1985 Tour de France

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Featured article Template:Use shortened footnotes Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox cycling race report

The 1985 Tour de France was the 72nd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours.Template:Sfn It took place between 28 June and 21 July. The course ran over Template:Convert and consisted of a prologue and 22 stages. The race was won by Bernard Hinault (riding for the Template:UCI team code team), who equalled the record by Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx of five overall victories. Second was Hinault's teammate Greg LeMond, ahead of Stephen Roche (Template:UCI team code).

Hinault won the race leader's yellow jersey on the first day, in the opening prologue time trial, but lost the lead to Eric Vanderaerden (Template:UCI team code) after stage 1 because of time bonuses. Hinault's teammate Kim Andersen then took over the yellow jersey following a successful breakaway on stage 4. Hinault regained the race lead after winning the time trial on stage 8, establishing a significant lead over his rivals. However, a crash on stage 14 into Saint-Étienne broke Hinault's nose, with congestion leading to bronchitis, which severely hampered his performances. Nonetheless, he was able to win the race overall ahead of teammate LeMond and Roche. For LeMond's assistance, Hinault publicly pledged to support LeMond for overall victory the following year. The large amount of time trials in this edition of the race was decisive for its outcome, leading to a decrease in time trial kilometres for subsequent Tours.

In the Tour's other classifications, Sean Kelly (Template:UCI team code) won a record-equalling third points classification. The mountains classification was won by Luis Herrera (Template:UCI team code). LeMond was the winner of the combination classification, Jozef Lieckens (Template:UCI team code) of the intermediate sprints classification, and Fabio Parra (Template:UCI team code) was the best debutant, winning the young rider classification. Template:UCI team code won both the team and team points classifications.

Teams

Template:Main

The organisers of the Tour, the Société du Tour de France, a subsidiary of the Amaury Group,Template:Sfn were free to select which teams they invited for the event.Template:Sfn 18 teams with 10 cyclists on each started the race, meaning a total of 180 cyclists, which was a record number at the time.<ref name="letour-start-list">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Of these, 67 were riding the Tour de France for the first time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The riders in the race had an average age of 26.76 years,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> ranging from the 20-year-old Miguel Induráin (Template:UCI team code) to the 38-year-old Lucien Van Impe (Template:UCI team code).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Template:UCI team code cyclists had the youngest average age while the riders on Template:UCI team code had the oldest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two former Tour winners, van Impe (who won in 1976) and Joop Zoetemelk of Template:UCI team code (who had won in 1980), both set a new record, by each starting in the race for the fifteenth time.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The teams entering the race were:<ref name="letour-start-list" />

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Pre-race favourites

Black-and-white photo of Hinault's face, smiling
Bernard Hinault (pictured in 1982) was the favourite for the overall victory, which was to be a record-equalling fifth.

Laurent Fignon (Template:UCI team code) had won the previous year's Tour de France, his second victory in a row, by a substantial margin of more than ten minutes ahead of Bernard Hinault (Template:UCI team code), a four-time winner of the Tour.Template:Sfn However, he was unable to defend his title, as an operation on an inflamed Achilles tendon left him sidelined.Template:Sfn According to Dutch newspaper Het Parool, Fignon missing the race was well received, considering that otherwise the race was expected to be as one-sided as the year before.<ref name="het parool_favs">Template:Cite news</ref>

In Fignon's absence, Hinault was considered the clear favourite to achieve his fifth overall victory,Template:Sfn which would draw him level with Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx for the record number of Tour de France wins.<ref name="het parool_favs"/><ref name="handelsblad">Template:Cite news</ref> Hinault himself commented ahead of the prologue: "If I sound sure of myself, it's because I am."Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Earlier in the year, he had won the Giro d'Italia.Template:Sfn Hinault's team had been significantly strengthened for 1985, with the signings of Steve Bauer, Kim Andersen, and Bernard Vallet. The biggest addition to Template:UCI team code's roster however was Greg LeMond. Having turned professional with Template:UCI team code alongside Hinault and Fignon in 1981, he had enjoyed a steady rise in the cycling world, including a win in the road world championship in 1983 and a third place in the previous year's Tour.Template:Sfn During that race, Template:UCI team code's team owner Bernard Tapie had approached LeMond, offering him the highest-paid contract in cycling history to set him up as a successor to Hinault.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn LeMond was therefore considered "the other choice as a possible winner".Template:Sfn LeMond himself stated that he would work for Hinault, but that he did not doubt that Hinault would do the same for him should he lose his chances.<ref name=interview_lemond>Template:Cite news</ref> Equally, Hinault declared before the start that either himself or LeMond would win.<ref name="hinaultorlemond">Template:Cite news</ref> The amount of individual time trials, four stages totaling Template:Convert, was considered in Hinault's favour, since he excelled at the discipline.<ref name="het parool_favs"/>Template:Sfn Due to the race start in Brittany, Hinault's home region and the large amount of time trialling, commentators jokingly referred to the edition as the "Tour de Hinault".<ref name="spiegel">Template:Cite news</ref>

