The tour moves into modern times with new technology, new tactics, and new contenders.
The Tour de France in the 1980s finally saw the first victory for the United States. But this was really the “Badger” decade. Bernard Hinault, after several victories and many successes in his career, retired in 1986. He and his yellow jersey had been persecuted for a long time.
1980 saw the peloton hit by unrelenting rain. Bernard Hinault started the tour like the winner he is, but knee tendinitis forced him out. Joop Zoetemelk from the Netherlands, in his tenth Tour, takes the lead and wins. In 1981, Hinault wanted to show that he was back in the race. He won the Prologue, sat back and relaxed a bit, then took the lead again and won convincingly. Although Phil Anderson was not the first Australian to ride the Tour, by wearing the draped yellow jersey he became the most well-known Australian in Tour history.
1982 saw Hinault at the peak of his career. He won the Giro and the Tour de France back to back. During the Tour, he won four stages and wore the yellow jersey for 10 days. And just to brag, he ran the final stage down the Champs Elysees.
Hinault may have garnered media attention, but others had their moments of glory, too. Australian Phil Anderson had the yellow jersey for a while and was the best young rider at the end of the race. Irishman Sean Kelly took home the green dotted jersey.
In 1983, Hinault did not participate due to injury. This Tour would be an open event. Pascal Simon, a virtually unknown rider, had the yellow jersey at the start of the race. Unfortunately, he fell and broke his shoulder, an injury that forced him to abandon the race. Another little-known cyclist, Laurent Fignon, took the yellow jersey, fended off other cyclists in the Alps, and ultimately won. He did it again in 1984, proving that his 1983 victory was no fluke. Hinault finished in second place, 10 minutes behind. His return just didn’t happen.
In 1985, the first American to do so, Greg LeMond, finished second on the podium. Hinault the badger made his reappearance with a narrow margin of two minutes. The red jersey is presented and awarded to the leader of the sprint-prime intermediate category.
In 1986, Greg LeMond, shot in a hunting accident, is unable to defend his Tour title. Bernard Hinault has retired and Laurent Fignon is still out due to his injuries. The 1986 Tour is now open and Stephen Roche becomes the first Irishman to win the Tour.
The first American victory on the Tour comes in 1987 when LeMond wins. This year, there are more than 200 riders entering the Tour for the first time.
In 1988, defending champion Stephen Roche is unable to start due to injury and Greg LeMond was still recovering from his hunting accident. Instead, 1987 runner-up Pedro Delgado took over.
Delgado’s victory almost didn’t come when news of his positive drug test broke. However, the substance he used, Promencide, was only on the International Olympic Committee’s list of prohibited substances, but not on the International Cycling Union’s list until August. On a technicality, Delgado keeps his yellow jersey even though it’s a bit faded.
In 1989, it looks like Fignon is ready to win again. However, LeMond has comeback plans of his own. He wins the first time trial. Fignon fights him all the way. In the end, he wears the yellow jersey and wins by a mother eight seconds.
In 1990, Lemond experimented with triathlete-style bars. These bars are soon used by most other riders. LeMond wins again for the third time.