PeloPics: As the WorldTour moves on to the Ardennes for the hilly Classics we look back at Le Flèche Wallonne of 1986. The winner on the day was Laurent Fignon, ’86 was not the Frenchman’s best year due to injury, but that day in Belgium he was in his element and delivered an emphatic win – Photos by Cor Vos.
# Stay PEZ for the 2024 Flèche Wallonne ‘Race Report’ on Wednesday and all the news in EUROTRASH Thursday. #
Robert Millar (Pipa York) – 2nd Overall in the Vuelta a España with a stage win and 2nd Overall in the Tour de Suisse in ’86
In the finalé Fignon was away with Kim Andersen and 13 kilometers from the finish on the Mur de Huy, Fignon put in a storming attack on the Côte d’Ahin, which Andersen could not follow. From there Fignon never looked back to win by 1:34 over Andersen. Later Andersen was disqualified for a doping offense, one of four failed drug tests. Jean-Claude Leclercq (KAS) moved up to second at 3:00 with Claude Criquielion (Hitachi) at 3:07 in third. Greg Lemond got the better of Sean Kelly for 4th and World champion Joop Zoetemelk was 6th.
Canadian Steven Bauer
4th for Greg Lemond just behind Criquilion in 3rd
Robert Millar probably not giving autographs
Alexi Grewal leading Alain Bondue
Alain Vigneron leading Guiseppi Sarroni
Roy Knickman and Jan Bogaert
A good result for Emanuele Bombini riding for the Vini Ricordi-Pinarello-Sidermec team
Pursuiter, Alain Bondue on a solo attack
Yvon, younger brother of double Paris-Roubaix winner Marc Madiot
The oldest man in the race – Joop Zoetemelk
Kelly got the better of Zoetemelk by 7 seconds
Charly Mottet had a long career – In ’86 he won two stages in the Vuelta a España and took 10th in the Flèche Wallonne
16th for Bernard Hinault in his final year as a pro
Lemond went on to win the Tour de France in ’86 ahead of teammate Hinault
Theo de Rooij (Rooy)
Pedro Delgado was 10th in the Vuelta in 1986, but DNF’d in the Giro and Tour
Maybe not the best race for a trackman, but Alain Bondue made his mark
Claude Crequielion had a good spring campaign in 1986 – 1st GP du Midi Libre, 8th Tour of Flanders, 4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège, 9th Amstel Gold Race and 3rd in Flèche Wallonne
Olympic champion Alexi Grewal going solo
Near Tour de France winner Pascal Simon followed by Belgian road champion Paul Haghedooren
Hennie Kuiper was feeling the cold
Robert Millar finished in the top 40 and then went on to take 2nd overall in the 1986 Vuelta a España
Greg Lemond leading Claude Criquielion and Charly Mottet
Ex-World champion and multi winner, the late Gerrie Knetemann
World champion, Joop Zoetemelk in 6th place
The leaders at the front
Sean Kelly was well up on the climb to take 5th
Fignon solo on the Mur de Huy
Second place for Kim Andersen, but…
’85 and ’86 were Fignon’s injury years – The Flèche Wallonne win was a highlight
Criquielion asked why he didn’t win as Kim Anderson hangs his head
Kim Andersen finished second at 1 minute 34 seconds, but was disqualified after a doping positive.
Race action:
# Stay PEZ for the 2024 Flèche Wallonne ‘Race Report’ on Wednesday and all the news in EUROTRASH Thursday. #
Flèche Wallonne 1986 Result:
1. Laurent Fignon (Fra) Systeme U in 6:24:39
2. Jean-Claude Leclercq (Fra) KAS at 3:00
3. Claude Criquielion (Bel) Hitachi-Marc-Splendor at 3:07
4. Greg Lemond (USA) La Vie Claire-Wonder-Look at 3:09
5. Sean Kelly (Irl) KAS at 3:12
6. Joop Zoetemelk (Ned) Kwantum-Decosol-Yoko at 3:19
7. Steven Rooks (Ned) PDM at 3:20
8. Rolf Gölz (Ger) Del Tongo-Colnago at 3:21
9. Johan Van Der Velde (Ned) Panasonic at 3:30
10. Charly Mottet (Fra) Systeme U at 3:38
11. Acacio Da Silva Mora (Por) Malvor-Bottecchia-Vaporella at 3:44
12. Emanuele Bombini (Ita) Vini Ricordi-Pinarello-Sidermec at 3:54
13. Dag-Erik Pedersen (Nor) Ariostea at 3:56
14. Urs Zimmermann (Swi) Carrera Jeans at 4:05
15. Yvon Madiot (Fra) Systeme U at 4:10
16. Bernard Hinault (Fra) La Vie Claire-Wonder-Look at 4:28
17. Theo De Rooy (Ned) Panasonic at 4:35
18. Robert Forest (Fra) Peugeot-Shell-Michelin at 4:52
19. Pedro Delgado Robledo (Spa) PDM at 5:18
20. Jan Nevens (Bel) Lotto-Merckx at 12:15
21. Jean-Philippe Vandenbrande ((Bel) Hitachi-Marc-Splendor
22. Eddy Schepers (Bel) Carrera Jeans)
23. Pascal Simon (Fra) Peugeot-Shell-Michelin
24. Régis Simon (Fra) R.M.O.-Meral-Mavic
25. Stefan Morjean (Bel) Hitachi-Marc-Splendor
26. Fons De Wolf (Bel) Skala-Skil
27. Gerrie Knetemann (Ned) PDM
28. Gianbattista Baronchelli (Ita) Supermercati Brianzoli
31. Hennie Kuiper (Ned) Skala-Skil
37. Bjarne Riis (Den) Roland-Van de Ven-Colnago
38. Robert Millar (GB) Panasonic
41. Adrie Van Der Poel (Ned) Kwantum-Decosol-Yoko
42. Pascal Richard (Swi) KAS
46. Davide Cassani (Ita) Carrera Jeans at 13:30
50. Dirk De Wolf (Bel) Hitachi- Marc-Splendor
51. Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) Del Tongo-Colnago
55. Gert-Jan Theunisse (Ned) Panasonic.
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