1987 Tour de France

1987 Tour de France
Route of the 1987 Tour de France
Route of the 1987 Tour de France
Race details
Dates1–26 July 1987
Stages25 + Prologue
Distance4,231 km (2,629 mi)
Winning time115h 27' 42"
Results
Winner  Stephen Roche (IRE) (Carrera Jeans–Vagabond)
  Second  Pedro Delgado (ESP) (PDM–Ultima–Concorde)
  Third  Jean-François Bernard (FRA) (Toshiba–Look)

Points  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) (Superconfex–Kwantum–Yoko–Colnago)
Mountains  Luis Herrera (COL) (Café de Colombia–Varta)
Youth  Raúl Alcalá (MEX) (7-Eleven)
Combination  Jean-François Bernard (FRA) (Toshiba–Look)
Sprints  Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA) (Vétements Z–Peugeot)
  Combativity  Régis Clère (FRA) (Teka)
  Team Système U
  Team points Système U
← 1986
1988 →

The 1987 Tour de France was the 74th edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 1 to 26 July. It consisted of 25 stages over 4,231 km (2,629 mi). It was the closest three-way finish in the Tour until the 2007 Tour de France, among the closest overall races in Tour history and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place riders each wore the Yellow jersey at some point during the race. It was won by Stephen Roche, the first and so far only Irishman to do so.

The winner of the 1986 Tour de France, Greg LeMond was unable to defend his title following a shooting accident in April.

Following Stage 1, Poland's Lech Piasecki became the first rider from the Eastern Bloc to lead the Tour de France. He was one of eight different men to wear yellow, a new record for the Tour.

Teams

The number of cyclists in one team was reduced from 10 to 9, to allow more teams in the race. The 1987 Tour started with 207 cyclists, divided into 23 teams. Of these, 62 were riding the Tour de France for the first time. The average age of riders in the race was 27.05 years, ranging from the 20-year-old Jean-Claude Colotti (RMO–Cycles Méral–Mavic) to the 36-year-old Gerrie Knetemann (PDM–Ultima–Concorde). The Caja Rural–Orbea cyclists had the youngest average age while the riders on Del Tongo had the oldest.

The teams entering the race were:

Pre-race favourites

Shortly before the Tour, on 20 April 1987, the defending champion Greg LeMond was accidentally shot by his brother-in-law while hunting turkeys. He was unable to start the 1987 Tour, and because Bernard Hinault (second placed in 1986, and the only rider to seriously challenge LeMond in 1986) had retired, the Tour started without a clear favourite.

Only one previous winner started in the 1987 Tour: Laurent Fignon, winner in 1983 and 1984. Since then, Fignon had struggled with his form, but in the first months of 1987, Fignon had finally shown some good results. LeMond's place as leader of the Toshiba team was now taken by Jean-François Bernard. He had finished in twelfth place in the previous year as helper of LeMond and Hinault, so more was expected from him now. The Carrera team was led by Stephen Roche. For Roche, the months before the 1987 Tour had gone well, having won the 1987 Giro d'Italia. In the recent Tours, Pedro Delgado had shown improving results, and he had some talented helpers in his PDM team, so he was also considered a contender.

Route and stages

In 1985, it was announced that the 1987 Tour would start in West-Berlin, to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the city's founding. The 1987 Tour de France started on 1 July, and had one rest day, in Avignon. There were 25 stages (and a prologue), more than ever before. The highest point of elevation in the race was 2,642 m (8,668 ft) at the summit of the Col du Galibier mountain pass on stage 21.