The third highly ranked favourite was Phil Anderson (Template:UCI team code), who had just won both the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and Tour de Suisse, the most important preparation races for the Tour.<ref name="handelsblad"/><ref name="hinaultorlemond"/> Among the other favourites, there were mainly riders who were considered climbers, who ascended well up high mountains, but were inferior in time trials. These included Luis Herrera (Template:UCI team code), Robert Millar (Template:UCI team code),Template:Efn Peter Winnen (Template:UCI team code), and Pedro Delgado (Template:UCI team code).<ref name="het parool_favs"/> Other favourites included Ángel Arroyo (Template:UCI team code), Pedro Muñoz (Template:UCI team code), Claude Criquielion (Template:UCI team code),<ref name="het parool_favs"/> Stephen Roche (Template:UCI team code), and Sean Kelly (Template:UCI team code).<ref name="handelsblad"/> Kelly was ranked number one in the UCI Road World Rankings, after taking victory at Paris–Nice and winning three stages of the Vuelta a España.Template:Sfn His Irish compatriot Roche had displayed good form earlier in the year by winning the Critérium International and the Tour Midi-Pyrénées.Template:Sfn Charly Mottet (Template:UCI team code), winner of the Template:Lang, considered the junior Tour de France, in 1984, was considered an outside bet for his team in the absence of team leader Fignon, given his young age.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Route and stages

Photograph of a rising road leading to the summit of a mountain
Summit of the Col du Tourmalet, the highest point of elevation during the 1985 Tour

The 1985 Tour de France started on 28 June, and had one rest day, in Villard-de-Lans.Template:Sfn The race started in Brittany in North-West France, Hinault's home region, with a prologue time trial in Plumelec. The route then headed north towards Roubaix, then south-east to Lorraine, then south through the Vosges and Jura mountains into the Alps for stages 11 through 13.Template:Sfn From there, the Tour passed through the Massif Central en route to the Pyrenees for three high-mountain stages. After leaving the high mountains, the route moved north to Bordeaux, before travelling inland, with a time trial at Lac de Vassivière on the penultimate day, followed by a train transfer to Orléans for the final, ceremonial stage into Paris.Template:Sfn It was the first time since 1981 that the Tour was run clockwise around France.Template:Sfn The highest point of elevation in the race was Template:Convert at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet mountain pass on stage 17.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The 1985 Tour was the last one to contain split stages, where two stages on the same day had the same number and were distinguished by an "a" and "b". Until 1991, there were still two stages held on the same day, but given separate stage numbers.Template:Sfn It was also the first time that two mountain stages were held on the same day, stages 18a and 18b in the Pyrenees.Template:Sfn

Stage characteristics and winnersTemplate:Sfn<ref name="mdc1985">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="letour-stage-winners">Template:Cite web</ref>
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
P 28 June Plumelec Template:Convert Individual time trial Template:Flag athlete
1 29 June Vannes to Lanester Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
2 30 June Lorient to Vitre Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
3 1 July Vitre to Fougères Template:Convert Team time trial Template:Flag athlete
4 2 July Fougères to Pont-Audemer Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
5 3 July Neufchâtel-en-Bray to Roubaix Template:Convert Plain stage with cobblestones Template:Flag athlete
6 4 July Roubaix to Reims Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
7 5 July Reims to Nancy Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
8 6 July Sarrebourg to Strasbourg Template:Convert Individual time trial Template:Flag athlete
9 7 July Strasbourg to Épinal Template:Convert Hilly stage Template:Flag athlete
10 8 July Épinal to Pontarlier Template:Convert Hilly stage Template:Flag athlete
11 9 July Pontarlier to Morzine Avoriaz Template:Convert Stage with mountain(s) Template:Flag athlete
12 10 July Morzine Avoriaz to Lans-en-Vercors Template:Convert Stage with mountain(s) Template:Flag athlete
13 11 July Villard-de-Lans Template:Convert Individual time trial Template:Flag athlete
12 July Villard-de-Lans Rest day
14 13 July Autrans to Saint-Étienne Template:Convert Hilly stage Template:Flag athlete
15 14 July Saint-Étienne to Aurillac Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
16 15 July Aurillac to Toulouse Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
17 16 July Toulouse to Luz Ardiden Template:Convert Stage with mountain(s) Template:Flag athlete
18a 17 July Luz-Saint-Sauveur to Aubisque Template:Convert Stage with mountain(s) Template:Flag athlete
18b Laruns to Pau Template:Convert Stage with mountain(s) Template:Flag athlete
19 18 July Pau to Bordeaux Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
20 19 July Montpon-Ménestérol to Limoges Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
21 20 July Lac de Vassivière Template:Convert Individual time trial Template:Flag athlete
22 21 July Orléans to Paris (Champs-Élysées) Template:Convert Plain stage Template:Flag athlete
Total Template:ConvertTemplate:Sfn

Classification leadership and minor prizes

There were several classifications in the 1985 Tour de France, six of them awarding jerseys to their leaders.Template:Sfn The most important was the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey; the winner of this classification is considered the winner of the Tour.Template:Sfn There were two ways to gain time bonuses, which subtracted seconds from a rider's overall time. One was at stage finishes, where the first three riders across the line received 30, 20, and 10 seconds bonus respectively. The split stage 18 awarded full-time bonuses for each of its two legs.Template:Sfn Secondly, riders were able to gain 10, 6, and 3 seconds bonus for the first three to cross the line at intermediate sprints. Unlike the previous year, where these were only given out during flat stages, the time bonuses at intermediate sprints were awarded during every road stage of the 1985 Tour.Template:Sfn

