Largest time deficit to GC contender made up in modern era?

[byu123]

Largest time deficit to GC contender made up in modern era? : Ventoux question added

What is the largest time gap a TDF winner has overcome to another GC contender in the modern era (post 1980) to win the TDF?

Current GC gaps:

Menchov: 3:52
Cadel: 2:59
Sastre: 2:44
Kirchen: 2:16
A.Schleck: 1:41
Vandevelde: 1:16

What is the farthest out, to a GC contender, someone has come back to make the podium?

 

[perico]

hmmm... Oscar Periero in 2006 overcame a 30 minute deficit to win the Tour (with the DQ of Floyd).

Lance Armstrong overcame a 30 minute deficit in 2001 to win the tour.

However, how far back has a favorite come back when the deficit was to another favorite? I'm not sure.

Delgado came from 10 minutes down in 1989 on LeMond and Fignon to finish within 3:50 seconds, and finished on the podium.

Pantani probably would've finished on the podium in 2000 after being around 9 minutes back, had he not decided to go all out and then abandon one stage.

LeMond was 5 minutes behind Benard Hinault in 1986 and won by 2:30 or so.

 

[Escarabajo]

hmmm... Oscar Periero in 2006 overcame a 30 minute deficit to win the Tour (with the DQ of Floyd).

Lance Armstrong overcame a 30 minute deficit in 2001 to win the tour.

However, how far back has a favorite come back when the deficit was to another favorite? I'm not sure.

Delgado came from 10 minutes down in 1989 on LeMond and Fignon to finish within 3:50 seconds, and finished on the podium.

Pantani probably would've finished on the podium in 2000 after being around 9 minutes back, had he not decided to go all out and then abandon one stage.

LeMond was 5 minutes behind Benard Hinault in 1986 and won by 2:30 or so.

Don't forget Greg Lemond to Chiappucci in 1990. 10'19" minutes deficit. At the end Lemond gapped him 2'16". That year Chiappucci was an unknown but later on, in the following years he became a favorite to win the Tour.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

What's more impressive perhaps is that Pereiro was 29 minutes back, and made all of that up, plus moved into the maillot jaune in one day.

That same Tour Floyd lost 10 minutes one day, and made up 8 the next.

For these riders you list, they certainly could make up that time. Either through attrition (not too likely, but possible) a few seconds here and there. Or by taking the right chance at the right time on the right day.

 

[Kennf1]

Don't forget Greg Lemond to Chiappucci in 1990. 10'19" minutes deficit. At the end Lemond gapped him 2'16". That year Chiappucci was an unknown but later on, in the following years he became a favorite to win the Tour.

That's the one I was going to point out. Although Chiapucci wasn't really a contender that year, he got into a lucky break. However, once his "preparations" went into full gear, he was quite the contender in following years.

 

[onedaylight]

The large defecits of time made up in the Pererio & Armstrong Victories mentioned, came about from breakaways gaining big chunks of time, Pererio (sp?) benefiting from being part of one long breakaway, and Armstrong making up time on on early break that his team allowed to occur early in the race.

Another significant deficit made up in recent years (which did not come about through time gained in a long break ) was that of Marco Pantani in 1998.

He entered the Pyrenes (sp?) after the first long time trial 5.04 down on favourite Jan Ullrich and ended up winning Le Tour by 3.21 (he made up 8.25 secs in total) but 8.57 secs was his gain during that epic ride once the race hit the Alps on stage 15 attacking in the mist and rain on the Galibier on the way to the mountain top finish at Les Deux Alps.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1998/tour98/stage15.html

 

[byu123]

The large defecits of time made up in the Pererio & Armstrong Victories mentioned, came about from breakaways gaining big chunks of time, Pererio (sp?) benefiting from being part of one long breakaway, and Armstrong making up time on on early break that his team allowed to occur early in the race.

Another significant deficit made up in recent years (which did not come about through time gained in a long break ) was that of Marco Pantani in 1998.

He entered the Pyrenes (sp?) after the first long time trial 5.04 down on favourite Jan Ullrich and ended up winning Le Tour by 3.21 (he made up 8.25 secs in total) but 8.57 secs was his gain during that epic ride once the race hit the Alps on stage 15 attacking in the mist and rain on the Galibier on the way to the mountain top finish at Les Deux Alps.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/1998/tour98/stage15.html

So if I read it right so far the largest deficit made up by GC contender to other GC contender (Pereiro and Armstrong, etc. making back big time in mountains on earlier non-GC contender leaders who gained in long breaks on flat stages not included) is:

Pantani over Ulrich in 1998: total time made up 8:25 (including winning margin)

Lemond over Hinaul in 1986: total time made up 7:30 (including winning margin)

So 7 - 8 minutes is the most in the modern era.

With Ventoux being positioned 3 weeks into a GT, how much time (considering tired nature of riders and having to ride "like there is no tomorrow" because there isn't) could this years TDF main GC contenders make up on Ventoux?

Answer the Ventoux question twice considering two assumptions.

GC Contender "A" has incredible day and rest do average. How much does Contender "A" gain over the field?

GC Contender "A" has incredible day, GC contender "B" has bad day (but not full on 'bonk'), rest of field does average. How much does Contender "A" (good day) make up over Contender "B" (bad day sans 'bonk')