Stage characteristics and winners
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
P 1 July West Berlin (West Germany) 6 km (3.7 mi) Individual time trial  Jelle Nijdam (NED)
1 2 July West Berlin (West Germany) 105 km (65 mi) Plain stage  Nico Verhoeven (NED)
2 2 July West Berlin (West Germany) 41 km (25 mi) Team time trial Carrera Jeans–Vagabond
3 4 July Karlsruhe (West Germany) to Stuttgart (West Germany) 219 km (136 mi) Plain stage  Acácio da Silva (POR)
4 5 July Stuttgart (West Germany) to Pforzheim (West Germany) 79 km (49 mi) Plain stage  Herman Frison (BEL)
5 5 July Pforzheim (West Germany) to Strasbourg 112 km (70 mi) Plain stage  Marc Sergeant (BEL)
6 6 July Strasbourg to Épinal 169 km (105 mi) Plain stage  Christophe Lavainne (FRA)
7 7 July Épinal to Troyes 211 km (131 mi) Plain stage  Manuel Jorge Domínguez (ESP)
8 8 July Troyes to Épinay-sous-Sénart 206 km (128 mi) Plain stage  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)
9 9 July Orléans to Renazé 260 km (160 mi) Plain stage  Adri van der Poel (NED)
10 10 July Saumur to Futuroscope 87 km (54 mi) Individual time trial  Stephen Roche (IRE)
11 11 July Poitiers to Chaumeil 206 km (128 mi) Hilly stage  Martial Gayant (FRA)
12 12 July Brive to Bordeaux 228 km (142 mi) Plain stage  Davis Phinney (USA)
13 13 July Bayonne to Pau 219 km (136 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Erik Breukink (NED)
14 14 July Pau to Luz Ardiden 166 km (103 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Dag Otto Lauritzen (NOR)
15 15 July Tarbes to Blagnac 164 km (102 mi) Plain stage  Rolf Gölz (FRG)
16 16 July Blagnac to Millau 216 km (134 mi) Hilly stage  Régis Clère (FRA)
17 17 July Millau to Avignon 239 km (149 mi) Hilly stage  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)
18 July Avignon Rest day
18 19 July Carpentras to Mont Ventoux 37 km (23 mi) Mountain time trial  Jean-François Bernard (FRA)
19 20 July Valréas to Villard-de-Lans 185 km (115 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Pedro Delgado (ESP)
20 21 July Villard-de-Lans to Alpe d'Huez 201 km (125 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Federico Echave (ESP)
21 22 July Le Bourg-d'Oisans to La Plagne 185 km (115 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Laurent Fignon (FRA)
22 23 July La Plagne to Morzine 186 km (116 mi) Stage with mountain(s)  Eduardo Chozas (ESP)
23 24 July Saint-Julien-en-Genevois to Dijon 225 km (140 mi) Plain stage  Régis Clère (FRA)
24 25 July Dijon 38 km (24 mi) Individual time trial  Jean-François Bernard (FRA)
25 26 July Créteil to Paris (Champs-Élysées) 192 km (119 mi) Plain stage  Jeff Pierce (USA)
Total 4,231 km (2,629 mi)

Race overview

Stephen Roche (pictured in the Dijon time trial), winner of the general classification

The prologue was won by specialist Jelle Nijdam, and none of the favourites lost much time. The second place in the prologue was for Polish cyclist Lech Piasecki, and when he was part of a break-away in the first stage that won a few seconds, he became the new leader in the general classification, the first time that an Eastern-European cyclist lead the Tour de France. Piasecki kept his lead in the team time trial of stage 2, but lost it in the third stage when a break-away gained several minutes. Erich Maechler became the new leader. Maechler kept the lead for several stages. After stage nine, Maechler was still leading. The mass-start stages were dominated by break-aways of cyclists who were not considered relevant for the final victory; sixth-placed Charly Mottet was the only cyclist in the top 15 who had real chances of finishing high.

The tenth stage was an individual time trial, and the first real test for the favourites. It was won by Stephen Roche, with Mottet in second place; Mottet became the new leader of the general classification. After a successful escape in the eleventh stage, Martial Gayant became the new leader. The twelfth stage ended in a bunch sprint that did not change the general classification. The Tour arrived in the Pyrenees in the thirteenth stage. Non-climbers, such as Gayant lost more than fifteen minutes, and so the non-climbers were removed from the top positions of the general classification; the new top three was Mottet – Bernard – Roche, all serious contenders for the final victory.

The eighteenth stage was an individual time trial, with a finish on the Mont Ventoux. It was won with a great margin by Jean-François Bernard, who became the new leader of the general classification, and the new hope of the French cycling fans. Bernard was a good climber and a good time-trialist, and had the support of a good team, so he could be able to stay leader until the end of the race. But already in the next stage, Bernard lost considerable time. He had a flat tire just before the top of a climb, and lost contact with the other riders while he had to wait for repairs, and had to spend energy to get back. His rivals Mottet and Roche had made a plan to attack in the feed zone, where cyclists could get their lunch. Mottet and Roche had packed extra food at the start of the stage, and attacked while Bernard was at the back of the peloton. Bernard chased them, but was not able to get back to them, and lost four minutes in that stage, which made Roche the new leader, closely followed by Mottet and Delgado.

