1987 Tour de France - La Plagne

[@martingats]

'That looks like Roche - it is -it's Stephen Roche'. Surely the cycling commnetary equivalent of 'they think its all over'. Absolute class, and all the excitement in Liggett's voice afterwards is still powerful twenty years later

[@Catcrumbs]

Is that Glock?

[@davebesag]

35 years later!

[@personalsigh]

​@@davebesag37!

[@NAP-wj3oi]

I remember watching this live with my dad and as we saw Roche coming around that last bend we were jumping out of our seats shouting with joy, shock and excitement. It was the greatest comeback in cycling history. With todays coverage and radio communication there would be no way this could ever happen again that Roche could close the gap un-noticed by the opposition or the media. The good old exciting days before big money and marginal gains destroyed the individualist.

[@TrailerBob]

I love Phil's breaking voice: "It's Stephen Roche!" It truly captures the gutsy ride Roche made that incredible day.

[@Steelgar]

I'm Spanish and I can't help but feel amazed by the greatness of Roche in this Tour. Great year for him (Giro, Tour and World Championships). He was a true champion. Perico Delgado could have won, he lost his chance in 1987 but had a great comeback in 1988, which made him an even bigger legend. Roche won this Tour fairly and I congrat him and the Irish people. Cheers! PS: Great victory by Fignon also in this stage. One of the biggest ones ever.

[@BuffaloBuffalo-uc6zp]

Very well put. !

[@brianm4242]

RIP Paul Sherwen. Half of the greatest commentary team to grace le Tour.

[@tfp2007]

that commentary by phil ligget still gives me goosebumps even now. great mamories.

[@pietjepuk5812]

That commentary really gives me goosebumps. I'm not even from that time, but nice to look back at it. What a fighter.

[@biggeordie1970]

this was the 1st tour i watched and got me into cycling, these were the best years i reckon, i spent many hours cycling in a luminous yellow ADR lemond top ... and was fortunate enought to get a Team Fagor photo when they used to do the city centre races, Roche,Yates,Elliott, Millar. Earley all in the pic and Roche had his world champions jersey on.

[@jackseph03]

I watched the '87 tour as an 11 year old and have vivid memories of this stage. Watching the finish again now just gave me goose-bumps. Amazing stage, great Tour, Roche is a hero and Phil Liggett has never sounded so good.

[@JoeBleasdaleReal]

Some moments are born great, and some have great commentary shouted over them. This had both.

[@tackler7]

This is one of the greatest pieces of sporting commentary ever. I get goose pimples every time I listen to. Sheer brilliance from both rider and commentator.

[@Yagdrol]

I remember this, great cycling, great commentary.

[@eddie1273]

I remember watching this on C4. A great sporting achievement and what great commentary team Paul and Phil were. Brings back fond memories of my 12 speed Peugeot Equipe (but how I longed for a fibre de carbon !!)

[@lurvebutter]

One of the greatest sporting moments ever. And can you recall what Roach said to the doctors on the way to hospital? "I don't think I'll be going out dancing tonight" Well that was the polite version...

[@spudmourph73]

23 years later and it still makes the hairs stand on the back of my neck, liggetts commentary is incredible, stephen roche did us proud, ireland was on a high, happy days, now niocolas roche flies the flag for us!

[@foggys916]

Love it. Even though I used to love F1 and Murray Walker is always great to listen to this piece of commentary still gives me goose bumps....

[@JACM10]

Magic. That was the first tour I ever watched (in the days of Channel 4 at 18.30 each evening). It got me into cycling in a big way and I've never missed a race since.

[@DanDXMG]

Whenever I see Nicolas Roche Im always shouting Who is that rider? It looks like Nicholas Roche! ITS NICO ROCHE!!!

[@fellfox]

Phil Liggert, brilliant commentary. For us brits it's a "Kenneth Wolstenholme moment". What a year Roche had.

