Rivals: The story of Hinault, Fignon and Lemond Part 1

The epic finish of the 1989 Tour de France which ended in the tightest margin victory in the races history, just 8 seconds, was the culmination of a decades worth of rivalry, team camaraderie, and the career twilight of the racing master who took the young talents under his wing.
While the decade ended with a dual of two champions, it started with Bernard Hinault, on the hunt for dominance. Powered by the French industry titans of Renault and Elf, Bernard Hinault led a charge to snag as many Tour championships as he could. Little did he know an injury would open up the opportunity of a lifetime.
This led to a battle between Laurent Fignon and Bernard Hinault who left Renault to the newly created, hyped up, La Vie Claire team. Hinault would not only have to race against his young replacement but an up and comer in the form of the American, Greg Lemond.

[@mountaintruth1deeds533]

In 89 I was 25 , cat. 3 in NM USA. Recovered from near fatal drunk driver, doc said I would never walk right again. I was riding in a few months and still riding at 57. Thanks for the videos, man I lived cycling then.

[@mrkipling2201]

Glad you managed to recover. 👍👍

[@clockdva20]

Glad you are still riding I know how hard it is to come back from a serious accident I myself was also hit by a Car out training in 1991, that basically ended my cycling career in the UK I was also Cat 3 but mainly doing Time Trials after been inspired by the like of the above three riders and knowing it to be the most important discipline to win a tour. I was the best rookie TT rider in 89 never been outside the top ten all year my clubs best new Rider and the best TT rider in the Club. 1990 I had a series of set back illnesses and injures, and then yeap early season 91 bam I recovered but had niggling issues that finally resulted in two knee ops from 93 to 95 . I then stopped for over 7 years or maybe longer suffered from depression like yourself cycling had been everything there was nothing else at that time. But then I met my wife a American/ German and we finally moved to Hamburg in Germany were because of safer cycling infrastructure I returned to my bike I still have issues with my knees . But in 2012 I rode in the Cyclassics Sportive event finished in the top 10% for my age group.since then I have been riding my bike ever since with the odd off time because of health issues and the knee issue. I am 56 now so we shared a great time for cycling history Cycling is a great hobby and a great way to see the world . These days I have just moved in the direction bike packing and adventure cycling and I am currently preparing a new steel adventure tour bike . I wish you many more happy cycling years .

[@mountaintruth1deeds533]

@@clockdva20 good on ya, we shall proceed..

[@livibam]

This needs a re-edit.. I can’t heat a word the bloke is saying due to the music being far to loud. 🤷‍♂️

[@thomaswildman7375]

Try the subtitles

[@Vezzo55]

@@thomaswildman7375 Even the subtitiles are screwed up

[@pangloss9]

One pass with a side-chain compressor would fix the music issue.

[@rocky4976]

Agree

[@rocky4976]

Agreed

[@johnmahland363]

Thank you for this very interesting

[@michaels8638]

I watched Greg live and it was the best finish to a TDF ever

[@clio2rsminicup]

Strange, for us the French It was the worst (even if we like Lemond too)... ... 😁😏

[@paulcheney3636]

Best tour ever so exciting

[@RaineriHakkarainen]

Janssen won final time trial in 1968! Roche won final time trial and Tour! Podecar won time trial beating Roglic! Podecar 55:55 and Roglic losing 1:56!!

[@TimRiehle]

Great job assembling all this old footage, this is an interesting story and I appreciate your efforts to tell it!

[@ricardoubo8947]

Great documentary. I got a history lesson.

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

Thanks more to come

[@askcyc]

Great Video , however at some points in the Video the Music Gits louder than your voice and you become unaudable. But Great work none the less .

[@MA_808]

It was epic....Greg was the best rider in 85 and 86. Hinault did not deserve the 85 tour. If Greg's management had kept him from turkey hunting, he surely would have won five, including 87 & 88, and classics, too. He was riding like a beast in those days. I was working at the 86 tour and the 89 worlds and quite a few other big races, too. good years!

[@nealm6764]

It is tough to play those what if games. If Fignon had not developed knee tendon problems after dominating and winning the 83 and 84 TDF, he very easily could have won 5. Hell he should have won 89 if he had just used those goofy TT helmets and Scott Tri bars.