Additionally, there was a points classification, where cyclists were given points for finishing among the best in a stage finish. The cyclist with the most points led the classification, and was identified with a green jersey.Template:Sfn The system for the points classification was changed for the 1985 Tour: in previous years, more points were earned in flat stages than in mountain stages, which gave sprinters an advantage in this classification; while in 1985, all stages gave 25 points for the winner, down to 1 point for 25th place.<ref name="kbnl">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn Unlike in many other years, between 1984 and 1986, intermediate sprints did not award points for this classification.Template:Sfn Sean Kelly won the classification for a record-equalling third time.Template:Sfn His 434 points were 69.4% of the maximum possible amount obtainable, a record Template:Asof.Template:Sfn

There was also a mountains classification. The points system for the classification was changed: mountains in the toughest categories gave more points, to reduce the influence of the minor hills on this classification.<ref name="kbnl" /> The organisation had categorised some climbs as either hors catégorie, first, second, third, or fourth-category; points for this classification were won by the first cyclists that reached the top of these climbs first, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs.Template:Sfn Hors catégorie climbs awarded 40 points to the first rider across, down to 1 point for the 15th rider. First-category mountains awarded 30 points to the first rider to reach the top, with the other three categories awarding 20, 7, and 4 points respectively to the first man across the summit.Template:Sfn The cyclist with the most points led the classification, and wore a white jersey with red polka dots.Template:Sfn Luis Herrera won the mountains classification.Template:Sfn

Multi-coloured cycling jersey on an upper-body mannequin
The 1985 Tour de France combination classification jersey won by Greg LeMond

The combination jersey for the combination classification was introduced in this year's Tour.<ref name="kbnl" /> This classification was calculated as a combination of the other classifications:Template:Sfn a first place in one of the classifications awarded 25 points, down to 1 point for 25th place. Only the general, mountains, points, and intermediate sprint classifications were included here.Template:Sfn The winner of this classification was Greg LeMond.Template:Sfn

Another classification was the young rider classification. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders that rode the Tour for the first time were eligible, and the leader wore a white jersey.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The winner of this classification was Fabio Parra, who finished in eighth place in the general classification.Template:Sfn

The sixth individual classification was the intermediate sprints classification. This classification had similar rules as the points classification, but only awarded points at intermediate sprints. Its leader wore a red jersey.Template:Sfn The intermediate sprints awarded more points the more the Tour progressed, from 3, 2, and 1 points for the first three riders across during stages 1 to 5 to 12, 8, and 4 points respectively during the last five stages.Template:Sfn The classification was won by Jozef Lieckens (Template:UCI team code).<ref name="elmend"/>

For the team classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added; the leading team was the team with the lowest total time. The riders in the team that led this classification were identified by yellow caps.Template:Sfn There was also a team points classification. Cyclists received points according to their finishing position on each stage, with the first rider receiving one point. The first three finishers of each team had their points combined, and the team with the fewest points led the classification. The riders of the team leading this classification wore green caps.Template:Sfn Template:UCI team code led both classifications after the prologue as well as from stage 8 until the finish.Template:Sfn

In addition, there was a combativity award, in which a jury composed of journalists gave points after each mass-start stage to the cyclist they considered most combative. The split stages each had a combined winner.Template:Sfn At the conclusion of the Tour, Maarten Ducrot won the overall super-combativity award, also decided by journalists.Template:Sfn The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col du Tourmalet on stage 17. This prize was won by Pello Ruiz Cabestany.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The 1985 Tour was the last to feature what was called "flying stages", introduced in 1977: on stages 4 and 11, there was a finish line at the midway point of the course, which was treated as a stage finish but the race continued uninterrupted afterwards. Kim Andersen was the first to cross the line on stage 4, while Eric Vanderaerden took the honours on stage 11. They received the same prizes as regular stage winners, including prize money, time bonuses and points for the points classification, but the times were not taken for the general classification. Officially, they were also supposed to be counted as stage victories, but the public did not accept the concept and both are today not included in stage winner statistics. The idea was scrapped the following year.Template:Sfn

In total, the Tour organisers paid out 3,003,050 French francs in prize money, with 40,000 and an apartment valued at 120,000 francs given to the winner of the general classification.Template:Sfn