[@eckeren]

The brilliant phil liggott commentary on a pure piece of cycling bravery. Roche road himself into the ground.....what a fantastic piece of footage

[@sprintbass]

i was 14 when this all happend ill never forget it..and im so greatful i grew up in the golden age of cycling..when i compare today to then, it leaves me empty some how

[@AutPen38]

I long ago forgot who won the stage. It's all about Roche's comeback and Phil Liggett's commentary. That is unforgettable. Thanks for sharing this amazing clip - one of all of sports' greatest moments.

[@birrman2008]

Stephen Roche.... A LEGEND!!

[@mikerochburns4104]

I watched this just days before me and my dad were going to the local cycle shop to buy the bike I had my heart set on and had nagged him about for weeks, a twin tube chromoly Mongoose bmx freestyle bike, stunt pegs, CW handlebars, layback seat stem, Star brakes, spinny headset, Araya wheels etc etc lol. Needless to say we didn't end up buying a bmx that day, I opted for a Racer bike with 12 gears. [12 was a lot back then] Such was the impact of 1987's Tour de France on myself.

[@antwan.]

bet you still bunny-hopped it...

[@biggeordie1970]

amazing race off Roche. i just found my old photos of the 88 tour of britain, when roche wore the world champions top, malcolm elliott was in yellow and robert millar and sean yates were in the fagor team

[@pockquence]

This brings back memories of when I got into cycling. Does anyone by chance still own a recording of the last Channel 4 coverage of this 1987 year. It had an inspiring musical video/montage with Harold Faltermeyer's - Top Gun theme over a clips of how Stephen Roche won that year. I wore parts that 5 mins of video out i watched it that much but in the end a friend borrowed it and I havent seen him again since :( What I would do to see that again!!

[@KenfromDublin]

Phil Ligget, he is to cycle racing what Murray Walker was to Formula 1. Actually, I'd love to have listened to him commentate on an F1 race. He has that X Factor that very few sports commentators have, John Motson and Barry Davies had this elusive magic for the BBC.

[@nuttymanyelismate]

I love listening to Carlton Kirby on eurosport. Great wit and passion. I have to agree with you eckeren, Phil Liggots commentary has the drama unfolded sent chills down my spine. Incredible.

[@nuttymanyelismate]

I love watching Dan Martin when he attacks on the climbs. Awesome to watch.

[@tonywelsh3709]

SENSATIONAL!! One of the greatest moments in sporting history

[@EMC2Scotia]

Thats the way you do it, thats the way you commentate. Brilliant moment all round in the history of the Tour de France.

[@irelandbloke]

Excellent memories !

[@BongoBaggins]

Goosebumps. This cycling-crazy 17 year old went berserk when Roache appeared.

[@brendanmcdonnell7483]

This is were Steven won the tour, a great season for him and us irish, I remember it well.

[@gsaturn8614]

Epic! Stephen Roche is one of the truly great pro cycling champions!

[@richardscott4758]

This is the exact day i became hooked on the Tour de France 🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@kelliebaldwin999]

The man the myth the legend

[@championthewonderhorse9733]

And that's just Phil Liggett. The voice of cycling.

[@JACM10]

My favourite Tour moment ever!

[@nobabody]

i've got it, this is top of my 101 great sporting moments..awesome

[@pockquence]

Wow, that would be so great :) 18 years since i saw it last..!

[@Yagdrol]

Great commentary

[@CERQ1]

HERRERA Y PARRA LOS MAS GRANDES DE COLOMBIA, ROCHE Y DELGADO DUELO DE 2 GRANDES CAMPEONES....QUE TIEMPOS AQUELLOS...

[@stevoflats]

Amazing times for Irish Cycling with Roche and Kelly at the very forefront of the Sport. I didn't like Delgado at the time, but I did not know then that he was so gracious in defeat, glad now that he got his tour win the following year.

[@vincentc3475]

Stephen Roche was near dead after the finish line...

