The 1992 Tour de France:

Gianni Bugno, who was second to Indurain in the previous year's Tour, was gunning for a Tour victory. Looking back, we can see that 1990 and 1991 were really his best years. He came to the Tour as the reigning world champion. His spring was quiet but a third in the Dauphine Libere and a second in the Tour of Switzerland showed that his form was coming at just the right time. Chiappucci's second in the Giro (to Indurain) signaled that he was ready to race, as well.

The 1992 edition flitted all around western Europe. To commemorate the signing of the Maastricht treaty and its promise of an integrated European Union with a single market, the Tour schedule called for visits to Spain, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg.

The action started with a prologue in San Sebastian, Spain. Indurain nailed it and set the tone of the race. In second place was a new revelation, Swiss rider Alex Zuelle. Riding for the Spanish ONCE team, he was only two seconds slower than Indurain. The next day, by getting his hands on an intermediatate time bonus, Zuelle was able to land the Yellow Jersey.

Oral history: Miguel Indurain, in an interview in Cycle Sport Magazine: "If by magic I were going to ride the Tour in 2003, what would interest me most would be the prologue. It's the most emotive moment, where the tension accumulated during a year of work is released like a gunshot."

Zuelle's ownership of the precious garment was short-lived. While the 1992 Tour mostly avoided the Pyrenees, it did make sure that the riders got a taste of the lash with a trip up the Marie-Blanque. That brought out another new face, Richard Virenque. Virenque was not originally included in his team's lineup for the Tour and was a last-minute inclusion. He won the stage and took the lead from Zuelle, who finished twelve and half minutes behind the flying Frenchman.

Virenque's ownership of the lead would be just as short as Zuelle's. Stage three saw a break get a big seven-minute lead. Pascal Lino, a teammate of Virenque's on the RMO squad was in the group of escapees and took over the lead with 2-minute lead over Virenque and six and a half minutes on third-place Indurain.

Virenque and Lino's RMO squad faced the Stage Four 63.5-kilometer team time trial knowing that they would lose time. Some teams practice and become very skilled at team time trials. They ride with skill, close together, pushing each other just hard enough so as not tearing the team apart. They usually have riders who can put out the brute horsepower needed to propel the team at high speed on the flats. Others are terrible and can lose tremendous amounts of time. For a team with General Classification ambitions, Indurain's 1992 Banesto squad was slightly weak in this discipline. The Panasonic team, the heirs to the mighty TI-Raleigh of years past honored their heritage by winning the event that Raleigh used to call their own. Chiappucci's Carreras were only seven seconds behind and Bugno's Gatorade team was third at 21 seconds. The Motorola team, riding for Andy Hampsten came in sixth, losing 48 seconds to Panasonic but coming in two seconds faster than Banesto.

Riding for Motorola, 1992 was the first Tour appearance of the ironman of American cycling, Frankie Andreu. This was the first of Andreu's 9 consecutive Tours both started and, incredibly, finished. This fantastic record, showing careful and dedicated preparation, belongs to the man who is probably one of the most generous and team-minded riders to have ever turned a pedal. The spectacular victories of the team leaders are built upon and impossible without the hard work of dedicated riders like Andreu.

Here is the General Classification after the Stage 4 Team Time Trial:

1. Pascal Lino

2. Richard Virenque @ 1minute 54 seconds

3. Gianni Bugno @ 5 minutes 6 seconds

4. Claudio Chiappucci @ 5 minutes 20 seconds

5. Stephen Roche @ 5 minutes 28 seconds

6. Miguel Indurain @ 5 minutes 33 seconds

10. Laurent Fignon @ 5 minutes 49 seconds

12. Greg Lemond @ 5 minutes 55 seconds

For a race that was supposed to be dominated by the cool, unflappable, dare I say it, dull Miguel Indurain, the surprises kept coming. Stage 6 was a rough, hard northern European classic-type stage with tough, short hills, bad weather and cobbles. The race broke up into small pieces under the stress of a powerful breakaway that included some of the finest racers alive. Laurent Jalabert, Greg Lemond, Claudio Chiappucci and Brian Holm pounded away from the field with Jalabert getting his first Tour stage win. Indurain was in the first group, 1 minute 22 seconds back. Lino, with a healthy time cushion, kept the lead. This did put Chiapucci in third (at 3 minutes 34 seconds) Lemond in fifth (at 4 minutes 29 seconds). This was good, aggressive tactical riding, not letting Indurain set all the terms of when the Tour would be contested.

