122 Replies to “Anatomy of a Photo: Laurent Fignon, 1989 Tour de France”

  1. @ChrisO

    Sitting by the side of the road while a triathlete tries to work out WTF has gone wrong with his valve extenders is a regular part of my life.

    And they’d make even more improvement spending the money on a swim coach.

    I’m a triathlete nerd, and you have me laughing out loud. Only because it’s so true.

    Thanks for that, I needed the chuckle this morning.

  2. @Timiji @ChrisO
    I watched a triathlon last weekend – why was it that the guys with the expensive carbon Tri-Bikes slowed down to take off their shoes with 500 metres to go, which included a 60m ascent?

    – I ask, because there were a bunch of ordinary geezers on ordinary bikes whizzing past them, as the guys with their shoes flapping aimlessly on their pedals couldn’t get up the hill….. in fact one had to get off and push his bike up the hill

  3. @scaler911

    @frank

    @James

    Did Pinarello make those funny bikes for Raleigh? Man, what I’d give for one with the double discs. Anyhow, here’s an old TT frame from that era that’s in the project queue. The geometry makes me wince every time I look at it. :)

    OUTSTANDING! Are those double chainstays? Loves me straight-bladed chrome fork, too. You’ll have to keep us posted on your build.
    @scaler911

    Very cool. Can’t wait to get my Viner TT funny bike done. Hopefully be done correctly this winter.

    Pictures, please.

    Here ya go. It’s in sad shape right now, but I do know a couple things about it: It was used by one of the members of the US ’84 Olympic team. It’s a 56cm (probably Ron Kiefel), and it has serial #69 on the bottom. I’ve contacted Viner, and while they have been nice, they are not helpful about it’s original kit.
    Any help would be nice. I’ve found someone to paint it and have replacement decals. Oli? Frank?

    Try this again:

  4. @scaler911
    Cool frame! If my dim memory serves right, the American squad rode “Raleigh” and “Huffy”. I put quotes because they were typically made by someone else and tagged for endorsement purposes. I don’t remember the U.S. guys riding Viners with the curved seat tube. I remember the U.S. bikes as having straight tubes and were sort of aero. I think the Italians rode Viners in the 100km TTT, or at least a couple of them did.

  5. @Jeff in PetroMetro

    @scaler911
    Cool frame! If my dim memory serves right, the American squad rode “Raleigh” and “Huffy”. I put quotes because they were typically made by someone else and tagged for endorsement purposes. I don’t remember the U.S. guys riding Viners with the curved seat tube. I remember the U.S. bikes as having straight tubes and were sort of aero. I think the Italians rode Viners in the 100km TTT, or at least a couple of them did.

    Ya. The buddy that I got it from swears that he got it from a member of that squad. Hard to say. I just sent a ‘friend request’ with a message to Ron Kiefel. Hopefully he responds. If it’s not from that team, then I’ll have to dig some more. I just want to do the build correctly.

  6. I bet you get the build right just by installing a whole shitload of Campagnolo all over it. And Cinelli stem and cowhorn. And a Selle San Marco saddle. Just a guess, but, damn, what a cool bike it will be!!!

  7. @Jeff in PetroMetro

    I bet you get the build right just by installing a whole shitload of Campagnolo all over it. And Cinelli stem and cowhorn. And a Selle San Marco saddle. Just a guess, but, damn, what a cool bike it will be!!!

    That’s what I’m thinking. I also have the original wheel set; Mavic/ Campa hubs, 7 speed straight block. Be fun to show up to our LBC weekly TT on it, and give the Tri-geeks a little schooling.

  8. @Oli
    *ahem* *sheepishly sidles out of the room* Not sure what I was thinking making that claim. I blame it on my sun-baked brain.

    Hows about I do penance on Haleakala tomorrow?

  9. @Nate

    @Jeff in PetroMetro
    I think Serotta built most of those Huffys. Here is a nice blog post from the chap who built many of them.

    Love the Phinney photo! Worthy of an “Anatomy of a photo” write up.

  10. @Nate/chris/metroJeff
    Yes…those huffy’s were built by Serotta…very sweet rides!

    I would give a kidney for one w/first generation dura-ace on it & mavic tubular hoops in 7-eleven paint

  11. @minion
    Dear Minion,
    Good joke. I seem to recall hearing the same one except you substitute Scotland for New Zealand and England for “the buggers next door.” Kinda works too especially as so many Scots settled in NZ . . .

  12. @michael
    So you don’t rate Fignon as a rider. Well lets see:
    He won the Tour at the age of 22 becoming one of the youngest ever to win it. he won it the next year again.
    He won the Giro in 89 – which maybe cost him the tour that year – you know the 8 seconds to GL
    He won 9 stages of the Tour overall
    He won Milan San Remo in 88 and 89
    He won the Fleche in 86
    He won the Criterium International in 82 and 90
    As much as i like GH i don’t think its a valid comparison. The fact that you don’t rate LF makes me wonder if you are past your sell by date or maybe you’ve had too much Roo meat.

  13. @Dr C
    fair point, that was a ridiculous bridge up, but they had covered his moves each time before, perhaps that last one was the bridge too far or not motivated to chase for 4th?

  14. Fignon was awesome, full stop.
    Classics, Grand Tours, bold attacks and panache! Even though he lost the tour in ’89 he still finished like 3rd on the stage and rode 50km/h.

    @sisyphus969

  15. @Alex

    @Dr Cfair point, that was a ridiculous bridge up, but they had covered his moves each time before, perhaps that last one was the bridge too far or not motivated to chase for 4th?

    probably an everyday activity during the fab 70’s and 80’s, but I haven’t seen someone handing out such a heavyweight beating so repeatedly with his attacks, as Faboo did that day – especially the bit where he tried to use the camera bike as a chicane and nearly crashed into it himself – still makes me tingle when I watch it (firmly in my Keep selection on Sky+, and Dave Harmon’s commentary was epic on Eurosport) – Thor, and Ballan too, were mighty for hanging on as long as they did, by which stage it was too late and JVS was gone – awesome stuff, race of the year

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