Classification leadership table<ref name="antwerpen-final-table">Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn<ref name="tdf-statistics">Template:Cite web</ref>
Stage Stage winner General classification
 Points classification
File:Jersey green.svg 		Mountains classification
File:Jersey polkadot.svg 		Young rider classification
File:Jersey white.svg 		Combination classification
File:Jersey combined.svg 		Intermediate sprints classification
File:Jersey red.svg 		Team classifications Combativity award
By time By points
P Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault Steve Bauer Bernard Hinault no award Template:UCI team code Template:UCI team code no award
1 Rudy Matthijs Eric Vanderaerden Eric Vanderaerden Maarten Ducrot Eric Vanderaerden Maarten Ducrot Template:UCI team code Maarten Ducrot
2 Rudy Matthijs Eric Vanderaerden Marc Gomez
3 Template:UCI team code no award
4 Gerrit Solleveld Kim Andersen Adri van der Poel Kim Andersen Sean Kelly Template:UCI team code Hennie Kuiper
5 Henri Manders Eric Vanderaerden Template:UCI team code Teun van Vliet
6 Francis Castaing Kim Andersen Template:UCI team code Jørgen V. Pedersen
7 Ludwig Wijnants Eric Vanderaerden Template:UCI team code Luis Herrera
8 Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault Sean Kelly Sean Kelly Template:UCI team code no award
9 Maarten Ducrot Luis Herrera Greg LeMond René Bittinger
10 Jørgen V. Pedersen Dominique Arnaud
11 Luis Herrera Bernard Hinault
12 Fabio Parra Jozef Lieckens Eduardo Chozas
13 Eric Vanderaerden no award
14 Luis Herrera Luis Herrera
15 Eduardo Chozas Eduardo Chozas
16 Frédéric Vichot Frédéric Vichot
17 Pedro Delgado Fabio Parra Pello Ruiz Cabestany
18a Stephen Roche Sean Kelly Álvaro Pino
18b Régis Simon
19 Eric Vanderaerden Eduardo Chozas
20 Johan Lammerts Ludo Peeters
21 Greg LeMond Greg LeMond no award
22 Rudy Matthijs Marc Madiot
Final Bernard Hinault Sean Kelly Template:Font color Fabio Parra Greg LeMond Template:Font color Template:UCI team code Template:UCI team code Maarten Ducrot

Race overview

Template:Main

Photograph of Sean Kelly in black-and-white cycling uniform riding on his racing bicycle
Sean Kelly won the points classification for a record-equalling third time.

Opening stages

Hinault laid down a claim towards his fifth Tour victory immediately by winning the prologue time trial. LeMond suffered mechanical issues, as a jammed chain slowed him in the final section of the course. He nevertheless finished fifth, 21 seconds behind Hinault.Template:Sfn Eric Vanderaerden was second, four seconds slower than Hinault, ahead of Roche in third place.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Alfons De Wolf (Template:UCI team code) arrived five minutes late for his start and then lost another two minutes to Hinault, eliminating him from the race before reaching the first stage proper due to having missed the time limit.Template:Sfn

Rudy Matthijs (Template:UCI team code) won the first stage from a bunch sprint, ahead of Vanderaerden, who with the help of time bonuses took over the race leader's yellow jersey. Maarten Ducrot (Template:UCI team code) had gone on a Template:Convert solo breakaway and held a maximum lead of 16 minutes, but was caught with Template:Convert to go.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ángel Arroyo, who won second place in 1983, abandoned the race after just Template:Convert into the first stage.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Matthijs made it two stage wins in a row on the second stage, this time coming out on top in a sprint ahead of Sean Kelly.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:UCI team code won the stage 3 team time trial by over a minute ahead of the next-best team. Their team coach, Paul Köchli, had made the decision to fit faster wheels to the slower riders, balancing out the performance of the squad.Template:Sfn While Vanderaerden held on to the yellow jersey courtesy of the time bonuses he had collected earlier, the eight riders behind him on general classification came from Template:UCI team code.Template:Sfn Hinault, however, was bothered by the large amount of reporters and photographers behind the finish line, punching one of them on the chin.Template:Sfn Stage 4 saw the first successful breakaway, with a seven-rider group finishing 46 seconds ahead of the main field. While Gerrit Solleveld (Template:UCI team code) won the stage, Kim Andersen took the overall lead for Template:UCI team code.Template:Sfn Future five-time Tour winner Miguel Induráin abandoned during stage 4.Template:Sfn

Stage 5 into Roubaix, which featured some cobbled roads, was won by Henri Manders (Template:UCI team code). He had been in a breakaway with Teun van Vliet (Template:UCI team code), who had done most of the work on the front, before Manders left him about Template:Convert before the finish when van Vliet developed spasms in his legs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Stage 6 saw a controversial sprint finish in Reims. During the sprint, Kelly and Vanderaerden pushed against each other, forcing Kelly towards the barriers. Vanderaerden crossed the line first and received the stage honours and the yellow jersey on the podium. Later however, the race jury decided to relegate both Kelly and Vanderaerden to the back of their group in the stage results, giving the stage victory to Francis Castaing (Template:UCI team code), while Andersen kept the race lead. LeMond, who had mixed himself into the sprint, was raised from fourth to second, giving him a twenty-second time bonus. This allowed him to move into third place in the general classification, two seconds ahead of Hinault.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn With Template:Convert raced into stage 7, an eight-rider group attacked, including Ludwig Wijnants (Template:UCI team code), but were brought back Template:Convert later. Luis Herrera was active later in the stage, establishing a breakaway after Template:Convert. From this group, Wijnants, again in the breakaway, attacked with Template:Convert to go. Just as Herrera brought him back Template:Convert later, Wijnants attacked again to claim the stage win.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Vosges and Jura

