1983 Tour de France
Encyclopedia
The 1983 Tour de France was the 70th Tour de France
, run from 1 to 22 July 1982 in 22 stages and a prologue, over a total distance of 3862 km., won by French rider Laurent Fignon
. Sean Kelly
of Ireland won the green jersey, and Lucien Van Impe
of Belgium won the polka dot jersey
. The race was run from July 1 to July 24, 1983, and measured 3809 kilometers in length, broken into 22 stages.
rules changed, now the classification was open to only first time entrants of the Tour.
to win the 1983 Vuelta a España
. Guimard did not want to send Fignon to the Tour de France, because two grand tour
s could be too much for a 22-year old rider. When Hinault, winner of four of the five previous Tours, announced that he would not start due to injury, the Renault team was without team captain. Fignon was added to the 1983 Tour de France selection for the Renault team, and the team decided to go for stage wins, with hopes of having Fignon or Marc Madiot
compete for the best debutant category
. After stage nine, the first mountain stage, Fignon was in second place, behind Pascal Simon
, and he was allowed to be team leader. In the tenth stage, Simon crashed and broke his shoulder blade. Simon continued, and only lost little time the next stages. In the fifteenth stage, a mountain time trial, Fignon was able to win back so much time that he was within one minute of Simon.
In the seventeenth stage, Simon had to give up, and Fignon became the new leader. In the next stages, Fignon was able to answer all attacks from his opponents, and he even won the time trial in the 21st stage. At 22 years old, Fignon was the youngest man to win the Tour since 1933.
Fignon later said that he was lucky to have won the 1983 Tour: if Hinault would have been present, Fignon would have helped Hinault, as Hinault was the team leader.
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, run from 1 to 22 July 1982 in 22 stages and a prologue, over a total distance of 3862 km., won by French rider Laurent Fignon
Laurent Fignon
Laurent Patrick Fignon was a French professional road bicycle racer. He won the Tour de France in 1983 and in 1984. He missed winning it a third time, in 1989, by 8 seconds, the closest margin ever to decide the tour. He also won the Giro d'Italia in 1989, after having been the runner-up in 1984,...
. Sean Kelly
Seán Kelly (cyclist)
John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193...
of Ireland won the green jersey, and Lucien Van Impe
Lucien Van Impe
Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France...
of Belgium won the polka dot jersey
Polka dot jersey
The Mountains classification in the Tour de France is a secondary classification in the Tour de France, in which cyclists receive points for reaching a mountain top first...
. The race was run from July 1 to July 24, 1983, and measured 3809 kilometers in length, broken into 22 stages.
Differences from the 1982 Tour de France
The Combination classification was not contested in the 1983 Tour. The Young rider classificationYoung rider classification in the Tour de France
-History:From 1968 to 1975, there was a white jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in the combination classification . In 1975, this classification was removed, and replaced by the Best Young Rider Classification...
rules changed, now the classification was open to only first time entrants of the Tour.
Race details
In 1983, Fignon was a part of the team that helped Bernard HinaultBernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
to win the 1983 Vuelta a España
1983 Vuelta a España
The 38th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 19 to May 8, 1983...
. Guimard did not want to send Fignon to the Tour de France, because two grand tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
s could be too much for a 22-year old rider. When Hinault, winner of four of the five previous Tours, announced that he would not start due to injury, the Renault team was without team captain. Fignon was added to the 1983 Tour de France selection for the Renault team, and the team decided to go for stage wins, with hopes of having Fignon or Marc Madiot
Marc Madiot
Marc Madiot is a French former professional road racing cyclist and double winner of Paris–Roubaix. Retired from racing in 1994, he is now best known as the directeur sportif of Française des Jeux, a UCI ProTour cycling team....
compete for the best debutant category
Young rider classification in the Tour de France
-History:From 1968 to 1975, there was a white jersey awarded in the Tour de France to the lead rider in the combination classification . In 1975, this classification was removed, and replaced by the Best Young Rider Classification...
. After stage nine, the first mountain stage, Fignon was in second place, behind Pascal Simon
Pascal Simon
Pascal Simon is a retired French road racing cyclist. A native of Mesnil St. Loup, he was a professional cyclist from 1979 to 1991. Pascal was the oldest of four brothers that all became professional cyclists: Régis, Jerôme and François.In 1983, Simon obtained the yellow jersey while riding for...
, and he was allowed to be team leader. In the tenth stage, Simon crashed and broke his shoulder blade. Simon continued, and only lost little time the next stages. In the fifteenth stage, a mountain time trial, Fignon was able to win back so much time that he was within one minute of Simon.
In the seventeenth stage, Simon had to give up, and Fignon became the new leader. In the next stages, Fignon was able to answer all attacks from his opponents, and he even won the time trial in the 21st stage. At 22 years old, Fignon was the youngest man to win the Tour since 1933.
Fignon later said that he was lucky to have won the 1983 Tour: if Hinault would have been present, Fignon would have helped Hinault, as Hinault was the team leader.
