Laurent Fignon, the Frenchman who won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984 and lost to American Greg LeMond in 1989 in the race's closest finish, died Tuesday of cancer. He was 50.
In 1989, Fignon lost to LeMond by eight seconds. The two dogged each other for weeks, the leader's yellow jersey passing back and forth. Finally, with only the last-day time trial left, Fignon had a 50-second lead that appeared decisive.
But LeMond, riding with an aerodynamic helmet and new triathlon handlebars that Fignon maintained were illegal, set a blistering pace. It was the fastest full-length time-trial stage ever ridden at the time.
To read more about Fignon's career see:
Fignon the Champion
Fignon in Photos
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