[@TonyBananas101]

@Matteomjb I watched this tour at the time and was supporting Roche and remember being pleased at the time but it was so long ago I could't remember the circumstances. Thanks for the info

[@trevber]

Roche is a true cycling legend, d tour, d giro and world champ in d same year. only done once before by d legandary eddy merckx

[@DavidMcCann995]

Ireland's greatest ever sporting moment

[@Matteomjb]

The Tour de France lasts 3 weeks, there were 4 days remaining and only 2 riders were still in contention for the overall victory; Delgado and Roche. Delgado is in the yellow jersey with Roche just a few seconds behind. The rest are minutes several behind.

[@112sje]

This was 1987 when there weren't as many en route TV cameras as there are now. If there had been we wouldn't have been treated to Phil's classic piece of commentary.

[@TheGobyHut]

Ligget's screams are imprinted on every cycling fan's brain!

[@corpo99]

this was a big moment in my life.

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

It's Stephen Roche! Would love to see the entire last half-hour of this stage. The real drama is from when Delgado attacks near the bottom of the climb and Roche looks completely finished and his Tour over.

[@jambbie]

The best moment in irish sporting history.... bar none. The hardest men in world sport... them muppett millionaires like ronaldo and drogba that just played in the crappest world cup ever should take a look at this and see what real sportsmen are like. great post...

[@Matteomjb]

It was on Channel 4. They covered the Tour from 1985 until 2000ish? with Ligget & Sherwen commentating.

[@josephgoulding5615]

legend

[@Matteomjb]

The gap had been coming down over the final 5 km, but either the lack of time gaps or Liggetts lack of knowledge of them surprised him when Roche finished. I timed him at 40 seconds behind Delgado with about 2.5km to go.

[@duncr]

No it was always on Channel 4. Ligget and Sherwin do TdF commentary for ITV3 now.

[@Matteomjb]

I've got it on video somewhere. I'll try and upload it soon.

[@wigwanwo]

That was absolutely intense. Amazing to see someone put their body on the line like that because they want something so much

[@Matteomjb]

I have it, the last km anyway. I will try and post it soon!

[@ovetusvetusta]

Esto es Cilcismo! PERICO most charismatic sportsman ever

[@sanderpaap]

Fantastisch voorbeeld hoe diep een sporter kan gaan, onwaarschijnlijk!

[@gboard17]

Go, go, go.....

[@AutPen38]

A current advert has Chris Boardman saying "I knew when they had to lift me off the bike at the end, I'd given it my all". Roche went better than that. He needed oxygen! He simply couldn't have given any more effort without killing himself.

[@ah4fecksake]

sure mate sure....he on fair and square.

[@bubblevision]

I think he said Bradley Wiggins

[@Dubhain82]

Roche = Legend

[@EMC2Scotia]

Anyone have the footage available of the next day's stage and Roche's amazing descent into Morzine? Roche is the epitome of how more tactically astute the riders of this generation were in comparison to today's riders.

[@Matteomjb]

@TonyBananas101 Because Delgado was the better climber but Roche was the better time triallist and descender. This was the last mountain top finish, there was one mountain stage to go (which had a descent to the finish) and a 40km time trial. Delgado needed a bigger lead at this point if he was going to beat Roche overall.

[@tonyomagic]

well said ken

[@batman2909]

Cycling Weekly sent me here

[@TonyBananas101]

why does the commentator say "surely now Stephen Roche will win the Tour De Francathe" when at that stage he was behind Delgado??

[@lebowski114]

I wanted minutes, but i only got seconds... I think that was Delgado's reply to Roche's performace.

[@willibaldcornfed]

Paul Sherwen really had a high pitched voice in those days.

[@theterrible1]

Rooks just confessed today so it wouldn't surprise me if the bulk of the peloton were doping in the 80's/90's.

[@stevejones4235]

Phil and Paul both enjoyed business links with Lance as it paid to keep some people happy. Their commentary is sold by the parent broadcaster throughout the Anglo-Saxon World. These two men are the "voice of cycling" and Anglo-Saxon perception of the Tour has been moulded by them over decades. If they were Italian, we would dismiss them as nothing more than racketeers but because they are English, they get away with it.

