Here is what Lemond looked like for his ITT win and overall TdF Win from Paris to Versailles…a bit downhill but he averaged 54 kph. Delgado showed up something like 2.5 minutes late for the Prologue, and may have just won that TdF between his losses there and the ITT. RIP Laurent Fignon, you were awesome beyond your age when you broke through in 83: Overall win, white jersey, combination jersey that year. The podium in 89 had three former winners (Lemond86+Fignon83+Delgado88).
I think Lemond chopped off the tail of his Giro because he rode so much with head down.
Today is TdF ITT. I don’t think this one is going to be exciting as its not on the last day in Paris (or the last day in Rome with cat like reflexes of Team mechanics saving Menchov on a cobble wipe out with a miracle bike save) but lets see.
Will anyone beat his average speed (Pau to Pau) today?
Well the RAAM guys were already using make shift aerobars in the mid/early 80’s. Boone Lennon got the ball rolling for real at Scott USA. Andrew McNaughton showed up and toasted everyone on ScottDH aerobars at the Desert Princess Duathlon (Palm Springs…10K/60K/10K)…then tri guys were using these bars for 3 years before Lemond deployed them at the TdF. Fignon saw Lemond using them at the TdF in the prologue and the first ITT. Fignon had plenty of forewarning that these things were fast.
It was actually that year in 1989 that Ray Browning showed up with Slowman’s Quintana Roo Superform tri bike and killed everyone at Ironman New Zealand.
While there was no internet, Fignon had lost of warning. I was using Scott DH bars for 2.5 years before this ITT…so Fignon lost because he was not that smart about what gear was faster.
While there was no internet, Fignon had lots of warning. I was using Scott DH bars for 2.5 years before this ITT…so Fignon lost because he was not that smart about what gear was faster.
While there was no internet, Fignon had lost of warning. I was using Scott DH bars for 2.5 years before this ITT…so Fignon lost because he was not that smart about what gear was faster.
Yeah but he had a front disc compared to that shallow 36 spoker, should have blown Lemond away!
Here is what Lemond looked like for his ITT win and overall TdF Win from Paris to Versailles…a bit downhill but he averaged 54 kph. Delgado showed up something like 2.5 minutes late for the Prologue, and may have just won that TdF between his losses there and the ITT. RIP Laurent Fignon, you were awesome beyond your age when you broke through in 83: Overall win, white jersey, combination jersey that year. The podium in 89 had three former winners (Lemond86+Fignon83+Delgado88).
I think Lemond chopped off the tail of his Giro because he rode so much with head down.
Today is TdF ITT. I don’t think this one is going to be exciting as its not on the last day in Paris (or the last day in Rome with cat like reflexes of Team mechanics saving Menchov on a cobble wipe out with a miracle bike save) but lets see.
Will anyone beat his average speed (Pau to Pau) today?
Thanks for starting the thread. And here’s the most famous photo from that ITT
Apparently Fignon never got over it.
not when Lemond pulled a fast one over him for a second time in a year
I read an interview with LeMond somewhere in which he said they analyzed his position later on and it was only marginally faster than his setup with the bullhorns. He said his bullhorn position was very good. I don’t remember where I read it and can’t find it now though.
While there was no internet, Fignon had lost of warning. I was using Scott DH bars for 2.5 years before this ITT…so Fignon lost because he was not that smart about what gear was faster.
Yeah but he had a front disc compared to that shallow 36 spoker, should have blown Lemond away!
Lemond’s bar setup doesn’t look very comfy.
Lemond had his saddle slammed all the way back and was using 175mm cranks (he’s not that tall). So he clearly had not yet talked to Slowman that he needed to open up his hip angle and ride like Ray Browning on the QR Superform which was already out by then. But Lemond could ride like that folded like a pretzel and generate good power as he had a long femur and short tibia meaning his knees even in a laid back saddle position where to slamming his chest.
Here is what Lemond looked like for his ITT win and overall TdF Win from Paris to Versailles…a bit downhill but he averaged 54 kph. Delgado showed up something like 2.5 minutes late for the Prologue, and may have just won that TdF between his losses there and the ITT. RIP Laurent Fignon, you were awesome beyond your age when you broke through in 83: Overall win, white jersey, combination jersey that year. The podium in 89 had three former winners (Lemond86+Fignon83+Delgado88).
I think Lemond chopped off the tail of his Giro because he rode so much with head down.
Today is TdF ITT. I don’t think this one is going to be exciting as its not on the last day in Paris (or the last day in Rome with cat like reflexes of Team mechanics saving Menchov on a cobble wipe out with a miracle bike save) but lets see.
Will anyone beat his average speed (Pau to Pau) today?
Thanks for starting the thread. And here’s the most famous photo from that ITT
Apparently Fignon never got over it.
Hey, I had a poster of that Lemond picture and this one of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali climbing what I believe is Stelvio in my living room when I was single guy:
Fausto and Gino survived the decoration axe in our family room for around 22 years after we got married on account of it being a bit of “art”. Greg in front of the Arc the de Triomphe I don’t believe even survived the time in between we were engaged and got married (back in 94).
Every time we have been in Paris in that spot where you see Lemond I make sure I lament that he got taken down!!! I had the option between keeping riding 10,000km per year, or fighting for Lemond in the family room so I went with Lemond being axed.