[@rufusgoldstein2655]

​@@nealm6764True. I wished everyone was healthy to see how 87 & 88 would have gone

[@nealm6764]

@24:06 My favorite picture of the 2 great rivals and Champions when they were the young boys of summer. @22:59 Robert Miller underwent surgery after retiring and now lives life as a woman. Great stuff, but like everyone else had trouble hearing you.

[@clockdva20]

All because of one great team coach and former Rider who also used radical ideas on Riding positions training methards and Aerodynamics That Renault team pioneered a lot of things that would become standard afterwards . The fact they supplied three of the greatest Tours ever with 1984 /85 /86 and 1989 0k that's four all but one featured Titanic battles between all three of them or just two of them Fignon been out of 85 after his bad crash that saw him struggle for form until 1987 and The Badger retired after 1986. Le Mound inspired lots of young riders to take up the sport , he should have won more Tours but for his horrid shooting accident all three riders suffered bad luck that proberly cost them all at least one Tour Win . At least Fignon won the Giro in 1989 to put the wrongs of 1984 Fixed farce of a race behind him not the first time such events had taken place in the Giro. All three were my Hero's I still love whaching those 80's Tours with no power meters or two way Radio Riders who gave there all and looked like they had by the stages end a true golden age of cycling.

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

It would be awesome to watch the racers today face off with only intuition. I’m gonna say Wout van Aert would be my bet on the GC winner.

[@MA_808]

Greg was vastly fitter in the early years. Later, after the shooting, he won with guts and determination.

[@Montrealcycling]

Great vidéo!👌🏻💪🏻🚴🏻‍♂️

[@7kk01]

Great vid, but take the music out next time. It’s too loud and distracting

[@thecultofjohnnydelr.soulsw7010]

Phil Leggett is clear as a whistle 📣

[@WithBACON]

If only we could hear what you are saying.

[@joelpanettaonline]

Great job with the video and editing. It would have been even better if the audio of your narration was louder or clearer. Still great effort. I know that you put a lot of work in to it. Thanks

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

Hey thanks. Part 2 and 3 are better. I promise.

[@stinkfoot5882]

At 2:52 Belgium is included in the map of France ;-)

[@lavielemond]

I'm only 5 minutes in & I really don't want to be negative in any way (as my user name probably betrays my lifelong love of both Greg LeMond & La Vie Claire) but I can barely hear you above the 'background' music!! Also, the brand name is Gitane, not Giante! Cheers...

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

lavielemond Yeah. Haha. Working on it. My experiment on developing my own voice and story telling. Thanks for the feedback.

[@thelawfus]

@@freebooterracingco.2440 I would like to hear an updated version once you get the audio mixing issues addressed. Your voice is a hit subdued and the music at 5:00 just overwhelms because of the mixing. But I do like your script and weaving the commentary in.

[@Vezzo55]

Completely inaudible video SHAME

[@HerbKim]

Hi when is Part 2 coming? Had no idea LeMond previously supported Fignon in his Tour win. Wow!

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

Working on it. Trying to do some better sound. Lots more video in from the next few tours to cut up. Thank you for the support. 👍

[@T59-j7k]

The background music drowns out the commentary

[@PInk77W1]

Aero bars equal 8 seconds

[@carlosquin4822]

Fun fact : The only reason why Lemond won was due to the 1.2 kg lighter bike ( carbon) and the tri bars. What Fignon did was even more impressive with a much heavier bike, no aero helmet or bars.

[@MS-un9zq]

Lemond had no team....shotgun pellets near his heart......nonsense.....Lemond beat him...twice in 1989....Tour and World...

[@carlosquin4822]

@@MS-un9zq Lemond was smarter than Fignon, brains and technical abilities are the reason why Fignon lost. Complete wrong bike setup, no helmet, basically no tuck position and still was only 8 seconds difference. Lemond had to make the difference and he used everything he had to get that win, yes UCI should of banned the Tri bars but it’s the UCI who allowed it so Fignon should of used his brains not pride and install his own Tri Bars. Again Lemond was no fool he was way faster than Fignon on a one on one race and he needed an edge over Fignon due to the time difference, so he used his Tribars and hoped the UCI would allow them. Fignon could of easily won put his pride got the best of him.