Stages
The 1983 Tour de France started on 1 July, and had one rest day, after the finish on the Alpe d'Huez.| Stage | Date | Route | Terrain | Length | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1 July | Fontenay sous Bois |  Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
6 km (3.7 mi) | |
| 1 | 2 July | Nogent sur Marne – Creteil Créteil -Health:As of 1 January 2006, 27 pharmacies, about 60 dentists, about 60 general practitioners, 10 pediatricians, and a half-dozen ophthalmologists and dermatologists constitute the general medical staff of the city.Health facilities include:... |
 |
163 km (101.3 mi) | |
| 2 | 3 July | Soissons Soissons Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones... – Fontaine au Pire |
Team time trial A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart... |
100 km (62.1 mi) | Mercier |
| 3 | 4 July | Valenciennes Valenciennes Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded... – Roubaix Roubaix Roubaix is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located between the cities of Lille and Tourcoing.The Gare de Roubaix railway station offers connections to Lille, Tourcoing, Antwerp, Ostend and Paris.-Culture:... |
 |
152 km (94.4 mi) | |
| 4 | 5 July | Roubaix – Le Havre Le Havre Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total... |
|
300 km (186.4 mi) | |
| 5 | 6 July | Le Havre – Le Mans Le Mans Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux... |
|
257 km (159.7 mi) | |
| 6 | 7 July | Chateaubriant Châteaubriant -Coat of arms:Two coats of arms are attributed :*First Pale: Blue, three gold fleurs de lys, Pales split in two by a shortened staff with a red hache.... – Nantes Nantes Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants.... |
Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
58 km (36 mi) | |
| 7 | 8 July | Nantes – Ile d'Oleron | |
216 km (134.2 mi) | |
| 8 | 9 July | La Rochelle La Rochelle La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988... – Bordeaux Bordeaux Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture... |
|
222 km (137.9 mi) | |
| 9 | 10 July | Bordeaux – Pau | |
207 km (128.6 mi) | |
| 10 | 11 July | Pau – Bagneres de Luchon |  |
201 km (124.9 mi) | |
| 11 | 12 July | Bagneres de Luchon – Fleurance Fleurance Fleurance is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*... |
|
177 km (110 mi) | |
| 12 | 13 July | Fleurance – Roquefort sur Soulzon | |
261 km (162.2 mi) | |
| 13 | 14 July | Roquefort sur Soulzon – Aurillac Aurillac Aurillac is a commune in the Auvergne region in south-central France, capital of the Cantal department.Aurillac's inhabitants are called Aurillacois, and are also Cantaliens or Cantalous in Occitan.... |
|
210 km (130.5 mi) | |
| 14 | 15 July | Aurillac – Issoire Issoire Issoire is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-Geography:Issoire is located on the Couze River, near its junction with the Allier, SSE of Clermont-Ferrand on the Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée railway to Nîmes... |
|
149 km (92.6 mi) | |
| 15 | 16 July | Clermont Ferrand – Puy de Dome | Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
16 km (9.9 mi) | |
| 16 | 17 July | Issoire – St Etienne | |
144 km (89.5 mi) | |
| 17 | 18 July | La Tour du Pin – L'Alpe d'Huez | |
223 km (138.6 mi) | |
| 18 | 20 July | Bourg d'Oisans – Morzine Morzine Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune... |
|
247 km (153.5 mi) | |
| 19 | 21 July | Morzine – Avoriaz Avoriaz Avoriaz is a French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. It is located in the territory of the commune of Morzine. It is easily accessible from either Thonon at Lake Geneva or Cluses-junction on the A40 motorway between Geneva and Chamonix... |
Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
15 km (9.3 mi) | |
| 20 | 22 July | Morzine – Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area.... |
|
291 km (180.8 mi) | |
| 21 | 23 July | Dijon | Individual time trial An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials... |
50 km (31.1 mi) | |
| 22 | 24 July | Alfortville Alfortville Alfortville is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:The commune of Alfortville was created on 1 April 1885 by detaching its territory from the commune of Maisons-Alfort.-Transport:... – Parijs |
