1988 Paris Roubaix Finish

[chris14091975]

to lose to a plastic bag sucks

[dachicagoan]

These are one of the classic races I never understood. What is the point of taking road cyclists and making them ride through mud-strewn cobblestone paths? All the while with no additional protective gear and using road bikes rather than bikes better suited for the terrain?

[gdkzen]

@dachicagoan Tradition. There's an organization devoted to making sure that those cobbled roads remain in their standard/substandard condition.

These days, the riders use very different equipment for the cobbled classics than they would for smoother surfaces. Also, you are required to wear at least a helmet these days (UCI rules).

[dachicagoan]

@gdkzen oh ok, that explains it.

[UnivegaSuperSport]

at 2:20 Phil says, "The prospect of an unknown winning..." Well, they remain unknowns to viewers for quite a while since he fails to even mention one of their names until five minutes into the video. It's a bad habit of focusing on the story that was expected while ignoring the story that's unfolding.

[pave4velo]

The Velodrome went through renovations for a few years. That is why they didn't finish inside the Velodrome

[chtisammy]

Laurent Fignon était,de loin,le plus fort ce jour là!Oui,mais voilà,une échappée matinale au long cours a tout emporté et personne ne se souvient que c'est Dirk Demol qui a gagné devant Thomas Wegmuller.

Rendons hommage à Laurent,merci

[Hermijuve]

@bikeracerguy I believe they moved it, for a couple years anyhow, to finish next to a major sponsors warehouse or HQ.  At least that's what I remember reading.

[aptivaboy]

It is Geoffrey Downes' "Symphonie Electronique." You can get it on iTunes, and probably other places online. I can't ID the second song, but I know I've heard it somewhere else!

[Hermijuve]

Anyone know the tune that starts at 4:10. Never been able to identify that track.

[chickasmith]

First song by Geoffrey Downes from The Light Program - I think its Majesty.

I think the second one is John Tesh - if anyone has it please let me know!

[ironchefpaul]

what is the music in the background

[tenbearsbanning]

Geoff Downes

[Hermijuve]

This is the first race I ever video taped. I used to play this video when I'd train in the winter. Consequently, I've literally watched this video at least 200 times.

[lucasitaly1980]

great video thanks !!!

[wmathys]

those dudes on KAS sure like to cry remember when Kelly broke his collarbone in the tour he cried too. although Kelly was a total badass the rest of his career and would make the rest of the racers now days look like little punk bitches

[fignon]

Kelly cried cause he was out of the race, its called passion

[wmathys]

hey laurent remember when you cried in 1989 after lemond gave you an ass whipping in the final tour time trial? you guys sure like to stick up for dudes that like to cry....

[fignon]

yes i remeber this time, it was very difficult for me, but i also cried when retard george bush called french fries, freedom fries, that was more painful, u should try cry my friend, wil release some of your frustration at being an overweight ameican, now i laugh, hehehehe

[fignon]

I also cried when lance won 7 in a row with epo, but now the testing is better there will be no more, this makes me cry more, hehe

[wmathys]

dude give it up it was just a joke . just because you like to cry like a punk little bitch dosent mean you have to keep posting to a comment . any time you want to get on your gitane lets go

[fignon]

ive a giant and im not french, what do u ride?

[wmathys]

ive got several . some team bikes a torelli& waterford from the past and litespeed ultimate , a c dale 29 a litespeed obed , a gary fisher paragon single , a 48" pennyfarthing . just started training after a 5 year break . ps . i think you were right about lance and bush keep the crackin' comments comin' you're right on track!!!

[fignon]

Im actually Irish, taht why i was defending poor sean kelly, who as u know, was as hard as they come!

[adam1234a]

whos talking shit about sean kelly? They WILL DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[adam1234a]

why dont you race me you old fart..........

meet me at the rose bowl in pasadena california... lets see who can ride VS talking shit.

your old ass prob cant even climb a hill. what r u? like a cat 4 rider?

[wmathys]

havent raced my bike in about 5 years but i have won few races in my time . and ridden on so pretty good teams . won a 2 state championships ,won 24 hours of caanan in 98 . third over all tour or ohio , 8th over all tour of michigan . raced against greg lemond in athens . was the best man to a national elite crit champ . my daughters godmother is the current and multiple time national champ . 'ive got several friends that are olympians . i've been around . ALOT guys like you are all talk!!!!!!

[adam1234a]

ok great, but answer my question. what cat are you???????? if you cant answer that your a poser,which i can already tell. your bike collection doesnt even phase me. You prob have ultergra on all you bikes,maybe a dura ace front derailer or handles. But before you post your next comment look up cycling in the rose bowl, every true rider knows about it. even your hero gaystrong rode there.

[wmathys]

i was a 2 ive also had an international license and raced internationally . sorry about the parts d.a. on my torelli . sram force(ps i paid 400 for a group i guess i pays to know a ds on a pro team) on my litesped. chorus on my waterford. sram on my mountain bike . sorry about that juicer mellow johnny . i remember in albany at nationals maybe 90 91 when he flatted and the whole field was working to keep him from coming back on. ever do superweek,sommerville,athens twilight or thater? i have

[adam1234a]

dude your a asshole, Fignon was better than you so STFU. he lost because greg was a smarter rider. Stop acting like a stupid mountain biker.

[wmathys]

dude stick to toy trains . i know what guys are pussies and like to cry like fignon, wegmuller and kelly . you also fit into that group also

[sjl62]

well if you cried after losing paris-roubaix thanks to a plastic bag in your shifter, i wouldn't hold it against you.

[lesmcluffalot]

Kewlios

[CropDusterMan]

This was an epic battle, poor Wegmueller!Hey SoCalrider, thanks for the heard work, you brought back memories!

[wanmaker]

classic ha ha..

[cornbread1972]

fignon battling it out in Paris Roubix (and he already won Milan-San Remo)....hard to see another TDF winner contesting in these races ever again.

[sjl62]

Now that you mention it: was this the last ever time a TDF-caliber rider seriously played his hand in Paris-Roubaix? My memory of early-90s PR is a little hazy, so maybe there was a Bugno move I've forgotten about; but it may well be that Fignon '88 was the last. What a guy: what he lacked in hair he made up for in sack.

[ChiefWiggum76]

Yeh, 'great' victory by Demol and do you think he'd have scored his job with US Postal with that one-off, wheelsucking win.. ?? hmmm

[WELLBRAN]

Well you have to be up there at the end to suck the wheel? you would do the same given the chance.

[zapspace]

Bad luck can happen to anybody, this is cycling, mr sjl62.

[sjl62]

Wow, look at Demol being a total DICK -- drafting behind a guy he knows can't shift gears, and then forcing him to lead out the sprint!

[adam1234a]

he gave him a chance, he should have switched bikes.

[74Lilly]

He could have attacked him when he was trying to get the bag out. Demol didn't know he couldn't shift. I thought it was a classy move (to not attack).