Photos: Michael Blann
“I was stunned when I came round the final corner and saw Delgado up ahead. I didn’t expect that at all. First of all I could just see the back of some cars, then I was able to see Delgado just in front of them.”
“Even then I didn’t know how far up he was – that didn’t really interest me. All I knew was the faster I went, the closer I would get to him and the better my chance would be of winning the Tour.”
“I think if Delgado had known I was coming back at him he would have gone a little bit harder as well if he’d had anything left in the tank.”
“As I crossed the line I didn’t realise the significance of what I’d done. All I knew was that winning the Tour was still a possibility for me, but I had no idea what I’d achieved.”
“What made it dramatic was the fact that because the journalists behind the finish line were getting the time checks from 4km or 5km to go, they assumed that the Tour was over.”
“Everybody had their own ‘Delgado wins the Tour’ stories already written in their minds, so when I came round the corner they were all surprised, including Phil Liggett, as everyone will remember from his famous commentary as Delgado finished. I’ve had it played back to me a few times since.”
Born to Ride by Stephen Roche is published by Yellow Jersey Press
Tags: 1987 tour de france, battaglin, born to ride, pedro delgado, stephen roche
August 3, 2012 at 3:24 pm |
It’s certainly a beautiful bike. I heard Roche talking at the Hay on Wye Book Festival where he was promoting his autobiography – I wrote about it on Cyclostyle
http://cyclostyle.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/stylish-riders-stephen-roche/.
He described how he’d got one of his old team bikes out of the loft when he “rediscovered” cycling and rode it to a mates on flat tyres to get them pumped up – it could’ve been one of the ’87 Battaglins.
August 14, 2012 at 7:43 pm |
I have been riding this same frame (dura ace components) for about a month now, it is a great bike, and always gets the looks from the carbon fiber crowd
January 23, 2013 at 12:03 am |
Hello, catching up here but was this bike running 7 speed friction shift or were they using the Synco at this time?
January 24, 2013 at 11:51 am |
Good question. Syncro was on the market in ’87 so the chances are Roche would have been using it from the previous season.
March 19, 2013 at 1:23 pm |
Hello, I have the very same beautiful model for sale… VGC… For information etc please contact.
Due to knee problems cannot ride anymore.
regards
Arthur
June 14, 2013 at 4:51 pm |
Hello – great job on this. I have a 1987 edition of this (without world champion decals, the year he won it all), fantastic structurally but the paint is quite messy – was wondering who did the respray on this if it all? Don’t want to entrust it to just anyone….
I’m in London – any leads helpful!
Cheers
Chris