|
195 km (121.2 mi) |
General classification
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault-Elf-Gitane | 105h 07' 52" | |
| 2 | Reynolds | +4' 04" | |
| 3 | TI-Raleigh-Campagnolo | +4' 09" | |
| 4 | Metaurobili-Pinarello | +4' 16" | |
| 5 | La Redoute | +7' 53" | |
| 6 | Wolber | +8' 59" | |
| 7 | SEM-Mavic-Reydel | +12' 09" | |
| 8 | Renault-Elf-Gitane | +14' 55" | |
| 9 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +16' 56" | |
| 10 | TI-Raleigh-Campagnolo | +18' 55" |
| Final general classification (11–88) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Team | Time |
| 11 | SEM-Mavic-Reydel | +19' 00" | |
| 12 | SEM-Mavic-Reydel | +19' 57" | |
| 13 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +21' 30" | |
| 14 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +23' 29" | |
| 15 | Reynolds | +25' 44" | |
| 16 | Colombie-Varta | +26' 08" | |
| 17 | Colombie-Varta | +28' 05" | |
| 18 | Splendor-Euro Shop-Mondial-Moquette | +33' 29" | |
| 19 | Coop Mercier-Mavic | +35' 34" | |
| 20 | Wolber | +39' 49" | |
| 21 | Coop Mercier-Mavic | +40' 34" | |
| 22 | Cilo-Aufina | +43' 53" | |
| 23 | Coop Mercier-Mavic | +47' 40" | |
| 24 | SEM-Mavic-Reydel | +52' 56" | |
| 25 | La Redoute | +54' 08" | |
| 26 | Wolber | +57' 23" | |
| 27 | TI-Raleigh-Campagnolo | +1h 00' 00" | |
| 28 | Coop Mercier-Mavic | +1h 02' 58" | |
| 29 | TI-Raleigh-Campagnolo | +1h 05' 41" | |
| 30 | Wolber | +1h 09' 28" | |
| 31 | Cilo-Aufina | +1h 11' 33" | |
| 32 | Coop Mercier-Mavic | +1h 14' 22" | |
| 33 | Renault-Elf-Gitane | +1h 18' 13" | |
| 34 | Cilo-Aufina | +1h 21' 06" | |
| 35 | La Redoute | +1h 24' 19" | |
| 36 | SEM-Mavic-Reydel | +1h 25' 40" | |
| 37 | Aernoudt-Hoonved-Zeep-Marc | +1h 29' 53" | |
| 38 | Wolber | +1h 31' 53" | |
| 39 | Metaurobili-Pinarello | +1h 32' 59" | |
| 40 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +1h 33' 50" | |
| 41 | Wolber | +1h 34' 08" | |
| 42 | Metaurobili-Pinarello | +1h 39' 22" | |
| 43 | Coop Mercier-Mavic | +1h 40' 25" | |
| 44 | Colombie-Varta | +1h 40' 59" | |
| 45 | La Redoute | +1h 42' 45" | |
| 46 | Reynolds | +1h 46' 08" | |
| 47 | Renault-Elf-Gitane | +1h 50' 10" | |
| 48 | Boule d'Or-Colnago-Campagnolo | +1h 50' 12" | |
| 49 | Splendor-Euro Shop-Mondial-Moquette | +1h 51' 17" | |
| 50 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +1h 53' 15" | |
| 51 | Reynolds | +1h 53' 52" | |
| 52 | Renault-Elf-Gitane | +1h 54' 45" | |
| 53 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +1h 54' 46" | |
| 54 | Reynolds | +1h 58' 39" | |
| 55 | Reynolds | +1h 58' 46" | |
| 56 | Renault-Elf-Gitane | +1h 59' 05" | |
| 57 | Colombie-Varta | +2h 03' 48" | |
| 58 | La Redoute | +2h 04' 02" | |
| 59 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +2h 05' 18" | |
| 60 | Coop Mercier-Mavic | +2h 06' 10" | |
| 61 | Renault-Elf-Gitane | +2h 06' 29" | |
| 62 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +2h 06' 50" | |
| 63 | Splendor-Euro Shop-Mondial-Moquette | +2h 07' 46" | |
| 64 | Colombie-Varta | +2h 09' 42" | |
| 65 | Renault-Elf-Gitane | +2h 09' 58" | |
| 66 | Wolber | +2h 10' 29" | |
| 67 | Aernoudt-Hoonved-Zeep-Marc | +2h 10' 38" | |
| 68 | Boule d'Or-Colnago-Campagnolo | +2h 10' 53" | |
| 69 | Wolber | +2h 15' 03" | |
| 70 | Boule d'Or-Colnago-Campagnolo | +2h 16' 43" | |
| 71 | Cilo-Aufina | +2h 19' 33" | |
| 72 | TI-Raleigh-Campagnolo | +2h 21' 15" | |
| 73 | TI-Raleigh-Campagnolo | +2h 22' 37" | |
| 74 | SEM-Mavic-Reydel | +2h 25' 54" | |
| 75 | Reynolds | +2h 29' 49" | |
| 76 | Coop Mercier-Mavic | +2h 32' 15" | |
| 77 | Boule d'Or-Colnago-Campagnolo | +2h 35' 19" | |
| 78 | Peugeot-Shell-Michelin | +2h 44' 00" | |
| 79 | La Redoute | +2h 44' 04" | |
| 80 | Boule d'Or-Colnago-Campagnolo | +2h 45' 47" | |
| 81 | Aernoudt-Hoonved-Zeep-Marc | +2h 56' 46" | |
| 82 | Aernoudt-Hoonved-Zeep-Marc | +2h 57' 16" | |
| 83 | Cilo-Aufina | +3h 01' 48" | |
| 84 | Cilo-Aufina | +3h 16' 31" | |
| 85 | Cilo-Aufina | +3h 33' 56" | |
| 86 | La Redoute | +3h 34' 57" | |
| 87 | Cilo-Aufina | +3h 42' 07" | |
| 88 | Aernoudt-Hoonved-Zeep-Marc | +4h 02' 46" | |