Tour de France 1986 : 1st place + 1 stage

In 1986 Greg won his first Tour de France in a battle with his teammate Hinault. The frenchman promised Greg helping him to win his first Tour after LeMond was forced by his own team to give up his chances in the stage to Luz Ardiden in 1985. But instead of helping him he attacked him in the stage to Pau. LeMond, not permitted to counterattack him, lost more than 4 minutes. The day after was payback time. After an attack of Hinault, Greg attacked him on the last climb to Superbagnères and won the stage. Hinault finished minutes after Greg but saved his yellow jersey. The following days Greg appeared to be better than Hinault and took the yellow jersey in the stage to the Col de Granon. The day after one of the most memorable moments of cycling happened in the stage to L'Alpe d'Huez. Hinault and LeMond attacked together and crossed the finishline hand in hand. Greg offered Hinault the stage, but knew that he could attacked him. His team didn't want it to be that way. After the stage Hinault told LeMond that the race wasn't over. The battle between two teammates became very stressfull for Greg and askes for his own cook, fearing a conspiracy against him. In the stage to the Puy the Dome it was LeMond who gained time to Hinault. Before the final time trial to Saint-Etienne LeMond was leading Hinault in the overall. Greg crashed during the race and had a flat tire. Without these problems he would have won his second stage. After three weeks he became the first American to win the Tour de France. In another team it would have been his second.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"American storm" http://www.ina.fr/sport/cyclisme/video/CAB86020242/le-mag-clip-greg-lemond.fr.html