French cycling great Laurent Fignon dies at 50
Two-time Tour de France champion Laurent Fignon has died of cancer at the age of 50
Former Tour de France champion Laurent Fignon has died of cancer at the age of 50, RadioShack’s team manager Alain Gallopin says.
The French rider won the Tour in 1983 and 1984, but famously lost the 1989 Tour to American Greg LeMond, who edged Fignon by just eight seconds, the narrowest margin ever.
Fignon’s book, “We Were Young and Carefree”, was published last year. In it, he described his terminal cancer and admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs but said he was unsure of whether they had caused the cancer.
“I love life, I love a good laugh, travel, books, good food. I’m a typical Frenchman. I’m not afraid of death, I just don’t want to die.” he told Paris-Match magazine in January.
Fignon worked as a French TV commentator for at the 2009 Tour.