We were young and carefree - Sean McKibben

I've just finished reading Laurent Fignon's autobiography of his racing days.  It is very good, very French.  "Cycling is a way for men to find themselves and show what they are worth.  It exposes their weaknesses and their hidden value and it allows huge appetites to be indulged. It is nothing to do with glory: it's more a matter of fulfilment.  Cycling allows us to mine the deepest recesses of our soul".  When I first got into cycling in 1986, Fignon was seen as a has-been who had won two tours then disappeared.  But then he made his comeback in 1989, won the Giro and lost the Tour to Lemond by 8 seconds.  I remember like it was yesterday being glued to the TV as Fignon desperately tried not to lose the Tour on the last day timetrial, Lemond's delight at winning and Fignon's despair.  I remember my Dad watching with me and him being seriously concerned that someone could kill themselves by trying that hard.  Fignon died a couple of weeks ago from cancer, aged 50.  Although he knew about the cancer when he was writing the book, he makes not one mention of it; it's all about the bike.