As the Tour wound through the small countries of northern Europe, small time bonuses moved the relative positions of the riders about a bit. There was no real effect upon the General Classification of the Tour contenders until the Stage Nine 65-kilometer individual time trial in Luxembourg. Indurain delivered a hard lesson in the art of the crono. Indurain overtook Laurent Fignon, who started 6 minutes earlier. In less than 80 minutes Miguel Indurain had changed the complexion of the Tour. Here are the times of the stage:

1. Miguel Indurain: 1 hour 19 minutes 31seconds

2. Armand De las Cuevas @ 3minutes

3. Gianni Bugno @ 3 minutes 41 seconds

4. Zenon Jaskula @ 3 minutes 47 seconds

5. Greg LeMond @ 4 minutes 4 seconds

6. Pascal Lino @ 4 minuntes 6 seconds

7. Stephen Roche @ 4 minutes 10 seconds

The resulting General Classification:

1. Pascal Lino: 36 hours 59 minutes 3 seconds

2. Miguel Indurain @ 1 minute 27 seconds

3. Jesper Skibby @ 3 minutes 47 seconds

4. Stephen Roche @ 4 minutes 15 seconds

5. Greg Lemond @ 4 minutes 27 seconds

6. Gianni Bugno @ 4 minutes 39 seconds

7. Jens Heppner @ 4 minutes 52 seconds

8. Claudio Chiappucci @ 4 minutes 54 seconds

Through the French Jura, even though there were rated climbs with attacking by riders who were not in contention for the Yellow Jersey, the real Tour Men held their fire, keeping their powder dry for the first big Alpine day.

That day came on the 13th stage, 254.5 kilometers from St. Gervais to Sestriere in Italy. The climbing was monumental. The riders faced: the Saisies (Category 2), the Cornet de Roseland (category 1), the hulking Iseran (hors category), Mont-Cenis (category 1) and the first category climb to the finish at Sestrières.

Claudio Chiappucci was what Miguel Indurain wasn't. Where Indurain was cold, calculating, riding only to win and no more, knowing that whatever gaps he had allowed could be closed with a display of brute horsepower in the time trials, Chiappucci was the opposite. The Italian was willing to gamble, to take magnificent chances to gain time. He had to run these big risks knowing how vulnerable he was in the time trials.

Americans often express contempt for Chiappucci and his wild excursions and attempts to breakaway, failing to understand that his flamboyant style had served him very well. His Grand Tour accomplishments are substantial: Tour de France: twice 2nd, 3rd and King of the Mountains. For the Giro: twice 2nd plus a 3rd, a 4th, a 5th along with two King of the Mountains and one Points jersey. This is consistant riding at the very highest level.

As he had done in the 1990 stage to Luz Ardiden, Chiappucci gambled and gambled big. The first major climb of the day was the second category Saises. Chiappucci escaped with some other riders, but not with his main challengers, Bugno and Indurain. As far as they were concerned, this was far too early in such a monstrous stage to be taking off. By the time Chiappucci reached the top of the Iseran he was alone. Back in the leading group, the Banesto squad had at last recognized the threat. They had assembled at the front and started working to bring the fleeing Italian back.

Bugno was riding the Tour to win. He knew that this was the Tour's moment, yet he was trapped with Indurain. He was stifled. Chiappucci was riding away with the race. He couldn't escape and chase Chiappucci without Indurain coming along. He finally decided that it was better to take his chances with Indurain rather than accept the sure loss of Chiappucci riding to a mountain top win. Bugno knew that the solo Chiappucci would be finishing in Italy where the fanatical tifosi would lift him up the mountain with their thrilled and thrilling cheers.

Finally Bugno attacked, taking Indurian, Andy Hampsten and Franco Vona along. The great chase was on. I still remember how exciting it was on TV. I think nearly everyone watching was wishing the lone, brave Chiappucci up the mountains while surely, the inexorable, machine-like Indurain would run him down before the end of the stage.

