The death of the double Tour de France winner Laurent Fignon yesterday from cancer at the age of 50 drew tributes from right across French society and sport, from the president Nicolas Sarkozy to his former literature teacher, the organisers of the Tour itself, and former rivals such as the five-times winner Bernard Hinault. As an honest man who never flinched from self-criticism, Fignon would have smiled wryly at such a public farewell.

An almost painfully private man, Fignon was defined – very much against his will – by the very public way in which he lost the 1989 Tour de France, a race which is still widely considered the greatest in the event’s 107-year history.

He lost by just eight seconds in the final stage, the Tour’s narrowest margin, to the American Greg LeMond after beginning the 24.5km time trial to the Champs-Elysées with a lead that seemed comfortable. He was never quite the same athlete again, and for years he was unwilling to go back to the scene of the defeat.

Nearly 16 years after quitting professional cycling to work initially as an event organiser and later as a television summariser, Fignon had announced in spring 2009 that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer which had spread to his intestinal tract.

He reported on the 2009 Tour de France for French television in between sessions of chemotherapy and returned to the race this summer to commentate when his strength permitted. He was admitted to hospital two weeks ago suffering from pulmonary complications.

“He fought to the end,” said his close friend, his former masseur Alain Gallopin, now a manager at Lance Armstrong’s Radioshack team.

“[Monday] morning, we could feel he was still fighting, he was asking for information about his treatment. Then his state worsened and he slipped away. For a year and a half a lot of different cures have been tried but none has worked.”

Fignon was expected to take a place among the greats of the sport such as Eddy Merckx and Hinault when he dominated the 1984 Tour de France in the most crushing style, taking five stages and finishing over 14 minutes ahead of the “Badger” who had been absent when Fignon rode to his first Tour win a year earlier. “I will win five or six, and then I’ll quit,” he said afterwards. But instead the Parisian spent the rest of his career attempting to regain his old form after achilles tendon operations in spring and autumn 1985.

There were sporadic triumphs, such as a meticulously planned and executed brace of victories in the Milan-San Remo Classic in 1988 and 1989, and the 1989 Giro d’Italia. But his autobiography published in France last year made it clear that after his two years of grace, he fought a painful battle against the limits of his body. Fignon’s book spared no one – including some of those who paid tribute yesterday – but least of all himself, as he admitted to doping during his career with cortisone and amphetamines.

I mean we get it, your life is a non-stop time trial to the record store and the coffee shop… Anyway that being said check out these fresh disc wheels:

Colnago Italia ‘90 Mountain Bike-steel and lugged ((ofmega cranks, shimano shifters,brakes and hubs, ambrosia offroad rims, Ital manubri bars, seatpost, and stem (with “formula” ferrari logo) colnago saddle)) Cost: One landlords book.

Huffy girls bmx, Bob Jackson touring, Schröeder touring, Matsuri keirin

… well at least two of us are. New flicks tomorrow including ‘90 Colnago MTB, and more.

This Guy is for real, check his site,buy his team kit, check his flix HERE

Brian from SF hooked us up with some cool ebay auctions and pictures.

Zo Bag/Reality TV guy Auctions:
Puck, an early cast member from an MTV reality house show, is selling a lot of his stuff on ebay. Here’s two standout items.


Zo T-Shirt with Label Sewed on Front

I like where this guy is staying. It looks real mellow with all that wood and palm trees. I bet its cool to smoke a joint in that cabana backyard.

This is a early zo bag, probably a high-priced finish for this. (will trade for one LL book)

In this picture you can see there’s a pool behind the fence. Damn man, you made it. Also notice the tag on the fence post. (I wonder if Brian gets a percentage of the puck auctions?)

Some pictures:

More tomorrow.

but you can still get down with something like this ibis. There’s a couple good italian mtb’s on the website that picture is from:
mombat.org