On This Day (July 23rd 1989) - The Eight Seconds That Changed History
Joby Ingram-Dodd23 July 20251 min read
The scorching Paris sun beat down as Greg LeMond mounted his aerodynamic time-trial bike. Laurent Fignon led by 50 seconds, seemingly unassailable. Through the streets of Paris, LeMond's revolutionary tri-bars helped him slice through the air, each pedal stroke eating into Fignon's advantage. As both riders collapsed past the finish line, the impossible became reality: LeMond had won by 8 seconds, the closest Tour de France in history.