Top 10 Tour de France Moments
The Tour de France, which kicked off July 4, is a three-week, 2,000-mile test of human endurance. TIME takes a look back at some of the race's greatest moments
1. 1989: LeMond's Gr-Eightest Hour
The Tour de France is the simple matter of a three-week, 2,175 mile (3,500 km) bike ride over 21 stages, with a not inconsiderable nine of them taking place in the mountains. And 20 years ago, the result was decided by mere seconds. Greg LeMond, who in 1986 became the first American to win the Tour, was still recovering from a nearly fatal hunting accident and wasn't even meant to be a contender in 1989. But his dogged determination kept LeMond close on the heels of the Tour leader, French cyclist Laurent Fignon. Nevertheless, entering the final time trial, LeMond had to erase a 50-sec. deficit over the short stretch of 15 miles (24 km) to have any hope of winning his second Tour. He just made it: LeMond won by 8 sec. (the narrowest ever Tour triumph); his average speed of 54.545 km/h remains the fastest time trial in Tour history.
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