Boone Lennon got the ball rolling for real at Scott USA. Andrew McNaughton showed up and toasted everyone on ScottDH aerobars at the Desert Princess Duathlon (Palm Springs…10K/60K/10K)…//
As sport and site historian, it was Brad Kerns, not Andrew who rode that first set of bars at Desert Princess. And for the time and general knowledge that cyclists had, that was about as good a position as he could have hoped for. Of course we already knew to be riding at 85 degrees of seat angle, to take full advantage of the lay down position, but cyclists would not realize that for15 more years. They still haven’t figured out the smaller crank thing, but it has been about 10 years, so give them 5 more and they can reinvent their position again…
Lemond had his saddle slammed all the way back and was using 175mm cranks (he’s not that tall). So he clearly had not yet talked to Slowman that he needed to open up his hip angle and ride like Ray Browning on the QR Superform which was already out by then. But Lemond could ride like that folded like a pretzel and generate good power as he had a long femur and short tibia meaning his knees even in a laid back saddle position where to slamming his chest.
I was talking about his actual bars, where his elbow pads are on his forearms and the angle they must be digging in at.
someone might be able to correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought I remember reading that he did not see the bars as an additional “pulling point” for his pedal stroke. He saw them as an aero benefit and rest for his upper body. The angle they’re set up kind of indicates he could not have been using them as we do now with the ski bend allowing for an additional fulcrum for pulling.
I am pretty sure the short tail came like that, though I can’t remember the reason
He had to cut the helmet down due to cycling regulations IIRC.
Fignon tried aerobars (Profile for Speed) the day before the final TT. Rode them around a parking lot and didn’t like the handling (to his credit, never try anything new race day). I remember getting lots of flack from “real” cyclists for my Scott clipons in '88…stopped suddenly in mid-89.
One big change is that aero shapes are now applied everywhere on the bike. Lemond’s Bottechia had round tubes, round basebar, round pad risers, etc., etc. The position was aero, the bike wasn’t that much better than a roadie. Lemond actually did the1991 TdF TTs on a road bike (w/clipons).
I am pretty sure the short tail came like that, though I can’t remember the reason
He had to cut the helmet down due to cycling regulations IIRC.
The Giro aero model came in two versions, a stubby tail and pointy tail. Scott Tinley used the pointy tail version.
I also remember Lemond saying he had a good aero tt position already, with a flat back, and that the aero helmet potentially didn’t save him any time, and possibly cost him time due to him looking down (versus forward) which pointed the tail of the helmet straight up, increasing his drag.
This study shows a bare head is fastest… so Lemond was right that the helmet slowed him down, especially the way he held his head.
**Thats pretty funny, as most of us believed that the helmet alone might have made the 8 second difference in that last TT. OF course Fignon had a big pony tail flying out there, so maybe not what they were testing on the bare head side. **
“1989: Giro Aerohead
Though the Cinelli Aerolite started the discussion, this is the helmet that legitimized the idea that aerodynamics matter in bike racing. And its design was a bit of an improvisation: When the UCI banned Greg LeMond’s longtail TT helmet after the 1989 prologue, his helmet sponsor Giro was prepared. “We built a shorter version and delivered it just prior to the Stage 5 time trial that Greg won,†said Giro GM Greg Shapleigh. “That was the big unveiling of Greg’s aero helmet and handlebars, and it signaled that he was a contender for victory.†LeMond came into the final stage TT 50 seconds behind GC leader Laurent Fignon. While Fignon raced with his ponytail flapping in the wind, LeMond attacked the 24.5km course in Paris wearing this radical snub-tailed helmet, which Giro called the Aerohead Bullet. He averaged close to 55kph, beat Fignon by 58 seconds, and won the Tour by eight seconds—the closest margin of victory ever.â€
“1989: Giro Aerohead
Though the Cinelli Aerolite started the discussion, this is the helmet that legitimized the idea that aerodynamics matter in bike racing. And its design was a bit of an improvisation: When the UCI banned Greg LeMond’s longtail TT helmet after the 1989 prologue, his helmet sponsor Giro was prepared. “We built a shorter version and delivered it just prior to the Stage 5 time trial that Greg won,†said Giro GM Greg Shapleigh. “That was the big unveiling of Greg’s aero helmet and handlebars, and it signaled that he was a contender for victory.†LeMond came into the final stage TT 50 seconds behind GC leader Laurent Fignon. While Fignon raced with his ponytail flapping in the wind, LeMond attacked the 24.5km course in Paris wearing this radical snub-tailed helmet, which Giro called the Aerohead Bullet. He averaged close to 55kph, beat Fignon by 58 seconds, and won the Tour by eight seconds—the closest margin of victory ever.â€
“1989: Giro Aerohead
Though the Cinelli Aerolite started the discussion, this is the helmet that legitimized the idea that aerodynamics matter in bike racing. And its design was a bit of an improvisation: When the UCI banned Greg LeMond’s longtail TT helmet after the 1989 prologue, his helmet sponsor Giro was prepared. “We built a shorter version and delivered it just prior to the Stage 5 time trial that Greg won,†said Giro GM Greg Shapleigh. “That was the big unveiling of Greg’s aero helmet and handlebars, and it signaled that he was a contender for victory.†LeMond came into the final stage TT 50 seconds behind GC leader Laurent Fignon. While Fignon raced with his ponytail flapping in the wind, LeMond attacked the 24.5km course in Paris wearing this radical snub-tailed helmet, which Giro called the Aerohead Bullet. He averaged close to 55kph, beat Fignon by 58 seconds, and won the Tour by eight seconds—the closest margin of victory ever.â€
