U (Raleigh)

     * 1st, Overall, Giro d'Italia (and one stage win)
     * 1st, Milan-Sanremo
     * 2nd, Overall, Tour de France (Combativity prize and Stage 18 win)
          + 11 days in maillot jaune (Stages 10-20)
     * 1st, Grand Prix des Nations

   1990 Castorama (Raleigh)

     * 1st, Critérium International

   1991 Castorama (Raleigh)

     * 6th, Overall, Tour de France

   1992 Gatorade (Bianchi)

     * 23rd, Overall, Tour de France (and Stage 11 win)

   1993 Gatorade (Bianchi)

     * 1st, Overall, Ruta Mexico

     Preceded by
   Bernard Hinault Winner of the Tour de France
                   1983-84                      Succeeded by
                                               Bernard Hinault
     Preceded by
   Andrew Hampsten Winner of the Giro d'Italia
                   1989                         Succeeded by
                                               Gianni Bugno
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Fignon"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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