Laurent Fignon diagnosed with cancer

[brianagain]

http://www.lefigaro.fr/sport/2009/06/12/02001-20090612ARTFIG00328-laurent-fignon-atteint-d-un-cancer-avance-.php

Very sad to read that former Tour de France winner Laurent Fignon has been diagnosed with advanced intestinal cancer at the relatively young age of 48. He was a superb bike rider and one of the last French riders to actually win the TdF - in 1983 & 84. He was instantly recognisable with his blonde ponytail and glasses (back in the days when helmets were not compulsory) and is probably best remembered for the nail-biting finish to the 1989 TdF when he lost by 8 seconds to Greg Lemond on the Champs Elysee. I read that he only recently got married last year.

Brian (again)

[raindog]

"Fignon's diagnosis comes on the eve of the release of his book, "Nous

étions jeunes et insouciants" (We were young and carefree) in which he

reveals the use of performance-enhancing drugs during his career. He

admitted to taking amphetamines and cortisone, but said that his cancer

was not caused by his past doping.

"I candidly explained (to my doctors) what I had done in my career, and they said it can not be that. It would be too simple."

In these days of blood transfusions and EPO, this now sounds like an innocent age. Amazing he's come clean though. I wonder if anyone has ever won the Tour clean?

Also:

«pas honte de ce qu'(il a) fait. (...) J'ai fait le métier. Et dans notre métier, il y a la triche.»

"not ashamed of what I did" (refering to drug taking) "I did a job. In our job there is cheating"

Strange message to be sending out imo.

[brianagain]

[quote user="raindog"]

In these days of blood transfusions and EPO, this now sounds like an innocent age. Amazing he's come clean though. I wonder if anyone has ever won the Tour clean?

[/quote]

Blood doping and EPO probably became more widespread from the early 90s, culminating in the mess that was the Festina scandal in the 1998 Tour. Since then the governing body, the UCI, has completely failed to come to grips with the doping problem preferring, it seems, to sweep any problems under the carpet in order to "protect the reputation  of professional cycling". In my opinion Greg LeMond was the last "clean" rider of the Tour and that dates back 20 years now.

Laurent Fignon is now at least honest enough to admit his usage unlike many others who have since been caught - Britain's David Millar is at least one exception. In last night's interview on TF1, Fignon speaks about (recreational) cocaine usage at the Tour of Colombia, saying that as the race was organised by the drugs barons what else could you expect

Brian (again)

http://videos.tf1.fr/sept-a-huit/fignon-le-choc-4442116.html

[raindog]

Apparently he was offered EPO in 1993 but refused.

[brianagain]

Sadly Laurent Fignon died today. Even while commenting on last month's Tour de France on France2/3 he seemed as enthusiastic about the sport as ever, although it was obvious he was very ill. RIP Laurent.

Brian (again)

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2010/08/31/97001-20100831FILWWW00458-cyclisme-deces-de-laurent-fignon.php

[Dog]

Crumbs that was a nasty testicular cancer - surely it doesn't normally kill that quickly?

I had three friends that had this in their 30's one of these friends Doctors told him "It's really quite rare you are unlikely to ever meet anyone else with this".

They all worked in the same building???