Stage 8 saw the first long individual time trial of the Tour. At Template:Convert, it was the longest individual time trial in the Tour since 1960.Template:Sfn Bernard Hinault won the stage by a high margin, with second-placed Roche 2:20 minutes slower.Template:Sfn Hinault even caught and passed Sean Kelly, who had started two minutes ahead of him, and proceeded to gain another minute on him. Third was Mottet, ahead of LeMond, who lost 2:34 minutes to Hinault.Template:Sfn While Hinault regained the race lead, LeMond was now his closest challenger, 2:32 minutes behind on the general classification, with Anderson and Roche already almost four minutes behind.Template:Sfn Dietrich Thurau (Template:UCI team code) was given a one-minute time penalty for drafting behind Mottet.Template:Efn Angry at the decision, Thurau physically attacked the judge who had handed out the penalty, grabbing him by the throat, and was subsequently ejected from the race on stage 10.<ref name=spiegel/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Efn

The next stage to Épinal was won by Maarten Ducrot, 38 seconds ahead of René Bittinger (Template:UCI team code). Jeronimo Ibañez Escribano (Template:UCI team code) was taken to the hospital, following a crash Template:Convert from the finish.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On stage 10, Jørgen V. Pedersen won the day for Template:UCI team code in a sprint finish, beating Johan Lammerts (Template:UCI team code). Hinault finished 15th and retained his lead in the overall standings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Paul Sherwen (Template:UCI team code) was involved in a crash just Template:Convert into the stage and suffered throughout, reaching the finish more than an hour behind Pedersen. Since he arrived so late, he had to traverse in between spectators who thought no more riders would come across the route. He was well outside the time limit, but the race jury, against the advice of the race director, decided to allow him to start the next stage, naming his "courage" after his early fall as the reason for their decision.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn

Alps

Photograph of Roche from the front, wearing a blue-and-white cycling uniform and riding a racing bicycle
Stephen Roche (pictured at the 1993 Tour de France) finished the Tour third overall.

The race entered the high mountains on stage 11 with the first leg in the Alps to Avoriaz. The route crossed the summits of the Pas de Morgins and Le Corbier before arriving in Morzine for the final ascent. Hinault strengthened his claim on the overall victory by escaping early with Luis Herrera, who by now was too far down in the general classification to be a threat. Instead, Herrera collected the points for the mountains classification, a lead which he would hold until the end of the race. Herrera also won the stage, seven seconds ahead of Hinault. LeMond lost 1:41, coming in fifth in a group with Delgado and Fabio Parra (Template:UCI team code). Hinault's lead therefore increased to exactly four minutes on second-placed LeMond in the overall standings.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Even though stage 12 featured seven categorised climbs, it saw no changes on the top of the general classification,Template:Sfn as Parra and Herrera fought out the victory between teammates. This time, it was Parra who emerged the winner, on the same time as Herrera. Kelly and Niki Rüttimann (Template:UCI team code) followed 38 seconds down, one second ahead of the group containing the other favourites, led home by Roche.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the stage, Joël Pelier (Template:UCI team code), riding his first Tour, had followed Herrera, thinking he was joining a breakaway, not realising that Herrera was only sprinting for mountain points. Hinault, who was generally accepted as the patron, meaning the most influential rider, was unhappy with the acceleration in the field, as he wanted the tempo to remain slow. This led to an altercation between the two, with Hinault riding up to Pelier and to complain.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Efn

Weakened by his attacking riding style over the previous days, Hinault placed only second in the mountain time trial to Villard-de-Lans, about a minute behind Vanderaerden. Yet, his advantage over LeMond, who again had mechanical issues, increased to 5:23 minutes on the general classification.Template:Sfn Roche lost 16 seconds to Hinault, Anderson 24 seconds and Kelly 35 seconds. Roche remained the closest competitor to the Template:UCI team code duo, sitting third overall, 6:08 minutes behind Hinault, with Kelly fourth, at 6:35 minutes. Anderson was sixth, behind Bauer.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Transition through Massif Central

Following the only rest day of the Tour, stage 14 took the riders to Saint-Étienne in the Massif Central. The stage, following a hilly route, saw Luis Herrera attack again and gain more points for the mountains classification. Although he crashed on the final descent of the day, he prevailed to reach the finish line first, soaked in blood, 47 seconds ahead of a small group of riders containing LeMond.<ref name=stage14>Template:Cite news</ref> Hinault followed in a group almost two minutes later. As they approached the finish, Bauer's rear wheel hit a piece of traffic furniture. As his bike moved sideways, it touched Anderson's, who crashed and brought down Hinault with him. The latter suffered a broken nose, but was able to finish the stage. As the accident had occurred within the final kilometre, the time he lost in the crash was not counted. However, Hinault rode the rest of the Tour with a stitched nose and two black eyes, caused by his sunglasses breaking when he fell.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn As a result of LeMond finishing ahead of him, Hinault's overall lead was cut down to 3:32 minutes.<ref name=stage14/>