In the twentieth stage, the riders went through the Alps, to finish on the Alpe d'Huez. Roche finished in fifteenth place, and lost the lead to Delgado. The pivotal stage was stage 21. In the first part of this stage, the Colombian cyclists of the "Café de Colombia" team (including Luis Herrera and Fabio Parra, fifth and sixth in the general classification) kept a high pace, and many cyclists were dropped. Roche, Delgado and Mottet decided to work together to get rid of the Colombian cyclists on the descent of the Galibier, out of fear that Herrera and Parra would leave them behind in the next climbs. Their plan worked, but Delgado's teammates were also dropped. Roche saw this opportunity and escaped, climbing the Madeleine in a small breakaway group. Somewhat later, Delgado's teammates got back to Delgado, and together they chased Roche, and caught him just before the climb of La Plagne. Roche then anticipated that Delgado would keep attacking on the climb. Knowing Delgado was the better climber, Roche decided he would not follow Delgado's attack. Instead, he let Delgado get away until the margin was one minute, giving Delgado the impression that he could safely save energy for the next stages, and at the last part of the stage gave it everything he had to reduce the margin. Roche followed that tactic, and confused not only Delgado, but also the commentators and the Tour organisation. Roche finished a few seconds behind Delgado, and after the finish he collapsed and was given an oxygen mask in an ambulance.

Roche was only 39 seconds behind Delgado in the general classification. Roche could still win the Tour, but it depended on if he could recover in time for the 22nd stage. That stage included the last serious climb of the Tour, so Delgado had his final opportunity to gain time on Roche, and he attacked. However, Roche was able to come back to Delgado twice. Then, Roche attacked, and Delgado could not keep up. Roche won back 18 seconds on Delgado, so he had reduced his margin to 21 seconds. Being a talented time-trialist, he knew that he could easily make up for it on the penultimate stage (an individual time trial at Dijon). Indeed, Roche won almost a minute on Delgado, and this was enough to secure the overall win. This time trial was won by Jean-François Bernard finished the Tour in third place after losing four minutes after the flat tire in the nineteenth stage.

Doping

Bontempi was originally declared winner of the 7th stage, but a few days later, his doping test came back positive for testosterone. Bontempi was set back to the last place of the stage, was penalised with 10 minutes in the general classification, and received a provisional suspension of one month.

One day later, it became public that Dietrich Thurau had tested positive after the eighth stage. At that point, Thurau had already left the race. He was set back to the last place of that stage, and also received a provisional suspension of one month.

The third rider to test positive was Silvano Contini, after the thirteenth stage. He received the same penalty.

Classification leadership and minor prizes

There were several classifications in the 1987 Tour de France, six of them awarding jerseys to their leaders. The most important was the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage. The cyclist with the least accumulated time was the race leader, identified by the yellow jersey; the winner of this classification is considered the winner of the Tour.

Additionally, there was a points classification, where cyclists were given points for finishing among the best in a stage finish, or in intermediate sprints. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, and was identified with a green jersey.

There was also a mountains classification. The organisation had categorised some climbs as either hors catégorie, first, second, third, or fourth-category; points for this classification were won by the first cyclists that reached the top of these climbs first, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs. The cyclist with the most points lead the classification, and wore a white jersey with red polka dots.

There was also a combination classification. This classification was calculated as a combination of the other classifications, its leader wore the combination jersey.

Another classification was the intermediate sprints classification. This classification had similar rules as the points classification, but only points were awarded on intermediate sprints. Its leader wore a red jersey.

The sixth individual classification was the young rider classification. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders under 26 years were eligible, and the leader wore a white jersey. In 1987 the race organisers changed the rules for the young rider classification; from 1983 to 1986, this classification had been as a "debutant classification", open for cyclist that rode the Tour for the first time. In 1987, the organisers decided that the classification should be open to all cyclists less than 25 years of age at 1 January of the year.

For the team classification, the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added; the leading team was the team with the lowest total time. The riders in the team that led this classification were identified by yellow caps. There was also a team points classification. Cyclists received points according to their finishing position on each stage, with the first rider receiving one point. The first three finishers of each team had their points combined, and the team with the fewest points led the classification. The riders of the team leading this classification wore green caps.

In addition, there was a combativity award, in which a jury composed of journalists gave points after each mass-start stage to the cyclist they considered most combative. The split stages each had a combined winner. At the conclusion of the Tour, Régis Clère won the overall super-combativity award, also decided by journalists. The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was given in honour of Tour founder Henri Desgrange to the first rider to pass the summit of the Col du Galibier on stage 21. This prize was won by Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez.

