Laurent Fignon passed away today at the age of 50, after suffering from cancer for several years. Fignon was an amazing rider, and a true all-rounder. He won year-round, in stage races, time trials, and one-day classics. His victories include wins in the Giro as well as the Tour, and classics like La Fleche and San Remo. He also recently published a book, “We Were Young and Carefree”. I find it more than a little bit ironic that I finally purchased that book last night.
Fignon holds a special place in cycling as the man who twice won Le Tour, and once lost it by the narrowest margin in the race's history. That particular race also holds a special place in my own history with the sport, as this was the first Tour that I was aware of, not to mention that it was won by Greg LeMond – an American and a guy I knew from the local ski racing circuit. As the battle waged on and we followed the race in the newspapers, Fignon's name held a prominent place as the guy who would likely win the race, given the lead he held going into the last Time Trial. Given this early introduction, his name has been with me for almost my entire cycling life.
Fignon also holds another special place in my heart. In 2003, my Velomihottie and I went to France for the month of July to sit in a Gite in Aspet, France for a month, ride, and watch the Tour. Tour coverage there is predictably comprehensive, starting early in the morning and continuing on well into the night. Fignon was the host of one of the pre-race shows, called “Se Fignon le Dit”, or, “What Fignon Says” (or something to that effect, I'm not very good at French).
It was awesome. He sported an absolutely terrible haircut and ugly little round sunglasses. Prior to each show, he and his cameraman would engage in a little artsy introduction where the camera would zoom in and out and move about from side to side to create a bit of a disorienting effect. Fignon apparently didn't quite understand that the camera could zoom in and out without moving closer to him physically, so he would peck his head fore and aft, trying the manually create the zoom effect. What resulted was the camera zooming in and out while Le Professeur also moved in and out, creating fishbowl effect that made him look like an Emo trying to poke it's head through a gate.
With that, I speak on behalf of everyone here at the Velominati to send our condolences to his wife, Valerie, and the rest of the cycling community. Today, we lost an icon of our sport. Rest in Peace, Professeur.
Update: photos from L'Equipe.
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Well said. I recall watching my first Tour on TV, knowing next to nothing about cycling, and seeing this blond, ponytailed Frenchman (in spectacles, if I remember correctly), and instantly becoming attached to him. Here was a rider, I thought.
That tour was the one that cemented cycling in my heart.
RIP. You'll be missed.
Fignon was a great rider; but he was also not made nor ready for life under the lime light. He suffered tremendously in his relation with the media and his death, discrete and unannounced, was the last tell tale of who he was really, a humble champion.
Great resources here for the French reader:
http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2010/08/31/laurent-fignon-est-mort_1404973_3242.html
http://www.lequipe.fr/Portfolio/Cyclisme/PORTFOLIO_FIGNON_CARRIERE.html
"I love life. I adore to laugh, travel, to read, eat well, just like a good Frenchman. I am not afraid of dying, it's just I am not ready to die." (Fignon, Jan. 2010)
Good article, Frank.
His legacy permeates the rich canvas of what I know to be cycling and that's having become a road cyclist and follower of the sport after Fignon's career as a racer was over. I image the peloton rides through Spain today with heavy hearts.
What a great champion... His TdF win in '84 over The Badger stands out for me, along with his epic battle with LeMan in '89. Truly an icon. Godspeed.
@all
Here's his palmares, as well (thanks @festinagirl)
http://velopalmares.free.fr/fignon.htm
He really was one of the favorites. I remember a stage in the Tour later in his career, when he was riding for Gatorade, and he was so happy to have won the stage that day...he was so terribly tired in the interview, and so damn happy. That's the kind of thing I love to see...this guy was just all about the spirit. And the stories about the attack he made on LeMan in the '89 Tour on the stage to l'Alpe, where they were just all completely shot, but he was told LeMond was suffering, so he just dished out some more of The V, and brought it home.
And his humor on Se Fignon le Dit was beyond all. It was 50% great racing insight, and 50% slap-stick comedy with him making jokes and falling off his chair.
A class act, and while we didn't see him much here in the US, I am really sad that he's not with us anymore.
Holy Shit - I woke up at 1 in the morning last night (I never do that) and felt compelled to finish his autobiography, which I had been reading all week, We Were Young and Carefree.
This is a total shock. He really was an amazing champion who embodied everything we respect and admire. I think anyone who reads his book will come away moved and with a new understanding and respect for him - he is truly a Great.
@Steampunk
Yeah, me too. My sister totally had a crush on him. I bought a jersey that looked like his System U jersey. There was a picture of him in a magazine where he was changing position from the hoods to the tops, and in the photo he had one hand on the hoods, one on the tops.
I rode around like that for about a season before I realized that he didn't always ride like that. It was hard to go back to riding like a normal person.
@sgt
I'm with you on that. There's a great article in Rouleur, Issue 13 written by Robert Millar about the stage to l'Alpe that year ('84), where the Badger and Le Professeur are attacking each other, and everyone one is on the rivet, over and over and over again. AWESOME.
@Frenchie
What a great quote. What a great way to live life.
Nicely written Frank...RIP Laurent Fignon