Check out the final standings for 1989 - he finished third, something like 3:30 down. The 1989 Tour was the closest finish ever, and if Delgado had not shown up late for the start he would have been right in the thick of the action instead of playing catch-up the whole way.
I remember at the time there were rumours that a seductress had delayed him - there was a funny name like "Madame Prologue" or something, Fignon had hired her. He took a lot of flak for that.