Colnago Mixte

I can’t believe it’s been 30 years! Those of you who were alive back then, what were you doing during that month?

Someone who hasn’t already watched this a million times, please tell me how how well it holds up in 2018: I thought it was quite a race that year, thanks to Phil Liggett, John Tesh, and Yanni.

exmechanic89

Pretty cool.

Point

rgconner

Where was I?

NTC San Diego, slogging through Basic.

Phil Ligget looks weird with hair.

The Crédit Lyonnais lion is still adorable... I looked it up, it was first handed out in 1987.

indyfabz

Was near the end of my year off between college and law school. Working in the client data department of a large law firm for $7/hr. and managing to live in an apartment I shared with my cousin. Dating a beautiful, Swedish au pair. In June of that year she and I ate strawberries and drank wine while watching the U.S. Pro Championship road race in my home town of Philadelphia.

2cam16

Too long ago to remember what I was doing. lol

OBoile

Here in Canada, Steve Bauer was in the news a lot during that race.

texaspandj

Riding 150 - 250 miles a week on my cobalt blue Pinarello with Dura Ace fd,rd,hs,bb,hubs,13-21 freewheel, and chain Also sporting shimano 600 crankarms, 52,42 chainrings, brake levers, calipers. With original scott dh handlebars and original 6 speed gripshift on the end if the aero bars.
I had less then 10 percent body fat, at 5'7" I weighed 145 and worked out 4 hours a day unless I was off work that day then it 6 hours. Besides riding every afternoon I swam and ran every morning and worked evenings. I had No life....well unless you consider triathlon training all day a life.

hillyman

I watched the video and didn't see myself there. That was a wild year so that answers that location.

fietsbob

it was 12/66 for me...

88 I was giving up on unaffordable San Francisco,and moving north.

aplcr0331

I was going into my senior year of high school. Well on my way to saving about $4k from my job at the hotel. I'd hope to one day own a Porsche. I was targeting a 914 2.0. Found one later that summer, but could not get insurance for it. Devastated.

I was into snow skiing and skateboarding at this time, so was obsessed with Powder magazine and Thrasher.

It's another 28 years before I buy and ride my first road bike.

JanMM

Lots of bare heads. A few helmets and a few hairnets. I had been wearing helmets for a couple of years by then but I wasn't a racer.
Doubt there were any stealth e-assist setups on those bikes!

Point

OBoile

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/...our-de-france/

Saw this on my facebook feed. Good timing.

Colnago Mixte

Much of it is, but there are at least 2 Yanni songs, well-utilized I thought.


"Within Attraction" is the tune played during the mountain time trial at 1:25:50.

"Reflections of Passion" is featured in the segment showing riders who dropped out, at 2:23:00

Tadpole911

I started my first real job in July 1988 and then bought a brand new mountain bike with my first paycheck.

rydabent

Millions watched since the buzz from the 84 Olympics was still alive and well.

Colnago Mixte

I got my USCF racing license for the first and only time in 1988, and since I was laid off and collecting unemployment, I trained every day. Mostly I remember the heat, from being out in it all day every day during that July in 1988. Plus I think 1988 was just a hot year, period, temperature-wise.

30 years later, I have 8 beautiful bikes, and ride them as often as I can. I'm probably a little slower since I don't train as hard these days, but the feeling on the bike is 100% same, thank God. So much for this "aging" stuff. Let the good times roll . . .

REDMASTA

Looked like a lot more fun back then.

Hiro11

1988 isn't one of the better Tours, it also suffers by comparison to the Tours imemdiately before and after.

1986: the Slaying the Badger Tour, a candidate for the greatest Tour of all time.
1987: Roche comes from behind to win, one of the closest Tours ever.
1989: the Eight Second Tour, another candidate for the greatest Tour of all time.

1988: Delgado, an excellent but fairly unremarkable rider, wins a fairly pedestrian Tour

kcblair

Lets see, I was stationed in Germany, enjoying the hel out of cycling, riding my butt off . Learning racing techniques from my fellow German cyclists. KB.

Milton Keynes

I was still in high school back then. 17 years old and wondering what the heck I was going to do with my life.

50PlusCycling

I was working in a Southern California bike shop at that time, one of two jobs I held. One job paid the bills, the other gave me the money to put build a bike. My dream bike was the Masi Gran Criterium. The bike cost $2000, and I got $5 an hour at the bike shop.

Greg came to Southern California after his Tours in '88 and '89. He was, and is, the nicest guy you would ever want to meet, seemingly too nice to win against the kind of competition you would expect in such a race. I had a Sports Illustrated magazine and a Selle Italia saddle autographed by him.

It's fun to watch the old races, especially his time trial against Fignon.

Colnago Mixte

I have a couple new discoveries with regard to the CBS coverage of the race. I discovered a half-hour preview of the race, featuring various race predictions, interviews, and footage from the 1987 race. I had no idea this even existed:


And by reading Youtube comments, I identified some more of the music CBS used,. In addition to instrumentals form John Tesh and Yanni, there was also some excellent work by keyboardist Geoffrey Downes, who later joined the band Asia and is known mostly for that.

Good stuff, if you like 80's electronic music like I do. It's the ultimate driving music:


Again, here's the full race coverage, audio could be better:

Hondo Gravel