8-5-90 I have a newfound appreciation for what Greg LeMond accomplished during the 1989 World Championship road race in Chambery, France. According to Winning magazine, at least the last hour of the six-hour, forty-six minute race was run in the rain. And yet, LeMond managed to win at an average speed of 24.10 miles per hour. That’s nothing special for a ride of, say, a hundred miles, but the World Championship course was 163.11 miles long—twenty-one laps of a hilly, 7.76-mile course. Moreover, it was at altitude. Having struggled through seventy miles of rain and humidity at near sea level this past Saturday, I have no idea how LeMond did it. It was all I could do to maintain a speed of eighteen miles per hour, let alone twenty-four, and I rode less than half the distance he did. Amazing. This was really my first racing experience in the rain. Although it has sprinkled and drizzled periodically during my twenty-five rallies, I had never ridden in a pack on slippery pavement for any length of time. This made me cautious. You’ve got to take corners more slowly (because the tires are wet), begin braking sooner (because the brake pads and rims are wet), and keep a sharp eye out for accidents (because they’re more likely to happen). When you stand up to sprint, your rear tire sometimes spins on the pavement, resulting in a loss of traction. I’m simply in awe of LeMond and the forty-one other riders who finished the race. (190 started the race.) 8-5-90 I have a newfound appreciation for what Greg LeMond accomplished during the 1989 World Championship road race in Chambery, France. According to Winning magazine, at least the last hour of the six-hour, forty-six minute race was run in the rain. And yet, LeMond managed to win at an average speed of 24.10 miles per hour. That’s nothing special for a ride of, say, a hundred miles, but the World Championship course was 163.11 miles long—twenty-one laps of a hilly, 7.76-mile course. Moreover, it was at altitude. Having struggled through seventy miles of rain and humidity at near sea level this past Saturday, I have no idea how LeMond did it. It was all I could do to maintain a speed of eighteen miles per hour, let alone twenty-four, and I rode less than half the distance he did. Amazing. This was really my first racing experience in the rain. Although it has sprinkled and drizzled periodically during my twenty-five rallies, I had never ridden in a pack on slippery pavement for any length of time. This made me cautious. You’ve got to take corners more slowly (because the tires are wet), begin braking sooner (because the brake pads and rims are wet), and keep a sharp eye out for accidents (because they’re more likely to happen). When you stand up to sprint, your rear tire sometimes spins on the pavement, resulting in a loss of traction. I’m simply in awe of LeMond and the forty-one other riders who finished the race. (190 started the race.)Twenty Years Ago
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Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 