Laurent Fignon won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984. However, he will be best known to the majority for his defeat in 1989, when he lost the Tour by eight seconds to Greg Lemond in the final time trial on the Champs-Élysées.
From 2006, Fignon accompanied the Tour de France as a pundit for French television. During his last Tour in 2010, Fignon was already suffering from advanced cancer, but this did not prevent him from remaining faithful to cycling until the end. He died on 31 August 2010 at the age of 50.
Fabien Onteniente's feature film deals with Fignon's final weeks at the 2010 Tour of France and focuses on the relationship between Fignon, played by Samuel Li Bihan, and his doctor Eddy Clavel. Due to his illness, his doctors advise him against the stress of the Tour, but Fignon is stubborn, which is why Clavel is placed at his side during the Tour of France.
The young doctor is anything but enthusiastic about professional cycling and certainly not about his patient, but gradually the tensions between the two ease and a friendship develops.
The film paints an interesting portrait of the two-time Tour winner and his love of cycling. A slightly different, but very worthwhile film to get you in the mood for the Tour de France, which starts on Saturday.
Programme note:
"Final stage" - Friday, 03.07.2015
20:15 on Arte
