Throwback to Stage 17 of the 1989 Tour de France, the 100-mile mountain stage that began in Briançon, climbed over Col du Galibier, Col de la Croix de Fer, and finished atop Alpe d’Huez. Greg LeMond was in yellow at the start, but Fignon attacked and dropped LeMond 4 km from the finish. Fignon crossed the finish in third place, behind Gert-Jan Theunisse and Pedro Delgado, while LeMond finished fourth, 1 minute 19 seconds behind Fignon. Laurent Fignon regained the overall lead, 26 seconds ahead of second-place Greg LeMond.
Transferred from a VHS recording of the 1989 Tour de France coverage. The recording was made on July 23, 1989.
[Music] They’ve been waiting many days for what will happen during this one. [Music] Along 21 turns that are steeped to the point of cruelty. Their heroes will soon be here and the roadside is the front row. Route 211 awakens with the anticipation of the famous climb to Al Duetes. To look at the faces is to think it’s Christmas morning. Thousands park at the ski resort on top and walk down. Thousands more do the reverse. Provisions have been made by some families to turn this into a little vacation. and other equipment has been brought to create the tour’s unique graffiti which salutes the stars. On this day, 500,000 people have come to this one mountain to see if history will repeat. The climb to Altoz has been part of the tour legend since 1952. It has been the site of many significant events, especially in recent years and involving the current leaders. In 1983, Lauren Fino claimed the lead of the race here, then went on to win and become the youngest winner since 1904. A year later, he did it again. In 1986, Greg Lamond and Bernardino, a five-time winner, crossed the finish line hand in hand, putting vicious team infighting behind them, setting up the Americans eventual victory. Also that year, Pedro Delgado received news that his biggest fan, his mother, had died back in Spain. Not emotionally ready for AluZ, he quit the race. A year later, he claimed the yellow jersey here for the first time, then lost by 40 seconds. Last year, he claimed the jersey here again and never gave it up. The French Alps in the southeast of the country is the site for stage 17, the most grueling stage of the tour. The route begins in the ancient fortress city of Rayons, eventually ending after the 21- turn climb to Al Duz. There is about 30,000 ft of vertical climbing in this stage, which includes cold galapier and cold deat, the iron cross. Very tough stuff. Phil Liot is at the finish. I’m standing on the finishing line at Ald of what is surely the hardest stage in this year’s Tour to France. It’s 6,000 ft above sea level. It’s very, very hot and the air is thin. 7 and a half miles below me in the village of Borg Guazison, the climb begins. Between there and here, the road is linked by 21 hairpinning bends. Each one of those bends is on an average gradient of 18%. This undoubtedly the crulest climb in this year’s race. There’s over half a million people on the slopes, most of them standing on a wide open plane about 3 kilometers from the summit because they know that today the kill should be made in this year’s race. Pedro Delgado’s worn the yellow jersey twice at the top here, but no more important time than now for him to take the overall lead. If he doesn’t lead this tour by the end of the day, then he will surely know he’s lost it. Greg Lammond will fight all the way up here because he knows if he stays in touch with the leaders today, he’ll win this race in Paris. We don’t want that. On this morning of the climb to Alpu, Greg Lemon has reached the point where he’s relaxed and focused only when he’s aboard his bike. 3 days earlier, his wife Kathy expecting a third child in September joined the tour. And today, she will follow the Pelaton for the first time ever. Fenon, who manipulates the press, checks to make sure they’ve got it right. This headline reads, “Poker in the mountains.” Can Greg get any privacy at all? Not on this year’s tour. Finan, despite yesterday’s problems, projecting confidence as always. Delgado, today is his last big chance. The Dutchman, Tunisa, they call him Geronimo. And Charlie Mate, his emotions like his eyes hidden. Full of trepidation, the field rolls away towards the unknown. This 17th stage talked about since the tour route was announced 10 months ago. The highest roads in the Alps where three men lead their own expedition in search of a yellow jersey. [Music] The mountains this day must be taken one at a time. The colder Golivia is a wide road to the snow line where the riders may keep together. But then on the quadrofur, it’s narrow where the attacks can come. Finally, the steep slopes to Al Duez finish the race. The alpine sun beats down hard. Temperatures on the roads ahead are being recorded at over 100°. Along the route, thousands are standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Kathy Lamond has found a place to stand alone, perhaps reflecting a little bit of what she feels inside. Greg in the Pelaton breezes by. Gun Tunisa has a four-leaf clover tattooed on his shoulder, carries another in his passport, and his girlfriend lights candles for him when he rides. The pack, a necklace strung in the mountains, is 15 seconds back of Tunisa now at the crest of Pivier. Tunisa tested positive in a doping test last year. A driven man, superstitious, he never smiles. The element of luck is so frequently attached to that of skill. It’s bad luck to be behind someone like Jill Sund when he crashes. But sometimes skill can steer you out of the way. Turniser taking a drink here has been joined after the Golibier by a raiding party. And behind him, Greg Lemon seems more worried about getting the right food on a difficult day. He makes a bad start in the pickup zone. Gisa still showing no signs of visible effort. moves towards the summit of the cuadair. [Music] Lammond and Fenon for days have watched and covered each other’s moves like a pair of sailboats on attacking duel. On the road, in the press, every time they’ve met, they try to steal an edge. Charlie Mate, compact, organized, unemotional, goal oriented, set his sights on becoming the world’s number one ranked rider this year and did it, displacing Ireland Shaun Kelly. When the tour becomes Charlie’s goal, look out. Andy Hamston, the Alps have been too much before and they are again. [Applause] [Music] Tunisa, fourleaf clovers working overtime, clears the mountaintop known as the Iron Cross. 