Classification leadership table
Stage Stage winner General classification
Points classification
Mountains classification
Young rider classification
Combination classification
Intermediate sprints classification
Team classifications Combativity award
By time By points
P Jelle Nijdam Jelle Nijdam Jelle Nijdam no award Jelle Nijdam Lech Piasecki Jean-Claude Colotti Carrera Jeans–Vagabond Carrera Jeans–Vagabond no award
1 Nico Verhoeven Lech Piasecki Lech Piasecki Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle Roland–Skala Roland–Skala Giovanni Bottoia
2 Carrera Jeans–Vagabond Erik Breukink Dietrich Thurau Guido Bontempi Carrera Jeans–Vagabond no award
3 Acácio da Silva Erich Maechler Dietrich Thurau Frédéric Brun Bruno Cornillet Jean-Claude Colotti Système U Frédéric Brun
4 Herman Frison Herman Frison
5 Marc Sergeant Jörg Müller Christophe Lavainne Yvon Madiot
6 Christophe Lavainne Bruno Wojtinek Hendrik Devos Christophe Lavainne Jean-Claude Bagot
7 Manuel Jorge Domínguez Jean-Paul van Poppel Raúl Alcalá Régis Clère
8 Jean-Paul van Poppel Julio César Cadena
9 Adri van der Poel Adri van der Poel
10 Stephen Roche Charly Mottet Bruno Cornillet no award
11 Martial Gayant Martial Gayant PDM–Ultima–Concorde Jan Nevens
12 Davis Phinney Jean-François Bernard Phil Anderson
13 Erik Breukink Charly Mottet Erik Breukink Panasonic–Isostar Robert Forest
14 Dag Otto Lauritzen Luis Herrera Raúl Alcalá 7-Eleven Thierry Claveyrolat
15 Rolf Gölz Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle PDM–Ultima–Concorde Roland Le Clerc
16 Régis Clère Raúl Alcalá 7-Eleven Régis Clère
17 Jean-Paul van Poppel Luis Herrera PDM–Ultima–Concorde Bernard Vallet
18 Jean-François Bernard Jean-François Bernard 7-Eleven no award
19 Pedro Delgado Stephen Roche PDM–Ultima–Concorde Stephen Roche
20 Federico Echave Pedro Delgado 7-Eleven Federico Echave
21 Laurent Fignon Anselmo Fuerte
22 Eduardo Chozas Stephen Roche Système U Eduardo Chozas
23 Régis Clère Jean-Paul van Poppel Marc Gomez
24 Jean-François Bernard Stephen Roche Stephen Roche no award
25 Jeff Pierce Jean-Paul van Poppel no award
Final Stephen Roche Jean-Paul van Poppel Luis Herrera Raúl Alcalá Jean-François Bernard Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle Système U Système U Régis Clère

Final standings

Legend
A yellow jersey. Denotes the winner of the general classification A green jersey. Denotes the winner of the points classification
A white jersey with red polka dots. Denotes the winner of the mountains classification A white jersey. Denotes the winner of the young rider classification
A multi-coloured jersey. Denotes the winner of the combination classification A red jersey. Denotes the winner of the intermediate sprints classification

General classification

Final general classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Stephen Roche (IRE) A yellow jersey. Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 115h 27' 42"
2  Pedro Delgado (ESP) PDM–Ultima–Concorde + 0' 40"
3  Jean-François Bernard (FRA) A multi-coloured jersey. Toshiba–Look + 2' 13"
4  Charly Mottet (FRA) Système U + 6' 40"
5  Luis Herrera (COL) A white jersey with red polka dots. Café de Colombia–Varta + 9' 32"
6  Fabio Parra (COL) Café de Colombia–Varta + 16' 53"
7  Laurent Fignon (FRA) Système U + 18' 24"
8  Anselmo Fuerte (ESP) BH + 18' 33"
9  Raúl Alcalá (MEX) A white jersey. 7-Eleven + 21' 49"
10  Marino Lejarreta (ESP) Caja Rural–Orbea + 26' 13"

Points classification

Final points classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) A green jersey. Superconfex–Kwantum–Yoko–Colnago 263
2  Stephen Roche (IRE) A yellow jersey. Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 247
3  Pedro Delgado (ESP) PDM–Ultima–Concorde 228
4  Jean-François Bernard (FRA) A multi-coloured jersey. Toshiba–Look 201
5  Jozef Lieckens (BEL) Joker–Merckx 195
6  Luis Herrera (COL) A white jersey with red polka dots. Café de Colombia–Varta 174
7  Charly Mottet (FRA) Système U 153
8  Anselmo Fuerte (ESP) BH 135
9  Raúl Alcalá (MEX) A white jersey. 7-Eleven 129
10  Fabio Parra (COL) Café de Colombia–Varta 128

