Laurent Fignon died

[luckyboy]

RIP Laurent

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

RIP Laurent...
Wow, I was really horrified when I saw the news...Don't know what to say. At least no cycling fan will ever forget him!

 

[Race Radio]

I watched the France 2 broadcast a couple times this summer heard a super raspy voice doing commentary. Was that Fignon?

 

[L'arriviste]

I watched the France 2 broadcast a couple times this summer heard a super raspy voice doing commentary. Was that Fignon?

Yes. He wasn't able to do it every day but when he could, he was there.

 

[PedalMasher]

Very sad day for the sport....Fignon was one of those genuine characters that we all admired...

RIP Laurent, you will be missed.

 

[slowoldman]

Rest in peace Mr. Fignon, thank you for the many memories.

 

[Jukebox]

Fignon, RIP.

 

[Kellys Big Sprocket]

RIP Laurent Fignon. To-day France have lost a great son.

Its a reality check for all of us.

Was one of a dozen great riders that I followed throughout the 80's and early 90's from reading about his exploits to family holidays in a vw camper van following Le Tour in the Alps, the Pyrennes or along the country pot hole lanes of the Nissan Classics.

One of my all time greats. Even made pony tails look cool.

God speed Laurent.

 

[boardhanger]

Sad day for sport. A vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire.
RIP.

 

[lanternrouge]

Sad, sad news. As others have said not unexpected but still a bitter blow. RIP.

A nice piece here

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/497582/laurent-fignon-my-way-or-the-fairway.html

 

[rhubroma]

Laurent Fignon, along with Hinault and Lemond, were the stars that made me fall for cycling back in the early 80's. I always remember Fignon for his grace on the bike and the great battles he put up against Hinault and later Lemond. It saddens me to know that he no longer is around.

I'd put my signature to this.

There was, to me, something sexy about bike racing then, like a rock concert. And he was among the sexiest at the time: a real prince on two wheels.

Once, while riding along the Cote d'Azzur back in 92, winding by the castle of Antibes along the coast once owned by Picasso on a sunny day in March; a man on two wheels with blue eyes behind silver spectacles and golden hair pulled back in a pony-tail with Gatoraid on his kit approached from the opposite direction. Like by force of an enchanting myth, the hair on my arms stood up and then suddenly, after a fleeting moment, Laurent was by and gone.

Such a reflection seems to summerize the beauty of a life not taken in to its fullest. Even more sad when by the person who lived it.

Arivoir Monsieur Fignon

 

[Parrulo]

Pancreas cancer is the worst one, almost imposible to beat it.

pretty much true. i mother died from pancreas cancer a few months ago too. she was only 1 year older then laurent was.

anyway RIP laurent fignon one true legend of cycling

 

[BroDeal]

How sad that the first headline I noticed when pulling cyclingnews up was tribute to Fignon and then realize that he died.

 

[Oldman]

Laurent Fignon, along with Hinault and Lemond, were the stars that made me fall for cycling back in the early 80's. I always remember Fignon for his grace on the bike and the great battles he put up against Hinault and later Lemond. It saddens me to know that he no longer is around.

Me too. RIP Monseur Fignon.

 

[Mich78BEL]

sad news, RIP

 

[jens_attacks]

Bon voyage champion...

 

[VeloCity]

Very sad news - have to admit, I had no idea that he was that ill.

The last of the real all-rounders, in a way - certainly one of the last Tour winners to have also won a (true) Classic. And have to wonder what could have been without the injuries in '85 and '86.

RIP, Laurent.

 

[Square-pedaller]

I just wanted to add my respects to this thread. I spend part of each summer in France, and got interested in cycling by reading the newspaper and then, over the last few years, watching the televsion. Laurent Fignon commentated the Tour for French television, and I loved the way he refused to conform with the usual view of things. In 2009, he continued to commentate, only being absent to actually attend chemo sessions. I am unaccountably sad as his death. May he be forever 'young and carefree'.

 

[Berzin]

RIP

I remember watching the old 9 Wide World of Sports weekly round ups of the Tour as a kid in the 80's. Fignon being one of those few riders that I still remember from that time - used to think that the Systeme U was such a cool team (having no idea what Systeme U actually was). He actually helped me feel okay about wearing glasses as a kid too.

Wide World of Sports!!! Yes!!! The '89 Tour was the first one I ever watched-I remember being riveted to the TV watching the highlights of that great race every weekend that July until it ended.

I also remember as a wee lad strolling by R&A Bicycles in Brooklyn, New York later that summer and seeing a complete replica of Lemond's winning time trial bike right there in the window-awesome. Yours for around I believe it was 4 grand at the time? Someone correct me if I'm wrong if you have any knowledge of this.

There was talk in the cycling world, the way Fignon burst onto the scene and won those two Tours in such dominating style, that he would dominate for years to come.

If you would have said that '84 would be his last Tour win, everybody would have said you were nuts. That's how good he was before injuries and that heartbreaking '89 Tour took the wind out of his sails.

R.I.P., brother-you will be missed.

 

[Hawkwood]

L'Equipe has a slideshow showing his career here http://www.lequipe.fr/Portfolio/Cyclisme/PORTFOLIO_FIGNON_CARRIERE.html

I'm very sad to hear this news.

 

[phlatties]

RIP & RIDE ON, LAURENT.
Best wishes to all your loved ones.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Very sad. One of the most talented, intelligent, and determined champions in my lifetime. Had he not faced so many injuries one has to wonder how many more raced he had won.

I still remember being lucky enough to hear the sound checks for broadcast feeds at the 2003 Tour and hearing Larry converse with Phil Liggett in perfect English. He sounded as happy and likable as could be.

RIP Laurent.

 

[Irish2009]

My first "foreign" cycling hero. I had the privledge of riding with him & talking to him , and unlike many "Heros" was not left disappointed. A true cycling legend may he rest in peace.

 

[MKirilenko]

Sad.
Rest in Peace Mr Fignon!

 

[Carl0880]

" I just learned the death of Laurent Fignon. I didn’t know him so much, and he didn’t know me much either. But for me he was a reference, like Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx. His judgement on France Television was sometimes hard but always fair. He had a stronger analysis than the others because he knew whereof he spoke. He loved cycling and that is why he could speak so well but it's also why he had the right to criticize, to criticize us the riders. In my childhood, far from France and Europe at the time of the USSR, Laurent Fignon was a name that we knew even if we didn’t know him."

Posted by Vinokourov on his FB today