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Twice Tour de France Laurent Fignon was born on August 12, 1960; he died Tuesday (August 31, 2010) after a battle with cancer. He was 50. His death was confirmed by the French government and the French cycling federation.

“The Professor,” as he was known, won the Tour de France twice, in 1983 and 1984. In 1989 Fignon was defeated by American rival Greg LeMond, by 8 seconds, the closest margin ever to decide the tour.

The 1989 Tour de France was the 76th Tour de France, a race of 21 stages and a prologue, over 3285.3 km in total. In the closest tour in history, Greg LeMond was behind by 50 seconds on the final ride into Paris. In that time trial LeMond put his bike in a huge 55 x 12 gear and rode it 54.545 km/h (34.52 mph), the second fastest time trial ever ridden in the Tour de France. He made up 58 seconds on Laurent Fignon, ultimately winning the race by 8 seconds. Since 1989 there has not been another individual time trial to finish the Tour de France.

“The cyclist who doesn’t know how to lose cannot become a champion. … But to lose like that, on the last day, with such a small gap, and principally because of handlebars that were banned under the rules, no, that was too much for one man,” Fignon said in his autobiography, “We Were Young and Carefree,” published last year.

“I counted eight seconds in my head, and the more I counted the more I realized what a ridiculous period of time it was. In eight seconds you don’t have time to do anything!”

Tour director Christian Prudhomme said Fignon’s 1989 Tour defeat was steeped in cycling legend.

“This glorious defeat of 1989 is stronger than anything else in terms of media impact,” Prudhomme said. “I remember that lost look in his eyes on the finish line at the Champs-Elysees, which contrasted with Greg Lemond’s indescribable joy.”

Fignon devoted the first chapter of the book to the defeat, acknowledging it as the defining moment of a career that had otherwise seen much glory.

In the book, Fignon also admitted to doping, describing drug-taking in the 1980s as widespread but not organized, often recreational rather than performance-enhancing-aided by the strong Colombian involvement in cycling at the time, accompanied by large quantities of cocaine.

He said doping in cycling was revolutionized by the arrival of the blood-booster EPO in the early ’90s. Fignon said he refused to take it-and retired from competition in 1993 when he realized that mediocre riders were now keeping up with him.
“The guy was a real character, both on and off his bike,” said Marc Madiot, a former Fignon teammate and Francaise des Jeux team manager. “Hats off to him.”

Fignon also won the Giro d’Italia in 1989, after having been the runner-up in 1984, and the Milan – San Remo Classic twice in 1988 and 1989.

“He was a great champion who used a combination of talent and will to win the Tour de France twice,” French Cycling Federation president David Lappartient said. “He had an iron will, and was also a very intelligent man.”

In a statement in June 2009, Fignon release the new of his advanced metastatic cancer of the digestive system and that he was undergoing chemotherapy. In January 2010 his doctors found out that the cancer originated in his lungs.
Lance Armstrong, who have won the Tour of France seven times and who also had fought cancer himself, called Fignon a “dear friend” and a “legendary cyclist.”

“I will never forget the early 90s when I first turned pro, of course terrified of these ‘older guys,’ Laurent was always a friendly face with words of advice,” Armstrong said in a statement. “He was a special man to me, to cycling, and to all of France. Laurent, we will all miss you.”

French president and cycling fan Nicolas Sarkozy hailed Fignon as “an amazing and exceptional champion who left an indelible mark in the history of the Tour de France and French cycling.”

Fignon had worked as a television commentator for the state-backed France 2 network since 2006—and right through this year’s Tour, which ended barely a month ago. His voice was gravelly from his illness and treatment.

Fignon is survived by his wife Valerie and a son from a previous marriage.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.

Significant victories by year

1982 Renault-Elf-Gitane

1st, Critérium International

1983 Renault-Elf-Gitane

-1st Overall, Tour de France (and stage 21 win)
-Stage, Tirreno–Adriatico
-Stage, Critérium International
-Stage, Vuelta a España

1984 Renault (Gitane)

1st Overall, Tour de France (and stage 7, 16, 18, 20 and 22 wins)
1st mountains classification, 2nd Overall, Giro d’Italia (and stage 20 win)
French National Road Race Championships

1986 Systeme U (Gitane)

-1st, La Flèche Wallonne
-Stage, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

1987 Systeme U (Gitane)

-Two stages, Paris–Nice
-3rd Overall, Vuelta a España (and stage)
-7th Overall, Tour de France (and stage 21 win)

1988 Systeme U (Gitane)

-1st, Milan – San Remo
-Stage, Critérium International
-1st, Paris–Camembert

1989 Super U (Raleigh)

-1st Overall, Giro d’Italia (and stage 20 win)
-1st, Milan – San Remo
-2nd Overall, Tour de France (Combativity award and stage 18 win)
-11 days in maillot jaune (stages 10-20)
-1st Overall, Ronde van Nederland
-1st, Grand Prix des Nations

1990 Castorama (Raleigh)

-1st, Critérium International
-1991 Castorama (Raleigh)
-6th Overall, Tour de France

1992 Gatorade (Bianchi)

-23rd Overall, Tour de France (and stage 11 win)

1993 Gatorade (Bianchi)

-1st Overall, Ruta Mexico

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