Indurain couldn't do it. Chiappucci, after riding alone for 125 kilometers, celebrated a brilliant victory. Vona was only 1 minute, 34 seconds behind. Indurain, who ran out of gas on the final kilometers of the final climb, was third, 11 seconds behind Vona. Bugno and Hampsten were right behind him, another minute and minute and a half down.

Chiappucci's big gamble didn't yield him the Yellow Jersey. Indurain had ridden will enough to put himself solidly in the lead. The General Classification after Sestriere:

1. Indurain: 63 hours 34 minutes 54 seconds

2. Chiappucci @ 1 minute 42 seconds

3. Bugno @ 4 minutes 20 seconds

4. Lino @ 7 minutes 21 seconds

5. Delgado @ 8 minutes 47seconds

6. Roche @ 9 minutes 13 seconds

7. Fignon @ 10 minutes 11seconds

8. Hampsten @ 11 minutes 16 seconds

The next stage was another classic Alpine stage with the Galibier, the Croix de Fer and a finish on the L'Alpe d'Huez. All three were Hors Category climbs. Andy Hampsten was riding beautifully this year and this stage was the perfect showcase for his wonderful climbing abilities. He had been in the big break with Indurain on the big stage the day before and aquitted himself magnificently. Could he recover overnight from 5 major climbs and over 250 kilometers and take on the next day's monsters?

On the Croix de Fer, the penultimate climb, a couple of riders went clear of the highly reduced, Banesto-led peloton. Hampsten joined them with a couple of others. In the group of five, importantly, was dangerman Franco Vona, who had come in second the day before. They went over the crest of the Croix de Fer together, having made a clean break from the pack. In the valley leading to the L'Alpe the group worked well together and continued to increase their advantage. They started the L'Alpe with lead of nearly four minutes. Hampsten started the climb at a good tempo and slowly wound it up, going from his 39-23 and dropping it to the 21 and finally to the 18! It's hard to explain to someone who has not ridden an Hors Category climb how compeletely beyond the normal human experience climbing a mountain this steep this fast after a day's racing really is. Only a few people in the world can do it.

With about seven kilometers to go Hampsten was alone, riding to victory in the most prestigious of mountain stages. This was his seventh Tour and his first Tour stage victory. If you're going to win, you might as well win big.

Back down the hill, although Hampsten wasn't a General Classification threat to them, Indurain and Chiappucci pulled back almost over a half-minute on the final climb, coming in together at 3 minutes 15 seconds. Earlier in the stage, Gianni Bugno had cracked badly. He came in 26th, 9 minutes 4 seconds after Hampsten. Greg Lemond, tortured with saddle sores, could take no more and abandoned. Hampsten catapaulted himself onto the podium with his brilliant stage win. Here is the overall after L'Alpe d'Huez:

1. Miguel Indurain: 69 hours 20 minutes 7seconds

2. Chiappucci @ 1 minute 42 seconds

3. Hampsten @ 8 minutes 1 second

4. Lino @ 9 minutes 16 seconds

5. Bugno @ 10 minutes 9 seconds

The Tour then went over the Massif Central, but nothing happened to change the general order of the overall. The only stage left that could affect the General Classification was the nineteenth, a 64-kilometer individual time trial. Again, Indurain put real distance between himself and his competitors. Bugno was only 40 seconds behind on that stage, lifting himself back onto the podium after losing his place with his disastrous L'Alpe d'Huez stage. Chiappucci was about three minutes slower. Andy Hampsten was the real loser that day being 5 minutes, 33 seconds behind the mighty Spaniard and being pushed down to fourth place in the General Classification.

That really finished the the competition to win the Tour with only two stages left .

The final 1992 Tour de France General Classification:

1. Miguel Indurain:100 hours 49 minutes 30 seconds

2. Claudio Chiappucci @ 4 minutes 35 seconds

3. Gianni Bugno @ 10 minutes 49 seconds

4. Andy Hampsten @ 13 minutes 40 seconds

5. Pascal Lino @ 14 minutes 37 seconds

6. Pedro Delgado @ 15 minutes 16 seconds.

Indurain had his second Tour and his first Giro-Tour double. Chiappucci not only came in second, he was King of the Mountains. Laurent Jalabert won the Green Points jersey. Chiappucci had ridden so consistently that he was third in the race for the points leadership.

For more on the 1992 tour check out Bill McGann's interview with Frankie Andreau.