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INTRODUCTION
RIDERS
RACES
EXPLOITS
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When Fausto Coppi attacked after a small lead group just 50km into the 1946 Milan - San Remo, most observers thought he was mad. 100km later he had dropped all his companions; after 145 more kilometres on his own he arrived in San Remo to record a crushing victory over all his rivals. The legend of Coppi, previously hidden under a cloud of war, was born.
The 1980 - Liège Bastogne - Liège was not so much a case of man against man; more man against nature. The man was Bernard Hinault, and nature supplied a blizzard the likes of which have rarely been seen in a cycle race. The result was one of the most crushing displays for fifty years ever seen by a rider in a classic.
Perhaps one of the most incredible classics of all time, the 1921 Paris - Roubaix saw the two Pélissier brothers ranged against the entire sport in a battle for a decent wage. Find out how the brothers triumphed against the odds.
In 1965, Jacques Anquetil was engaged to ride the Dauphiné Libéré ending late in the afternoon of 29th May, and the 550km Bordeaux-Paris, starting at 2am on May 30th. Some suggested Anquetil would treat the Dauphiné as a training ride for The Derby; others suggested that he would withdraw from the latter race. Those who knew him best suggested that he would try to win both - but only try. His performance in the two races has passed into legend - find out how he combined riding and winning both races.
The 1983 Tour de France saw the clash of an older generation of riders - Zoetmelk, Van Impe et al with a crop of brilliant newcomers - Fignon, Roche, Delgado and Millar, all making their Tour debuts in the race. Find out what happened in this three part story.