Stage 15 was another transition stage. Hennie Kuiper (Template:UCI team code), winner of Milan–San Remo earlier in the year, did not take the start. Pedro Muñoz abandoned the race after Template:Convert. Jean-Claude Bagot (Template:UCI team code) escaped on the third climb of the day, after Template:Convert. After he was recaptured, another attack went, containing Joël Pelier. Hinault, suffering from his injuries, was unhappy with the accelerations and brought the escape group back himself, not least due to the participation of Pelier. After Template:Convert, Eduardo Chozas (Template:UCI team code) attacked on a downhill section and managed to get away from the field. By the time he crossed the summit of the Col d'Entremont after Template:Convert, his lead had increased to over ten minutes. With Template:Convert left to ride, the gap had increased to over 11 minutes, while Ludo Peeters (Template:UCI team code) escaped from the main field. At the finish, Chozas took victory, 9:51 minutes ahead of Peeters, who just held off the group of favourites, led by Kelly. Hinault retained the race lead, while Chozas rose to seventh overall.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Another stage with minor categorised climbs followed the next day. Frédéric Vichot (Template:UCI team code) broke clear of the field after Template:Convert, building a maximum lead of more than twenty minutes. As he approached the finish, his advantage decreased significantly, but he won the stage, 3:12 minutes ahead of Mottet and Bontempi, as Hinault remained the leader of the race overall.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Pyrenees

Template:Quote box Congestion in his broken nose had led to bronchitis for Hinault, severely impacting his ability to perform. He was therefore weakened as the race entered the Pyrenees on stage 17. On the Col du Tourmalet, Template:UCI team code set a high tempo, putting Hinault into difficulty. Pedro Delgado later recalled that he saw Hinault yelling at Herrera, at which point he decided to attack.Template:Sfn With Delgado went Roche and LeMond, as well as Parra. Early leader Pello Ruiz Cabestany (Template:UCI team code) led over the top of the Tourmalet, 1:18 minutes ahead of Delgado, followed by LeMond, Roche, and Parra two minutes down.<ref name="stage17esp">Template:Cite news</ref> As they approached the final ascent to Luz Ardiden, LeMond and Roche were in front. LeMond asked his team car about the gap to Hinault. Koechli told LeMond that Hinault was only 45 seconds behind him and that he was not allowed to work with Roche, in order not to endanger Template:UCI team code standing first and second on the general classification. He was told to hold station or attack and distance Roche. The latter heard the conversation between LeMond and his team car and remained alert, leading to both cancelling each other out and allowing other riders to catch back up. When LeMond saw that Hinault was not among them, he began to suspect that the gap he had been told was not correct.Template:Sfn Delgado attacked from the main group and won the stage. LeMond eventually finished fifth, 2:52 minutes behind, and gained little over a minute on Hinault.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn At the finish, LeMond was visibly angry when interviewed by American television, saying that he felt betrayed by his team of a chance to win the Tour.Template:Sfn In the general classification, Hinault remained in front, with LeMond 2:25 minutes behind.Template:Sfn Views on the stage differ. LeMond describes how he was ready to quit the Tour that night, being severely disappointed by his team's refusal to let him work with Roche in order to win the Tour. Hinault meanwhile maintains that there were no bad feelings inside Template:UCI team code during the 1985 Tour and that it was a clear case of not attacking a teammate who has the race lead.Template:Sfn Later the same day, team owner Tapie and Hinault convinced LeMond to continue riding by assuring him that the year after, Hinault would work for LeMond.Template:Sfn LeMond emerged from the meeting with a different public statement, telling the press that he got carried away after the finish and that he would continue to work for Hinault.Template:Sfn

Stage 18a, which was held in the morning, had a summit finish on the Col d'Aubisque. Roche attacked on the final ascent and won the stage, taking one-and-a-half minutes out of Hinault's lead.Template:Sfn According to LeMond, Hinault was suffering so badly this time that LeMond had to push his teammate in order to conserve the race lead.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Stage 18b in the afternoon was won by Roche's Template:UCI team code teammate Régis Simon, who beat Álvaro Pino (Template:UCI team code) in a two-man sprint to the finish line.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the two split stages, Hinault's lead over LeMond stood at 2:13 minutes, with Roche in third, 3:30 minutes behind.Template:Sfn

Final stages

LeMond's head shown from the side, wearing a cycling jersey with a towel wrapped around his shoulders
Greg LeMond (pictured at the 1989 Tour de France) finished in second place overall to his teammate Hinault.