1 minute 25 seconds later, the pack including Fino, Lamont, and Delgato reach the peak. Everything is going according to pre-race strategy predictions. The moves are being saved for LaZ. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Rail thin, Tunisa assumes tucked position. He is wearing the polka dot jersey awarded to the best mountain man in the tour. So far, that’s him. Greg Lamont grabs a moment to check in with Jose Dau, the team coach, director’s sport. No doubt they’re talking about what’s ahead and not what’s behind. That is the 21 turns that lead up to Al Duz. It is there that Greg Leman will find out if all this is real. He knows the vicious history of cyclists losing here and he doesn’t want to join the long list. The 76th Tour to France continues its race towards LaZ. [Music] Tennisa is still 20 m from the finish. 13 mi along relatively flat roads, but the last 7 mi. What miles they are. It’s clear his wheels will touch the slopes of Aldu first, leading the leaders by 4 minutes. Delgado Finan and Lamond are still together. Pedro is the man everyone is waiting for. Fion seems to have put the previous day stage when his legs didn’t have it behind him. Lamont, if he survives this climb, may be able to clinch the race. Kathy Lamont has gone ahead to the finish with Greg’s father. All she can do now is provide support for Greg after it’s over. Whatever happens, now it’s I don’t want to follow any other way. After being in front for most of the hot day, Turniser now climbs the slopes of Aldu still leading and committed to try for the stage victory in front of a mainly Dutch crowd. [Music] While further back, interest centers on the leaders of the tour and it’s Lamfon again who provides the surprise. Only 24 hours previously, Finan was in trouble in the Alps. Now he was daring to attack. Lemon counters and so too does do Delgado. There are signs at every turn on the climb to AluZ that countdown from 21 to one. Turna is at sign 15, but the strain is beginning to show. Minutes ago, his hair was flying in the breeze now filled with sweat. It sticks to his head. At the top, Kathy Lamont watches the proceedings on television. Whatever it is that will take place on this mountain today is very close to taking place. The leaders are still together, remaining four minutes behind Junisa. [Music] The heat takes its toll too on men who are not racing now for the lead. A universal dream of greatness is that we push ourselves to the limit and can still be brilliant when the chips are down. But sometimes the struggle kills the dream. But it’s a man from the flat lands of Holland who continues to lead on the climb of Aldz. Turniser has two minutes over this group now. And even in rivalry, there’s a survival pact as first Lemon, then Fenon, then the rest share a drink. The turns on Alto are tough because they are steep and because they are so tight, accelerating out of them takes its toll. Only seven turns and four kilometers to the finish. The cheers of the half million test the concentration. [Music] Suddenly amongst the madness, Fion decides it’s time to break again. Delgado and Lamont are slow to respond, [Applause] but Kathy Lamont is not. [Music] Her husband alone now Delgado too having pulled away is desperately trying to limit his losses. The emotions felt here are our own because a rider pushed this hard rides on instinct alone. [Music] For Gantinisa, the dream of the mountain climbers jersey seems safe. He wins the stage, the eighth Dutchman in 13 tries to do so. [Applause] [Music] It is shocking that Delgato was not the one to lead the break of the leaders. Fion again is showing that in spite of what is often said about him in the French press, he is tough enough. Lemon’s lead over Finan at the start today was 53 seconds. Again, Aluz is playing its part in the tour. It had no heart, no feelings, and no respect. [Music] Only 1 minute 9 seconds behind Tunisa. Finon and Delgado near the finish. The stage is 100 miles long, but Fon waited until the last 2 and 1/2 miles to shake things up. Pedro Delgado enters the media sea which undoubtedly will quickly ask him if the events of the day mean his comeback is over. Fion will reclaim the yellow jersey knowing that the two other times he did that here he won the tour. Greg Lamont tries to limit the damage. His lead is now a deficit. What he has left in his legs will determine how large it is. [Music] [Applause] [Music] He has done very well and will only trail by 26 seconds. [Music] Kathy Lamont knows her husband was beaten today. [Music] In stage 17, Gertian Tunisan may have clinched the polka dot jersey awarded to the King of the Mountains, and that was his mission. Fin leads Lemon by 26 seconds as they exchange the yellow jersey again. Andy Hamstead now trails by more than 26 minutes. His tour of to France may be over. Greg Lamont has four stavs left. It’s not over yet. It’s going to be a better story when I win. The symbolic removal of the yellow jersey leading to French cheers. Finon has not heard in quite some time as he puts it on again. Quite simply now Greg Lamont must figure out just how he can get that shirt back. It’s just one day. It’s still not over. You know, I’ve got the time trial and that’s the way it goes. It’s uh I didn’t have as good a day as as I had hoped, but I think I raced a very good race. I you know, I just Finan happened to be a little better to than me today and he took advantage of it. [Music]