Top 20 tour moments

[gonzo]

Your thoughts on the ITV show?

The greatest moments in the time that I've seen it have been:

When Armstrong went across the field
When Landis broke away (although I guess I know why they didn't show it)

Obviously there've been greater moments before my time though.

[MSeries]

I thought the show was excellent. I like the old stuff, 87-95. Not sure I agree with all choices though but a trip down memory lane for me.

[Gus]

Abdoujaparov  crashing on champs elyse
Armstrong catching Ullrich in the TT
Riis demolishing Indurain  on the climb to Sestriere in '96

[rogerzilla]

It's all a bit crap now with h*lm*ts and sunglasses.  They all look the bloody same.  Oh, and the drugs thing has really put me off - there's no point rooting for some guy who then turns out to be a doper.

[JT]

I was surprised there was no Robert Millar in there (considering the slight UK bias).

[David Martin]

I was surprised there was no Robert Millar in there (considering the slight UK bias).

Robert Millar being directed into the car park instead of to the stage finish..

..d

[clarion]

Fignon losing.

[MSeries]

Downtube shifters, curly bars with the brake levers on the front.  No walkie talkies.

[pumpkin]

It's all a bit crap now with h*lm*ts and sunglasses.  They all look the bloody same.  Oh, and the drugs thing has really put me off - there's no point rooting for some guy who then turns out to be a doper.

Well that puts a lot of riders out of contention from 1903 - 2008 then
Anquetil vs. Poulidor, Armstrong vs.Ullrich/Pantani et al, Coppi vs Bartali fantastic moments and we've not even mentioned Hinault!
There was the guy who crashed over the precipice and his team had to knot all their inner tubes to form a rope to get him back to the road and the team then had no inner tubes as they had all been stretched

[Martin]

I only got into it when it came here in 1994; might as well have been on Mars before that;

got a free VHS with a mag once with some of the greatest moments; wish I'd seen the Lemond/Fignon final stage.

I think it's quite exciting now not being sure who will take it 4 stages before the finish, the end of Lance's and Mig's reigns were pretty dull to watch.

[frankly frankie]

Greg Lemond winning in the TT to Paris,

Lance Armstrong the destroyer on Hautacam,

Bernard Hinault and Lemond descending away from the rest off Galibier by holding on to each other's bikes.

When Landis broke away (although I guess I know why they didn't show it)

+1 to that.

[Pip]

Stephen Roche at La Plagne 1987.

Hinault and Lemond on the stage to Alpe d'huez in 1985??

Michael Boogerd burying himself time and again for Menchov 2006.

[tatanab]

Stephen Roche at La Plagne 1987.

I remember watching that.  The clip on TV last night could not possibly more than hint at the surprise and emotion when seeing Roche come around the bend towards the finish.  With the camera shot you can a figure passing the crowd just before the turn and before Liggett picks up on it.  In the clip you had none of the build up and the sure knowledge that last time you saw Roche he was way down the climb and losing time- then suddenly here he is.  That was fantastic.

I do agree that with helmets and shades it is far harder to spot an individual rider in the bunch.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Merckx's winning 130 km solo breakaway in the Pyrenees while in yellow.

[robgul]

Armstrong across the field and LeMond's 8 seconds were probably my faves ... Oh, and Gary's gag about "whatever is French for "la creme de la creme"" was quite good

My personal TdF highlight *brag* was riding in the Randonnee du Centenaire in Paris on the morning of the finish of the 2003 Centenary Tour - 10,000 amateur riders all in yellow jerseys riding up the Champs.  Unforgettable ... I still wear the jersey from time to time.

Rob

[border-rider]

wish I'd seen the Lemond/Fignon final stage.

I used to have a vague interest in it before that - I watched that finish, and was hooked

That moment does it for me, and Armstrong riding away from Ulrich after staring him full in the face.

[Hot Flatus]

Evans getting stressy cos someone touched his shoulder

[MSeries]

wish I'd seen the Lemond/Fignon final stage.

I was there. I was a super day, got a nice photo of Delgado, Indurain and Bugno arriving at the start on their bikes with their legwarmers on and backpacks.

[clarion]

I think it was the Lemond/Fignon stage that hooked me, too.  Not racing, just against the clock.  And I sooo wanted Fignon to win it, but it was a great ride by both of them, Lemond producing a quietly heroic stage.

[MSeries]

It was Roche in 1987 that hooked me on professional racing, the Tour in particular.

[Mr Larrington]

It's repeated on Sunday evening for those who, like me, had a braino while programming the PVR and only got as far as Abdou falling on his head.

[Really Ancien]

I had trouble remembering the name of the other rider that Armstrong bollocked and forced out of a break, it was Simeoni and I found his name by Googling 'Lance Armstrong Patron',  the first result was this; AnalPhilosopher Lance Armstrong, Patron in which a US blogger concludes that Armstrong was a manifestation of the spirit required for the USA to continue its role as the worlds Gendarme. So that's my Top Tour Moment, that and Eros Poli's win over the Ventoux to Carpentras in 1994, and yes Martin I do know you were there, but I've still got a Gan bottle off Poli's bike from the Tour of Britain, so there.

Damon.

[citoyen]

Greg Lemond winning in the TT to Paris,

Lance Armstrong the destroyer on Hautacam,

Bernard Hinault and Lemond descending away from the rest off Galibier by holding on to each other's bikes.

The first two definitely. I wish I could honestly say I remember the third! Lemond was an incredible descender - the fear was always plainly visible on other riders' faces as they tried to stay close to him. Brilliant man.

d.

[gonzo]

Simeoni - he was going to retire at the end of this year, but he's just won the Italian road race camps.

[scampi]

...
Lance Armstrong the destroyer on Hautacam,
...

In retrospect one of my favourite stages - remembered for Javier Ochoa's* heroics: broke away early on with Jacky Durand IIRC. Went off on his own over several huge cols in the tipping rain on an epic stage. He got to the foot of Hautacam with ten minutes in hand, suffered like anything on the climb. As his pace fell through the floor it didn't look like he'd do it but he scaped in one minute before Armstrong flew home.

It was an awesome performance. I can still vividly recall the images from the TV pictures.

Pantani's win at Les Deux Alpes again in terrible weather is similarly etched on the memory: the first year I followed the TDF.

* A story with a sad progression:

Who can forget the dramatic images of former Kelme rider Javier Ochoa courageously holding off the onslaught of Lance Armstrong to win Stage 10 of the 2000 Tour De France to Hautacam? Seven months later, on February 15th, 2001, Javier and his twin brother Ricardo, both Kelme pros were run over by a car in Malaga. Ricardo was killed and Javier was severely injured, with a crushed left leg, five broken vertebrae and severe cranial trauma. Javier was in a coma for 64 days and finally, after a long hospital stay and an extensive program of physical therapy, Ochoa was able to ride a bike for the first time in 22 months last December.