Mountains classification

Final mountains classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Luis Herrera (COL) A white jersey with red polka dots. Café de Colombia–Varta 452
2  Anselmo Fuerte (ESP) BH 314
3  Raúl Alcalá (MEX) A white jersey. 7-Eleven 277
4  Pedro Delgado (ESP) PDM–Ultima–Concorde 224
5  Fabio Parra (COL) Café de Colombia–Varta 180
6  Stephen Roche (IRE) A yellow jersey. Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 173
7  Jean-François Bernard (FRA) A multi-coloured jersey. Toshiba–Look 170
8  Jesús Hernández Úbeda (ESP) Reynolds 147
9  Laurent Fignon (FRA) Système U 137
10  Federico Echave (ESP) BH 132

Young rider classification

Final young rider classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Time
1  Raúl Alcalá (MEX) A white jersey. 7-Eleven 115h 49' 31"
2  Erik Breukink (NED) Panasonic–Isostar + 31' 46"
3  Gilles Sanders (FRA) Kas + 59' 08"
4  Jesper Skibby (DEN) Roland–Skala + 59' 24"
5  José Salvador Sanchis (ESP) Caja Rural–Orbea + 1h 08' 17"
6  Juan Carlos Castillo (COL) Café de Colombia–Varta + 1h 11' 12"
7  Bruno Cornillet (FRA) Vétements Z–Peugeot + 1h 11' 48"
8  Christophe Lavainne (FRA) Système U + 1h 14' 23"
9  Peter Stevenhaagen (NED) PDM–Ultima–Concorde + 1h 20' 01"
10  Julio César Cadena (COL) Café de Colombia + 1h 22' 22"

Combination classification

Final combination classification (1–5)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Jean-François Bernard (FRA) A multi-coloured jersey. Toshiba–Look 72
2  Laurent Fignon (FRA) Système U 70
3  Stephen Roche (IRE) A yellow jersey. Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 69
4  Luis Herrera (COL) A white jersey with red polka dots. Café de Colombia–Varta 65
5  Anselmo Fuerte (ESP) BH 65

Intermediate sprints classification

Final intermediate sprints classification (1–10)
Rank Rider Team Points
1  Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA) A red jersey. Vétements Z–Peugeot 249
2  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED) A green jersey. Superconfex–Kwantum–Yoko–Colnago 178
3  Régis Clère (FRA) Teka 142
4  Martin Earley (IRE) Fagor–MBK 100
5  Teun van Vliet (NED) Panasonic–Isostar 70
6  Jean-Claude Leclercq (FRA) Toshiba–Look 55
7  Guido Bontempi (ITA) Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 52
8  Laurent Fignon (FRA) Système U 52
9  Frédéric Brun (FRA) Vétements Z–Peugeot 51
10  Jozef Lieckens (BEL) Joker–Merckx 35

Team classification

Final team classification (1–10)
Rank Team Time
1 Système U 346h 44' 02"
2 Café de Colombia–Varta + 38' 20"
3 BH + 56' 02"
4 Fagor–MBK + 1h 07' 54"
5 Toshiba–Look + 1h 28' 54"
6 PDM–Ultima–Concorde + 1h 34' 11"
7 Carrera Jeans–Vagabond + 1h 41' 42"
8 Panasonic–Isostar + 1h 47' 02"
9 7-Eleven + 1h 53' 11"
10 Caja Rural–Orbea + 2h 22' 44"

Team points classification

Final team points classification (1–10)
Rank Team Points
1 Système U 1790
2 PDM–Ultima–Concorde 1804
3 7-Eleven 1821
4 Panasonic–Isostar 1863
5 BH 2670
6 Carrera Jeans–Vagabond 2718
7 Hitachi–Marc 2766
8 Vétements Z–Peugeot 2813
9 Toshiba–Look 2828
10 Fagor–MBK 3057

Aftermath

After the Giro-Tour double victory, Roche would complete the Triple Crown of Cycling by winning the 1987 road race world championship.

Jeff Pierce winning the final stage on the Champs-Élysées is thought to have impressed the presence of United States cycling in the European circuit. Cycling News's Pat Malach wrote that Pierce's win was his defining win for the remainder of his career.


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