With only one time trial to come, victory appeared all but secure for Hinault. Speaking to journalist Samuel Abt of The New York Times, five-time Tour winner Anquetil declared that he and Merckx would "accept him in our club with pleasure".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Stage 19 to Bordeaux remained uneventful until about Template:Convert to the finish, when several riders tried, but failed, to escape. The race then settled for a bunch sprint, won by Vanderaerden ahead of Kelly by a very small margin. It was the first time during this Tour that the entire field, still 145 riders strong, reached the finish together.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The following day, Johan Lammerts achieved the third stage victory for the Template:UCI team code team. He had broken away with four other riders with Template:Convert to go and went clear of them Template:Convert from the finish to win by 21 seconds ahead of Andersen. LeMond gained several seconds through bonuses at intermediate sprints, closing the gap to Hinault to 1:59 minutes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On the penultimate day of the Tour, stage 21 saw the final time trial, around Lac de Vassivière near Limoges. LeMond did not incur any mechanical difficulties this time and won the stage, five seconds faster than Hinault. It was not only the first stage win for LeMond, but the first for a rider from the United States.Template:Sfn After the stage, LeMond said: "Now I know I can beat Hinault. I know I can win the Tour de France."Template:Sfn Third place went to Anderson, who finished 31 seconds slower than LeMond, with Kelly in fourth, 54 seconds adrift, five seconds faster than Roche.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The final stage into Paris was, per tradition, a ceremonial affair, with no attacks to alter the general classification.Template:Sfn In the final sprint, Rudy Matthijs took his third stage victory,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with Sean Kelly finishing in second place for the fifth time during this Tour.Template:Sfn Hinault finished safely in the field to win his fifth Tour de France,Template:Sfn putting him equal with Anquetil and Merckx as record winner of the event, as well as securing his second Giro-Tour double, winning both races in the same year.Template:Sfn During the final stage, Pedro Delgado used the small categorised climbs along the route to move past Robert Millar into second place in the mountains classification, ensuring his team the prize money that went with it.Template:SfnTemplate:Efn

Hinault's final victory margin over LeMond was 1:42 minutes.Template:Sfn Roche rounded out the podium in third place, 4:29 minutes behind. His compatriot Kelly finished fourth overall, at 6:26 minutes, ahead of Anderson.Template:Sfn Five teams finished the Tour with all ten riders still in the race: Template:UCI team code, Template:UCI team code, Template:UCI team code, Template:UCI team code, and Template:UCI team code.Template:Sfn

Final standings

Legend
Jersey colour Classification Jersey colour Classification
Error creating thumbnail: Denotes the winner of the general classification A green jersey. Denotes the winner of the points classification
A white jersey with red polka dots. Denotes the winner of the mountains classification A white jersey. Denotes the winner of the young rider classification
A multi-coloured jersey. Denotes the winner of the combination classification A red jersey. Denotes the winner of the intermediate sprints classification

General classification

Final general classification (1–10)<ref name="elmend"/><ref name="ld"/><ref name="letour-class-final">Template:Cite web</ref>
Rank Rider Team Time
1 Template:Flag athlete Error creating thumbnail: Template:UCI team code 113h 24' 23"
2 Template:Flag athlete A multi-coloured jersey. Template:UCI team code + 1' 42"
3 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 4' 29"
4 Template:Flag athlete A green jersey. Template:UCI team code + 6' 26"
5 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 7' 44"
6 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 11' 53"
7 Template:Flag athlete A white jersey with red polka dots. Template:UCI team code + 12' 53"
8 Template:Flag athlete A white jersey. Template:UCI team code + 13' 35"
9 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 13' 56"
10 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 14' 57"

Template:Columns-start

Points classification

Final points classification (1–10)<ref name="ld">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="elmend">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="het-parool-results">Template:Cite news</ref>
Rank Rider Team Points
1 Template:Flag athlete A green jersey. Template:UCI team code 434
2 Template:Flag athlete A multi-coloured jersey. Template:UCI team code 332
3 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 279
4 Template:Flag athlete Error creating thumbnail: Template:UCI team code 266
5 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 258
6 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 244
7 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 199
8 Template:Flag athlete A white jersey with red polka dots. Template:UCI team code 195
9 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 192
10 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 156

Template:Column

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10)<ref name="elmend"/><ref name="het-parool-results" />
Rank Rider Team Points
1 Template:Flag athlete A white jersey with red polka dots. Template:UCI team code 440
2 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 274
3 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 270
4 Template:Flag athlete A multi-coloured jersey. Template:UCI team code 214
5 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 190
6 Template:Flag athlete Error creating thumbnail: Template:UCI team code 165
7 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 136
8 Template:Flag athlete A white jersey. Template:UCI team code 133
9 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 130
10 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 113

Template:Columns-end Template:Columns-start

Young rider classification

Final young rider classification (1–10)<ref name="elmend"/><ref name="ld"/><ref name="het-parool-results" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rank Rider Team Time
1 Template:Flag athlete A white jersey. Template:UCI team code 113h 37' 58"
2 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 21"
3 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 1' 22"
4 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 4' 10"
5 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 8' 00"
6 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 25' 41"
7 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 26' 03"
8 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 29' 22"
9 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 32' 18"
10 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 32' 37"

Template:Column

Combination classification

Final combination classification (1–10)<ref name="elmend"/><ref name="het-parool-results" />
Rank Rider Team Points
1 Template:Flag athlete A multi-coloured jersey. Template:UCI team code 91
2 Template:Flag athlete A green jersey. Template:UCI team code 85
3 Template:Flag athlete Error creating thumbnail: Template:UCI team code 76
4 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 63
5 Template:Flag athlete A white jersey with red polka dots. Template:UCI team code 62
6 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 60
7 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 57
8 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 56
9 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 51
10 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 47

