Laurent Fignon, Criterium International 1989
Laurent Fignon died from cancer, aged 50, on Tuesday, August 31. The French professional cyclist won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984 and the Giro d'Italia in 1989.
Fignon also won Milan-San Remo (1988, 1989), La Flèche Wallonne (1986), Criterium International (1982, 1990), as well as stages of Paris-Nice and Vuelta a Espana among others.
Fignon will also be remembered as the rider who lost the 1989 Tour de France by just eight seconds to Greg Lemond.
Here we present a selection of photographs taken by Graham Watson that capture the essence of Fignon's cycling career and the man himself.
Laurent Fignon waves to the crowd on the Champs-Elysées after winning his first Tour de France in 1983.
Fignon leads Steve Bauer and eventual winner Eddy Planckaert over the cobbles at the 1990 Paris-Roubaix. Fignon is one of the last grand tour winner to challenge seriously at the Hell of the North.
Wearing the pink jersey as leader of the Giro d'Italia, Fignon outsprints world champion Maurizio Fondriest (right) and Aussie Phil Anderson (in blue) the 20th stage of the 1989 race at La Spezia.
Winning the final stage of the 1987 Paris-Nice on the Promenade des Anglais.
The joy is obvious at La Plagne. Fignon beats Spaniard Anselmo Fuerte to win a mountain stage in the Alps at the Tour de France. This is the day made famous by Stephen Roche's incredible pursuit of Pedro Delgado and it is often overlooked that Fignon won the stage.
Wearing the red, white and blue as champion of France in the 1984 Tour de France. The blond hair and studious spectacles complete a look that will forever instantly recognisable as Laurent Fignon.
Only Le Professeur, the Parisian bookworm who could at times be aloof, would cool his feet at the end of a hard day on the Tour de France with bottled water.
The other Fignon trademark was the headband. Only he was insouciant enough to pull it off. Here he's climbing to Morzine-Avoriaz in a mountain time trial towards the end of the 1983 Tour. Tenth place on the day was enough to preserve the yellow jersey.
Time trialling on Mont Ventoux in the 1987 Tour. This was not a good day for the two-time champion. He was 64th - more than nine minutes down on stage winner Jean-François Bernard.
Standing hands on hips, alone against the mountains in the 1990 Giro d'Italia. The form was not as good as the previous year.
At the team launch at the 1990 Giro. People made fun of the Castorama jersey and shorts design. It was made to look like the overalls worn by staff in the chain of DIY stores. As Fignon revealed in his autobiography We Were Young And Carefree, the design was a collaboration between himself and Cyrille Guimard and he was proud of it.
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Steve Fagg
August 31 17:23
A lovely tribute to the Professor. He was my first great cycling hero. I'm so sad to see him go.
richardh
August 31 17:24
Very sad news, my first and only hero of cycling. I'm halfway through his autobiography, it'll feel strange reading it now.
Darb
August 31 18:01
Such a shame........... Never forgotten.
arronski
August 31 19:49
RIP.....epic legend!
Andy Green
August 31 21:04
Truly saddened by LF passing, a wonderful rider of the kind we don't see today. I've just finished 'We were young and carefree', a superb book (Richard, keep reading it) - cannot believe this news. Reste en paix Laurent.
Martin
August 31 21:06
When I raced, I imagined I was him.................in my 44 years I only ever took one hero. A true riders rider. RIP
Brian Reynolds
August 31 21:22
When I became interested in Cycling in 87, Roache, Kelly and Fignon were the big names. The first ever cycling jersey I bought was a System U with its yelow and white. The professor was a class act
st68
August 31 22:09
a legend such sad news R.I.P laurent fignon
Mike from Hayling Island
August 31 22:20
A great loss....one of the truly great French riders and a geat ambassador for our sport Rest in peace
Andrew Czaban
August 31 23:21
Laurent Fignon turned me on to cycling in a big way. He always had such style and panache. Rest in Peace.
steve clarke
August 31 23:25
very, very upset at this sad news..... just finished reading autobiography, what a loss and only 50 years old.... and I am 46.......... RIP
Martyn Wilson
September 01 08:01
Part of our family following cycling. We will miss him greatly. R I P
Rich
September 01 09:46
Extemely sad news for a great champion who was as much a fighter off the bike in the end too. Feel like part of my youth has died today, for like many he was also my hero as a junior while racing in France back in the day. RIP Laurent, true legend never to be forgotten,
Chris
September 01 11:46
So sad at just 50. I was on the Champs Elysee in 1989 to see the drama unfold. Great rider, great man. RIP.
Sean
September 01 12:48
What a competitor. Along with being a tour rider he could also win the one day classics, unlike the riders of today. Will always remember him for playing his part in the 1989 World Road Race Championships which is my opinion was the greatest finish of any one day race. Will look at it again tonight. Genuine cycling fans will always remember the competitor he was and that he was part of a great era in cycling. RIP to one of the great gladiators of cycling.
Mark Jones
September 01 12:59
Such a sad loss. I started following the Tour in 89 and was a big fan of Lemond's but now I think it is such a shame that Laurent didn't have the chance to wear the Maillot Jaune in Paris that day. I used to have a Systeme U top and I wish I still had it to wear it on my cycle to work today out of respect for the great man. RIP Laurent
Douglas Tomlinson
September 01 16:27
Very sad news indeed. A great character and a great champion. A real legend.
dylan
September 01 17:32
such a shame i enjoyed his coments on this years tour such a young age rip
Ken Evans
September 01 17:33
Not an all time great, but a very good rider. Like Anquetil, died in his 50s. Expect a big (media) funeral in France.
Mick Wakelin
September 01 19:50
So saddened to hear of the passing of this great man, a true hero and one of my greatest heroes.
Julian Hayhurst
September 01 21:31
What sad news. I'm really upset, what a loss. Laurent is one of the reasons why I ride a bike and follow the sport. RIP.
Mark
September 01 21:38
I read his autobiography recently, perhaps the best cycling book I have ever read, strikingly honest and very moving, a brilliant rider.
Cavologuardi
September 03 14:29
Le Professeur... dead at 50. effin' cancer... again. It may have been Robert Millar's exploits that enlightened those of my generation on this side of la Manche whose sporting lives had previously revolved around footie... it may have been Millar that introduced us to a new breed of hero... but foremost amongst those was the winner of that year's Tour... and if anyone dared doubt the validity of his win the previous year in the absence of Le Blaireau, Fignon proved his class in that glorious summer of '84. RIP Laurent.
shaun robson
September 07 12:01
Fignon, Hinault, Lemond, Arroyo.......the names I remember from first starting to watch Le Tour - all of them big personalities. And, it was interesting to read how much Fignon gave back to the sport outside of competition too.