Optimum Sports : Cycling Legend Laurent Fignon Dies

Laurent Fignon, who won the Tour in 1983 and 1984, died following a long battle with cancer, the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris confirmed.

"Valerie Fignon, his wife, is sad to annouce the death of Laurent Fignon today," the hospital said.

Fignon, who will forever be remembered for the final time-trial stage of the 1989 Tour when he lost out to Greg LeMond by eight seconds, won 76 races during his career, including La Flèche Wallonne in 1986, Milan-San Remo in 1988 and 1989 and the Giro d'Italia in 1989.

Fignon, who had worked as studio commentator with the France 2 television station since 2006, announced in June 2009 that he had advanced cancer of the digestive system and was undergoing chemotherapy.

The rider, nicknamed Le Professeur due to his studious looking appearance, never really recovered from his hometown defeat in the 1989 Tour.

In his 2009 autobiography Nous étions jeunes et insouciants [We were young and carefree] Fignon recalled a time when he was once recognised as the man to have thrown away the maillot jaune.

"Ah, I remember you: you're the guy who lost the Tour by eight seconds." Fignon responded with the line: "No monsieur, I'm the guy who won it twice."

Laurent Fignon factfile

Date of birth: August 12, 1960
Place of birth: Paris, France
Professional career: 1982-93

Major victories

Grand Tours:
Tour de France: 1983 and 1984. Nine stage wins; yellow jersey for 22 days
Giro d'Italia: 1989. Two stage wins; pink jersey for 15 days
Vuelta a España: two stage wins

One-day races:French National Road Race Championships: 1984
Milan-San Remo: 1988 and 1989
La Flèche Wallonne: 1986
Morbihan Grand Prix: 1983
Paris-Camembert: 1988
Grand Prix des Nations: 1989

Stage races:
Criterium International: 1982 and 1990
Tour of Sicily: 1985
Tour of Holland: 1989
Ruta de Mexico: 1993

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Tuesday 31 August 2010

Cycling Legend Laurent Fignon Dies

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