Template:Columns-end Template:Columns-start

Intermediate sprints classification

Final intermediate sprints classification (1–10)<ref name="elmend"/><ref name="het-parool-results" /><ref name="ld" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Rank Rider Team Points
1 Template:Flag athlete A red jersey. Template:UCI team code 162
2 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 67
3 Template:Flag athlete A green jersey. Template:UCI team code 59
4 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 54
5 Template:Flag athlete A multi-coloured jersey. Template:UCI team code 51
6 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 47
7 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 38
8 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 32
9 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 32
10 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code 26

Template:Column

Team classification

Final team classification (1–10)<ref name="elmend"/><ref name="het-parool-results" />
Rank Team Time
1 Template:UCI team code 340h 21' 09"
2 Template:UCI team code + 27' 10"
3 Template:UCI team code + 40' 54"
4 Template:UCI team code + 46' 51"
5 Template:UCI team code + 53' 57"
6 Template:UCI team code + 1h 05' 24"
7 Template:UCI team code + 1h 11' 28"
8 Template:UCI team code + 1h 25' 42"
9 Template:UCI team code + 1h 26' 54"
10 Template:UCI team code + 1h 30' 18"

Template:Columns-end

Team points classification

Final team points classification (1–10)<ref name="elmend"/><ref name="het-parool-results" />
Rank Team Points
1 Template:UCI team code 1095
2 Template:UCI team code 1268
3 Template:UCI team code 1475
4 Template:UCI team code 1579
5 Template:UCI team code 1727
6 Template:UCI team code 1802
7 Template:UCI team code 1832
8 Template:UCI team code 1858
9 Template:UCI team code 2461
10 Template:UCI team code 2471

Aftermath

Photograph of Hinault, taken from the side and from further distance, wearing a yellow jersey while riding up a mountain
Bernard Hinault (pictured in 1986) pledged to support Greg LeMond for overall victory during the 1986 Tour de France.

Hinault reiterated his promise to work for LeMond the following year several times during the final part of the 1985 Tour. Following the time trial on the penultimate day, he publicly stated in an interview with French cycling magazine Miroir du Cyclisme: "I'll stir things up to help Greg win, and I'll have fun doing it. That's a promise."Template:Sfn On the victory podium in Paris, he leaned over to LeMond, telling him: "Next year, it's you", repeating the pledge again during the celebration dinner of Template:UCI team code that same evening.Template:Sfn Public opinion saw Hinault and LeMond as good friends. The sports newspaper L'Équipe ran a cartoon on the day of the final stage, showing Hinault on a bicycle and LeMond next to him on a child's scooter, with Hinault saying "Because you've been so good, I'll take you along next year on my handlebars", to which LeMond replied: "Thanks, Uncle Bernard."Template:Sfn LeMond's first Tour victory the following year did not come as easily as these pledges and jokes indicated. Hinault attacked several times during the 1986 Tour de France, only conceding defeat after the last time trial.Template:Sfn LeMond was frustrated with the apparent unwillingness by Hinault to honour the deal, saying: "He made promises to me he never intended to keep. He made them just to relieve the pressure on himself."Template:Sfn The rivalry between Hinault and LeMond in both the 1985 and 1986 Tours was subject of the documentary Slaying the Badger, part of ESPN's series 30 for 30. Based on the book by the same name by journalist Richard Moore, it premiered on 22 July 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In previous years, cyclists tied their shoes to their pedals with toe-clips, allowing them to not only push the pedals down but also pull them up. In 1985, Hinault used clip-ins (clipless pedals), which allowed the shoes to snap into the pedal. His victory in this Tour made these clip-ins popular.Template:Sfn

There was some criticism that the time trials were too important. If the time trials would have not counted towards the general classification, the result would have been as follows:

General classification without counting the time trial stages<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Rank Name Team Time gap
1 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code
2 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 16"
3 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 2' 28"
4 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 2' 52"
5 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 4' 22"
6 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 4' 27"
7 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 4' 32"
8 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 4' 47"
9 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 6' 21"
10 Template:Flag athlete Template:UCI team code + 6' 55"

The total length of the time trials reduced from Template:Convert in 1985 to Template:Convert in 1986.<ref name="mdc1986">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Failed verification Tour director Félix Lévitan felt after the 1985 Tour de France that the race had been too easy and made the course in 1986 extra difficult, including more mountain climbs than before.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

This was the last year that the Tour de France was actively managed by Jacques Goddet, who had taken over as race director from the race's founder, Henri Desgrange, in 1936.Template:Sfn

Doping

After every stage, around four cyclists were selected for doping controls. None of these cyclists tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Sfn After the end of the Tour, world champion Claude Criquielion, who had finished 18th overall, was involved in a doping controversy. At the national championship race before the Tour, he had tested positive for Pervitin, but received no repercussions. The head of the laboratory at Ghent University, which had administered the analysis, subsequently resigned his post in the Medical Commission of the Belgian Cycling Association (KBWB) in protest.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Bibliography

Template:Refbegin

Template:Refend

Further reading

Template:Refbegin

Template:Refend

Template:1985 Super Prestige Pernod International Template:Tour de France Template:Cycling stage recaps Template:Tour de France general classification winners

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=1985_Tour_de_France&oldid=622346"