[@andyc.4387]

That Bottecchia bike was not carbon. It was, in fact, quite heavy, and made of steel. It was a Bottecchia Kronostrada made from Columbus AIR tubing. So, Greg still wins.

[@carlosquin4822]

@@andyc.4387 He used 2 bikes one was a Look carbon frame rebadged Bottecchia the other was a Carnielli steel frame. Both bikes are painted the same way. One of them was made by Look, but rebadged as Bottecchia due to his Team. , this was his Time Trial bike.

[@andyc.4387]

@@carlosquin4822 It wasn't made by Look, it was a TVT, but that's not what he rode in the final time trial. The final TT was ridden on a steel TT bike.

[@pavement422]

Unwatchable; music too loud.

[@PInk77W1]

I just thought Of something Lemond won in 1986. He beat Hinualt Hinualt then retired. Lemond didn’t race in 87. So Bernard could’ve come back in 87 and won His 6th

[@mrkipling2201]

Who actually won it in 1987?? Stephen Roche wasn’t it??

[@PInk77W1]

@@mrkipling2201 yes. Delgado in 88

[@mrkipling2201]

@@PInk77W1 many thanks for your reply 👍👍

[@thomastani749]

Hinault had said 86 was his last year. He knew he was done.

[@PInk77W1]

@@thomastani749 yes, but he had no idea Lemond would miss 87

[@profweigand]

Good try but I can’t hear your voice over the music.

[@dbowers1270]

Good videos. would be better without the music. The music made it hard to understand the words. The words were the important part.

[@stellarmediocre6991]

Word up, part 2 and 3 have less music.

[@gatorboys7]

i'm sure this is good but can't hear half of what this guy is saying music too loud

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

Huh?

[@gatorboys7]

Like every other comment on this video the background music overpowers the narration

[@mariosimas]

its not Giante, its Gi ta ne

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

That’s just my Americanism bleeding through. Apologies.

[@Skramso10]

The music sadly drowning ur voice..

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

*gurgle

[@DarthBane-zf8wv]

The end of the French at the Tour

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

They’re just building drama.

[@simonjohnson2325]

Why dont you SPEAK UP !!! great story ruined by by narrative.

[@paulwebster4499]

fignons hands are wider than his shoulders

[@Sills71]

I like Greg and am glad he won... BUT, his use of aero bars ushered in the TT bike age and that was one of the worst things to happen to the sport. Moser's hour record was the beginning. But the final TT in the 89 TdF pushed into the road. Ban the TT bike.

[@carlosquin4822]

No Argument from me. They are already riding a road bike that is more expensive than some used vehicles. There is zero needs for a TT bike at all, but the speeds would collapse significantly and UCI is afraid that it will make cycling slower, you can’t sell the sport if they are going slower specially on the TT sections.

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

I say throw them back into a self sustained 7 stage monster like the old times. Bring out the grit.

[@jimbouldin9164]

Way too melodramatic and audio is a failure. Some good footage though.

[@tommaguzzi1723]

I couldn't get past the annoying backing track. Sorry

[@T59-j7k]

Why the crappy music

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

Because Angus Young never answers my phone calls.

[@tapmoron]

Yes the music is just destroying the author work

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

Whatever jerk did that

[@korpulian]

Not a good movie, depressing loud music. Very tiring to watch. 👎

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

I cried myself to sleep too

[@Vezzo55]

This would be a great video if you could hear the narrative clearly.....The Music is too loud and the speech of the narrator is garbled.....SHAME waste of time

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

Sorry I was scared of hearing myself talk.

[@pantani9886]

Why can't we have more exciting finishes like this again? It is always the same old procession, and sprint finish! Fignon had a boil/infection so could not race at 100%. I liked Lemond, but hated Armstrong who was a complete as*hole! Did you know he was caught doping in 1999, but rang UCI head/Tour head to get it covered up! Completely corrupt, and no wonder when FREEMASONRY run's everything!

[@freebooterracingco.2440]

Bunch of Fez hat Shriners meet on Wednesdays to decide the outcomes to all sporting events.

[@pantani9886]

@@freebooterracingco.2440 Can you give me more info, where to find, etc, as I am massively into info like this! I have been researching for over 17 years about who owns & controls the world, etc. The Vatican Jesuits run & control everything, including Freemasonry!

[@nealm6764]

@@freebooterracingco.2440 How do they keep getting away with it?