71st Tour de France 1984

Former Teammates Battle

Defending champion Laurent "Le Professeur" Fignon returned to prove his 1983 Tour de France victory was no fluke. Three-time champion Bernard “the Badger” Hinault returned to top form after missing the 1983 Tour. Hinault joined a new La Vie Claire team leaving the talented young Fignon as the leader of the powerful Renault team. 

SPECIAL NOTE: After losing Hinault, Renault team director Cyrille Guimard signed another young and promising star, American Greg LeMond. 

A three rider breakaway on stage 5 rode away from the peloton. Fignon’s Renault teammate, Vincent Barteau (Fra), joined the attack of Paulo Ferreira (Por) and Maurice Le Guilloux (Fra). The trio steadily built a large lead and cruised into the finish in Cergy Pontoise 17’42” ahead of the peloton. The young Ferriera took the stage win, but Vincent Barteau, second placed on the stage, put on the Maillot Jaune (race leader’s Yellow Jersey). 

The first big test for the race favorites came on the stage 7 individual time trial (ITT). Fignon rode a brilliant race and beat rival Hinault by 49 seconds for the stage win. 

Stage 11 the first stage of climbing featured a Robert Millar breakaway win at the top of Guzet Neige. Fignon, riding conservatively, finished the stage seventh 2’13” behind Millar, but 52 seconds ahead of Hinault. Hinault’s deficit to Fignon was growing as Barteau’s sizable race lead was diminishing. 

Laurent Fignon again rode brilliantly to beat Hinault in the third time trial. Fignon was now in second place in the General Classification 6’29” behind Barteau and 2’46” ahead of Hinault. 

The road to Alpe d’Huez was preceded by two category 1 climbs. The race began to break apart on the Cote de Laffrey. Bernard Hinault needed to gain time and attacked 5 times on the climb. Fignon answered his surges every time. Fignon and Colombian Luis Herrera steadily opened a gap and rode to the summit together.  Over the summit of the Laffrey Herrera and Fignon slipped away from the lead group.

Luis Herrera surged in the last kilometer of Alpe d’Huez to take the stage win. Laurent Fignon rolled in 49 seconds behind the stage winner, but gained 10’51” to take the Maillot Jaune off the shoulders of his teammate, Barteau. A fading Hinault finished seventh on the stage and lost another 2’55” to Fignon. The Badger held on to his third place overall but fell more than 5 minutes behind Le Professeur

SPECIAL NOTE: Herrera had become the first South American to win a stage in the TdF. He crossed the finish line to the joy of the enthusiastic Colombian reporters.

Although his chances for the overall victory were gone, the Badger gallantly continued to attack during the closing stages. His battle was lost but his popularity soared. 

In Paris Laurent Fignon celebrated his second Tour de France victory.

SPECIAL NOTE: Laurent Fignon narrowly missed the prestigious Tour de France/Giro d’Italia double in 1984.  Fignon, locked in a fierce battle with Francesco Moser (Ita), had the Maglia Rosa (race leader’s Pink Jersey) going into the final stage. The stage was a 42 km ITT from Soave to Verona. Fignon held a 1’23” lead on Moser when the stage began. By the finish in Verona Fignon had lost 2’26” to Moser and finished second in the Giro's General Classification.

TdF 1983

TdF 1985

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