The Tour, the greatest race of them all. For years the Tour was a closed book to the rest of the world, ‘old Europe’ jealously guarding its treasures. But then a blond-haired, blued-eyed boy from Colorado arrived, full of talent, ambition and fresh ideas.
Little did Greg Lemond know that the toughest guardian of all rode for his own team. Bernard Hinault, ‘the Badger’ was not prepared to let his teammate into the Tour’s inner sanctum without a fight. Throughout the turbulent, testy Tour of 1986 he attacked Lemond at every opportunity, finally succumbing to his younger rival as they crossed the Col d’Izoard on Stage 17.
The Badger was slain, and a new, global era of cycling was born.
Il Giro d’Italia
The first grand tour of the year, and for many the most beautiful, as the peloton rolls through the Italian spring. But the Giro has teeth, and as the race hits the high mountains the riders are at the mercy of the fickle weather. Over the years some of the most memorable stages of the Giro have been defined not by springtime and sunshine, but by suffering and snow.
On a day of high drama in 2016, Vincenzo Nibali kickstarted one of the great grand tour comebacks. Minutes down, ill, and suffering, he started Stage 19 with his hopes in tatters. But as the riders raced through the snowbanks, he came alive, attacking relentlessly and dragging himself back into contention. He would not end the day in pink, but his rivals knew they were beaten.