[@andyrollett2685]

Fucking arsehole!

[@swamigal]

in the video I don't see nothing, that guy roche comes as 4th ? what so special about it, can somebody explain ?

[@Matteomjb]

That was the 1985 Tour of Spain.

[@1101grayzer]

Huh?

[@mattblythe3097]

@@1101grayzer That was a reply to someone else's comment, which they have since deleted.

[@robwaldron1378]

amazing what a trip to a swiss hospital can do for you :/

[@tootsgrande]

Did anyone offer an oxygen mask to Phil Liggett after the stage?

[@Thegreenroomgroup]

Sorry I missed it, who is that rider behind Delgado?

[@shamblesuk]

2:10 brilliant "Stephen Roche"

[@brian2546]

Paul Kimmage looked at this four times.

[@sologuateque]

grande fabio parra dando la pelea que viva colombia !

[@flyingpanhandle]

In 1987?! He'd have been 7!

[@chelseacharger]

@jambbie Point taken in the comparison with many footballers . Drogba is certainly gulty of overelaborating fouls on him but he has not gone down the boring old "sponsor a footballing academy" route but actually funded the building and fitting out of an entire new hospital in the Ivory Coast to the tune of £3m. A drama queen but with a conscious duty too. The cyclists indeed are a tough breed (plenty in this years tour carrying on with broken bones) and nice to see Roche jnr doing so well too.

[@WELLBRAN]

BUT they were probably all on something else?

[@FTMJarra]

Wasn't '87 the last of the really long tours??...it was certainly a lot longer than '88. Fair play to Roche, he was immense in '87....triple crown winner, Giro, Tour, Worlds....only the great Eddy Merccx* has achieved the same feat.

[@Maveric78]

Phil Ligert - legend

[@redrum4100]

If he hung on to a car, how come he was almost dead at the end and needed oxygen - a sure sign that he'd just dug very, very, very deep indeed.

[@harrinder34]

Nope, nothing like Brad - Roche was proven to have tested positive more than once for EPO - Brad's clean. Read up on the subject

[@shaunteasdale6613]

If you love 'brad' so much why don't you marry him?

[@Matteomjb]

If Roche was a client of Conconi that was in 1992 and 1993, during his second spell with Carrera at the end of his career. No cyclists were on EPO in 1987.

[@henseleric]

"Between 1987, shortly after athletes are believed to have begun using EPO, and 1990, 20 young Belgian and Dutch cyclists died." -Guardian article.

[@dan32113]

@FTMJarra sadly there is a strong chance Roche was on the needle, Conconi was connected to Carrera who was a drug doctor! Delgado also was on the juice...

[@32IRISHPRIDE]

@TonyBananas101 because the time trial was the next stage and then the flat run to paris. and roche was the fastest time trialist in the world. when delgado was only a few seconds ahead after the mountains it was all over for him. roche would destroy him on the flat. which he did.

[@BelfastYid]

Did Rochce cheat? Read this - Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage. I loved Rochce as a kid, not anymore. Thank you Paul Kimmage for being so brave.

[@eamonnca1]

El Diablo wasn't around in those days.

[@Saywhatnow-o3w]

Then the prime minister of Ireland made a show of himself in Paris. Ohh Charlie

[@eamonnca1]

"English-speaking?" Nice going. You're like the British press claiming Roche as one of their own, in those days they couldn't bring themselves to give Roche the credit for being Irish either.

[@huskerdo97]

bitter kimmage, he couldn't cut it never made the top because he simply didn't have the tallent or drive that is needed. we should applaud roche he was tested, he passed, he won. applaud him on a great tour biggest shame is that sean kelly never won le tour

[@chipper30uk]

What is wrong with you people,why do you comment on something you know nothing about or can't spell.Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly are proper Irish Sportsmen not Charlton,Houghton,McAteer,Aldridge ie. England C Team