Who had the first lead out train

[Nick C.]

Generally I have heard or read the the lead out train was started or perfected with Cipollini, in particular the Big Red Train during the Saeco years, but I have also seen reference to VanLooy's Red Train or Red Guard. Can anyone enlighten me on this?

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

I think that it was Cipollini who was the first in the 90's.
I guess the concept is really old, but was perfected by Cipollini and his team.

 

[la.margna]

There a few well organised trains already in the 80's... I was mostly only following the Giro at that time, with trains by Atala for Freuler (15 giro stage wins) and Carrera for Bontempi (16 stage wins) or Rosola (different teams, 12 giro stage wins) for example...

 

[Michele]

Saeco probably?

 

[Ryaguas]

Saeco probably?

Yep was Cipollini who mastered the "Lead-out" train...

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Generally I have heard or read the the lead out train was started or perfected with Cipollini, in particular the Big Red Train during the Saeco years, but I have also seen reference to VanLooy's Red Train or Red Guard. Can anyone enlighten me on this?

cipo was first but nothing compared to what it is now. before 90s nobody had because basically there was much less organisation, if a grand tour featured 3 or 4 massprints it would be a lot

 

[rghysens]

cipo was first but nothing compared to what it is now. before 90s nobody had because basically there was much less organisation, if a grand tour featured 3 or 4 massprints it would be a lot

Freddy Maertens?
His lead-out train wasn't exactly HTC-columbia, but with Marc Demeyer and Michel Pollentier as last 2 riders he had a lot of victories (not all of them in the sprint)
With "a lot" I mean something like: 8 stages in the tour of 1976, 13 stages in the vuelta of 1977, 7 stages in the giro of 1977, 5 stages in the tour of 1981,...

 

[la.margna]

The Atala trains at the Giro in the 80's were incredibly impressive and the first I observed... but most of you guys were not yet born at that time or not into cycling yet

 

[Old School]

The Atala trains at the Giro in the 80's were incredibly impressive and the first I observed... but most of you guys were not yet born at that time or not into cycling yet

Can't argue with you there....I was into cycling by the mid 80s (1984), but it was nowhere to be found in the States. Cable was not something we had, and the internet was a dream. IF you didn't have access to the magazines, you didn't know nothing.

 

[bobbins]

superconfex in the 1987 tour

 

[Gcraenen]

In the mid-80's, belgium's 2 top sprinters, Vanderaerden and Planckaert, had a deal going where they would lead out for each other in alternate races. For a while there, they were pretty unbeatable.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

Peugeot, 1908 Tour. Yes, it was before HDG introduced teams. Nonetheless, Peugeot-sponsored riders won all 14 stages and the first four positions in GC. GC winner Lucien Petit-Breton finished in the top four in every stage save one.

 

[brianf7]

I know it was on in the 1960's the pros used to pay the amaturs and independants to lead them out .

But many just rode for them selves stuff the team.