Old TdF footage on Youtube

debeli

I've been amusing myself lately by watching some '90s TdF footage online.

These were the years where I got a glimpse of the race on TV across a smoky cafe, heard it on the radio or read about it in the sports press.

I loved those years (and still think fondly of them). I know it was dirty and I knew it then - as I think most people did.

What is funny - and why I write now - is the language used by the commentators...

"This burst of speed by Riise is quite unbelievable; where does he find that sort of energy?"

"An unbelievable acceleration here from Ullrich! Just unbelievable!"

There is that sort of glazed acceptance of the most extraordinary human effort that they surely knew was neither unbelievable nor unexpected, given the 'bonne preparation' of the athletes and the regimes within which they lived their lives.

And more of the same about Mayo, Zulle and the rest. I'm talking largely here about the years when LA was ill, so no mention of him. If anyone wants a laugh and a strong dose of nostalgia, I do recommend the mid-90s Tours. I'd forgotten quite how few started (and how many fewer finished) in '98.

Lovely stuff, comedy commentary and no silly hats.
And so on.....

Zerotails99

The commentators occasionally dropped hints.

Manc33

It could be argued there were more characters in the tour back then. It all became too... scientific. :shock:

The battles between Lance and Pantani 8)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpK1oqGDQ0A

Although that was a good 15 years after the 80s. :oops:

I know what you mean about the commentary though. They did used to get way more worked up than they do today.

mrushton

The ascent by Ullrich to Arcalis or being pummelled by Pantani on Les Deux Alpes or Pantani powering past Jalabert on a climb (can't remember the stage). Anything with Hinault/LeMond or Robert Millar

takethehighroad

Riis on Hautacam is the classic isn't it?

It's strange, my very first memory of the Tour was Indurain being dropped in 96, then I remember Cedric Vasseur in yellow in 97 (and the ride to Arcalis) and the 98 Tour was the first one I watched every day.

However, I didn't care back then that they were doped, as I didn't know otherwise, I was just thrilled by the racing and watching Pantani fly up les Deux Alpes got me absolutely hooked

dolan_driver

I've been enjoying some classic Lucho Herrera race footage in the last few days on Youtube. He is so smooth on the pedals and makes climbing look effortless.

Amazingly, he retired in 1992 at the age of 32, the year in which he won a Giro mountain stage. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall by then. Alvaro Meija was another Colombian from that era to retire relatively young. Two classy mountain men.

DD.

The_Boy

Dolan Driver wrote:

Amazingly, he retired in 1992 at the age of 32, the year in which he won a Giro mountain stage. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall by then.

Lucho Herrera wrote:

"When I saw riders with fat asses climbing cols like airplanes, I understood. I preferred to stop."

(The Yellow Jersey Companion to the Tour de France edited by Les Woodland, page 182)

I dare say you may be right.

sheffsimon

Fignon outsprinting somebody, Anselmo Fuerte maybe, at La Plagne is always worth a watch. Great commentary from liggett too. In fact any footage of Fignon, fantastic rider.

debeli

SheffSimon wrote:

Fignon outsprinting somebody, Anselmo Fuerte maybe, at La Plagne is always worth a watch. Great commentary from liggett too. In fact any footage of Fignon, fantastic rider.

Fignon was extraordinary - and somehow isn't rated by some.

When he was 'done' by Lemond in 1989 (?) I recall thinking that that bloody yank had cheated with all his fancy bars and his silly body position. Nasty, cheaty, cheaty Yank.

I've changed my view of LeMond completely since then.... Fickle, but knowingly so.

But back to Fignon.... he was at the end of an era when doping was 'clean', in that it was little more than the misuse of recreational drugs. He was not a clean rider, but he was dirty in a clean way. I know what I mean even if it sounds like nonsense.

Anyway... 3 GTs and nearly more, despite some bad injuries... Extraordinary.

redvee

My fave is Roche chasing Delgado up La Plagne in 1987

ic.

Debeli wrote:

Anyway... 3 GTs and nearly more, despite some bad injuries... Extraordinary.

Agree. Would have added a Giro to the list if it wasn't for some creative helicopter flying. And another Tour had it not been for a saddle sore, possibly