Epic mountain top finishes

[ambal]

I like watching videos of epic battles on finishing climbs. I like this one from 1999, everyone is in pain and having a go.

 

[baker3]

 

[baker3]

Stage 15 of the 2007 Tour de France.

 

[limerickman]

Not one of the highest finishes.
Jalabert 1995

 

[davereo]

Originally Posted by limerickman .

Not one of the highest finishes.
Jalabert 1995

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhQAAm8fOc8

Great video I liked the cut to the Jay Leno interview.

 

[swampy1970]

Stephen Roche saving the 1987 Tour at La Plagne and Fignon winning the stage after having a major "incident" earlier in the day where he ended up down a ravine and his bike was fished out of a tree.

 

[davereo]

Originally Posted by swampy1970 .

Stephen Roche saving the 1987 Tour at La Plagne and Fignon winning the stage after having a major "incident" earlier in the day where he ended up down a ravine and his bike was fished out of a tree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQojh-wqL04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8Wj6P2hyic

Is it me? The bikes look to be way to big for the riders in these videos. Have times changed.

 

[oldbobcat]

Originally Posted by davereo .


Is it me? The bikes look to be way to big for the riders in these videos. Have times changed.

And the bikes are so over-geared. Well, if all you have is a 7-speed freewheel, compromises must be made.

 

[mikejohnson173]

Thanks all of you for sharing all these great videos. Especially I love the video of Tour de France. Awesome one..

 

[pennstater]

Stage 10 of the 1999 TDF. Guerini being taken out by the camera man on the finish of the Alp was high drama. I was just glad he was able to get up and take the stage victory.

 

[steve]

Lucky for the photographer, Guerini was able to go on and win the stage!

 

[swampy1970]

Originally Posted by oldbobcat .



And the bikes are so over-geared. Well, if all you have is a 7-speed freewheel, compromises must be made.

Remember that these weren't taken in the last few years and therefore people didn't wait until the last 900 meters to start racing on the final hill. Roche had been on the attack nearly all of the day... You should try that sometime and you'll find that a bigger gear is required to keep the speed up - that and the fact that both Fignon and Roche were in the 53 ring coming over the line, it's hardly like they were compromised for gears

 

[swampy1970]

Originally Posted by davereo .





Is it me? The bikes look to be way to big for the riders in these videos. Have times changed.

They ride bikes that fit...

Times have changed. Most top riders race less now than they used too. Given race calendars of old, I'm not sure that the current crop of riders could race all year with some of those positions that seem like they're bent over double and able to almost gnaw off their own bat.