Professional Cycling For the Fans - 1989 TdF Delgado late to prologue TT

Does anybody know why Delgado showed up to his prologue TT start time 2:40 late in the 1989 TdF? Would love to hear why he was late.

From what I remember he was out warming up and simply lost track of time. When he came back into the vicinity the officials where screaming at him to get his butt in the start house. I guess this is another reason why riders use trainers at the start area now.

Thanks! Seems so crazy to start with negative 2:40.

Thanks! Seems so crazy to start with negative 2:40.

Did he start?

In 1989 was the Prologue optional?

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.

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.

That's funny, I had never heard that. :)

If you watch that tour, there are a couple of times DelGado just looks Fignon and Lemond in the eye and attacks dropping them effortlessly in the mountains. I think he could have quite possible won a second TDF in a row if he had been on time in the Prologue. You are correct--Delgado's presence in the GC would have made for a much more competitive race.

Yep. He was out warming up and missed his start time.

I have the video at home.....talk about panic-stricken. Two days later he was getting dropped in the TTT.

Talk of Delgado reminds me of one of my favorite stages in the '92 TDF. In the last 5k of the final climb and finish into Chioccioli La Salève, Delgado, Roche and Rolf Jaermann had about 45 seconds on a very fragmented chase group.

Delgado drops back a few meters and it looks like he's going to be dropped. Suddenly he stands up and unleashes a vicious attack. Only Jaermann can stay with him. Delgado drags Rolf up the climb and again and again tries to drop the Swiss rider. He must have stood up and jumped five times but Jaermann cooly sat on his wheel and took the win.

I really loved Pedro's climbing style.

Talk of Delgado reminds me of one of my favorite stages in the '92 TDF. In the last 5k of the final climb and finish into Chioccioli La Salève, Delgado, Roche and Rolf Jaermann had about 45 seconds on a very fragmented chase group.

Delgado drops back a few meters and it looks like he's going to be dropped. Suddenly he stands up and unleashes a vicious attack. Only Jaermann can stay with him. Delgado drags Rolf up the climb and again and again tries to drop the Swiss rider. He must have stood up and jumped five times but Jaermann cooly sat on his wheel and took the win.

I really loved Pedro's climbing style.



That was an awesome day. If you look closely, you can see that as Perico dropped to the back of the group, he's shifted into the big dog, while Roche and Jaermann stayed in the 39....then BANG!

Deserved to win. Great attacking ride.


Jaermann.....goes close to the title of roughest head in the pro bunch. :D

[QUOTE=Laggard]
Delgado drops back a few meters and it looks like he's going to be dropped. Suddenly he stands up and unleashes a vicious attack. QUOTE]

Even Liggett was saying that he was cracking only to explode from the back, that's when Phil really got excited.

I thought the Roche/Delgado battle in '87 was classic. I'll never forget those two on La Plagne!

Yup. 87 was a brilliant Tour.

We need more 85km+ ITTs!!!

That day in '89 was one of the worst of my teenage years. My hero Perico was nowhere to be found at at the start gate! The way he desperately tried to make up time was so sad. Lemond erased a lot of the disappointment, but I still wonder how things would have gone otherwise. Remember the mountain stage (don't remember which) when Perico sent Rondon to the front to blow everybody up, Postal/Disco style? That was off the hook!

Being late to the prologue was more the fault of his director sportif. A rider warming up is in a world all his own. It's the managers' that need to keep up with the managing. That said, Lemond still beat Delgado in all the time trials and his margin of victory was still more than the amount Delgado lost being late.

You know..I thought it was interesting the way Delgado never gave up after missing his start time in the prologue. But he had won by something like 7 minutes the year before...so I guess he thought oh well...I'll just have to settle for winning by only 4 minutes this year. Surely that is what his director was telling him to keep him motivated and to keep him from giving up. That was the greatest tour ever! I really thought he had a chance to come back...right up until they arrived in Paris.

Reminds me of my friend, Bob Brooks, who arrived in Spokane for the '92 Masters Championships, specifically the ITT. On that day, Bob went out for a warm-up ride...I told him to return to the car at 12noon....Bob's start time was at 12:15...Bob left the area for his warmup at 11am...we synchronized watches. Other people came by and I got into conversations with them. Then I noticed it was 11:55am...no Bob. 12:00pm... No Bob. I start to worry. 12:05pm..I worry at a higher rate. 12:10pm...Still no Bob...I rationalize: Bob went directly to the Start area. At 12:15pm, my rationalization falls apart as Bob rolls up with a big smile on his face, ready to do his 40k...I tell him he's late...he can't believe it...turns out his digital watch died...Bob went back into his car, and drove back to California.