T
Tony
Guest
I was listening to a sports talk radio show yesterday on my drive to work and they were discussing
the recent woes of the local football team. Some fans were calling in saying it was perhaps the
worst loss of all time. It got me to thinking of the cycling equivalent.
So, what is the worst pro cycling race loss of all time?
To prime the pump, I offer these up:
1989 Tour de France Laurent Fignon suffers a devastating loss on his home turf, losing the final
Paris time trial. Greg Lemond makes up 50 seconds in the final
24.5 km stage to win by only 8 seconds, averaging 33.8 mph in a 54x12. The day before Fignon had
congratulated Lemond on his fine second place finish, thinking he (Fignon) had this one in the
bag. On the podium, Lemond tells Fignon, “now we’ve both won two, let’s see
what happens next year.” Lemond would go on to win the following year. Fignon would ride
the Tour four more times but it was the last time he would ever see the podium.
1990 Paris-Roubaix Canadian Steve Bauer suffers a heartbreaking finish line photo finish loss to
Eddy Planckaert after a valiant race. Planckaert had a teammate in the velodrome, but when van
Hooydonck went from far off, Bauer was on his wheel and looked set to win. Planckaert came through
on the outside to pip him at the line. As close as you can get to winning the Queen of the Classics
(except maybe for Gibus’s win over Ballerini in 1993).
1994 Ronde van Vlaanderen No one has won the Tour of Flanders four times. Johan Museeuw would have
become the first in 1998, but for a tire width four years earlier. Coming back from multiple crashes
and flats, Museeuw scrabbles his way back to the front of the race to the screaming encouragement of
his countrymen, but Italian Gianni Bugno is just too far ahead. Or is he? Museeuw puts his head down
and motors to the line while Bugno is starting his victory celebration. Johan throws his bike at the
line as Bugno, with arms up, looks over in shock. It was as close as it could get but it was not to
be for the Leeuw van Vlaanderen that day. Bugno wins by an inch. Bet he always looked behind him
after that one!
1984 Los Angeles Olympics Our man Bauer again. In the final break, he is one on one with noted
non-sprinter Alexi Grewal. I’m sure Bauer must have played the last minutes of this race in
his head over and over again, trying to figure out how he blew this big win. Clearly the stronger
finisher, this should have been a done deal. He waited but could do nothing as the skinny climber
from Colorado beat him to the gold medal.
What are your choices?
the recent woes of the local football team. Some fans were calling in saying it was perhaps the
worst loss of all time. It got me to thinking of the cycling equivalent.
So, what is the worst pro cycling race loss of all time?
To prime the pump, I offer these up:
1989 Tour de France Laurent Fignon suffers a devastating loss on his home turf, losing the final
Paris time trial. Greg Lemond makes up 50 seconds in the final
24.5 km stage to win by only 8 seconds, averaging 33.8 mph in a 54x12. The day before Fignon had
congratulated Lemond on his fine second place finish, thinking he (Fignon) had this one in the
bag. On the podium, Lemond tells Fignon, “now we’ve both won two, let’s see
what happens next year.” Lemond would go on to win the following year. Fignon would ride
the Tour four more times but it was the last time he would ever see the podium.
1990 Paris-Roubaix Canadian Steve Bauer suffers a heartbreaking finish line photo finish loss to
Eddy Planckaert after a valiant race. Planckaert had a teammate in the velodrome, but when van
Hooydonck went from far off, Bauer was on his wheel and looked set to win. Planckaert came through
on the outside to pip him at the line. As close as you can get to winning the Queen of the Classics
(except maybe for Gibus’s win over Ballerini in 1993).
1994 Ronde van Vlaanderen No one has won the Tour of Flanders four times. Johan Museeuw would have
become the first in 1998, but for a tire width four years earlier. Coming back from multiple crashes
and flats, Museeuw scrabbles his way back to the front of the race to the screaming encouragement of
his countrymen, but Italian Gianni Bugno is just too far ahead. Or is he? Museeuw puts his head down
and motors to the line while Bugno is starting his victory celebration. Johan throws his bike at the
line as Bugno, with arms up, looks over in shock. It was as close as it could get but it was not to
be for the Leeuw van Vlaanderen that day. Bugno wins by an inch. Bet he always looked behind him
after that one!
1984 Los Angeles Olympics Our man Bauer again. In the final break, he is one on one with noted
non-sprinter Alexi Grewal. I’m sure Bauer must have played the last minutes of this race in
his head over and over again, trying to figure out how he blew this big win. Clearly the stronger
finisher, this should have been a done deal. He waited but could do nothing as the skinny climber
from Colorado beat him to the gold medal.
What are your choices?
