Laurent fignon autobiography of a yogi

In this revealing account, the former champion spares nobody, not even himself, and pulls back the curtain on what really went on behind the scenes of this epic sport - the friendships, the rivalries, the betrayals, the parties, the girls and, of course, the performance-enhancing drugs. Fignon's story bestrides a golden age in cycling: a time when the headlines spoke of heroes, not doping, and a time when cyclists were afraid of nothing.

Laurent Fignon. Wild but Gifted.

Laurent fignon autobiography of a yogi: •. Publisher: Vintage Publishing. •.

Happy Schooldays. Shoulder to Shoulder with the Badger. For all the intimacy and the apparent openness, this is the story of Laurent Fignon the cyclist. The other Laurent Fignon, the real Laurent Fignon, is still hiding from view. Protecting himself from our intrusive gaze. Throughout the book, you learn very little about that other Laurent Fignon.

His parents disappear from the story before his first pro contract. Ditto his brother. There's a wife, a baby, a divorce and another wife but of each he tells very little. His break-up with his first wife passes in a sentence. He takes pages to tell of his break-up with Guimard. As he points out: "I may have been made to be a champion cyclist - I have no doubt of that - but I was absolutely not made to be a public figure.

Perhaps where the intimacy can be most beguiling is when he comes to discussing doping. Many have praised the book for the openness and honesty with which he tackles the subject. I won't. He is remarkably coy about the doping regime that operated when he was at the height of his success. Of the drug which dominated his era - cortisone, which was undetectable - pretty much all he tells us is this: "We didn't feel like we were cheating: each of us settled matters with his own conscience.

And in any case, everyone did it. When others praise him for his comments on doping, they are praising him for his criticism of the EPO era, which began in the twilight years of his career.

Laurent fignon autobiography of a yogi: Laurent Fignon. It remains the

Why the difference in attitude to the doping of his generation and the doping of the generation which followed him? In my day, doping methods were derisory and the riders' exploits were massive. For the last fifteen years or so, it has been the other way around: there is a huge number of ways in which riders can dope and any exploits are derisory.

Fignon was - is - a complex character. Not unlike Robert Millarin some ways. Not always likable. Not always selling himself to us.

Laurent fignon autobiography of a yogi: The unforgettable story of everyone's favorite

He is very much aware of this: "I know I'm not an easy person to deal with. Well, at least I won something. And, in a way, this is one of the most likable things about him. In the tour, he lost out to his American arch-rival, Greg LeMond, by an agonising eight seconds. In this revealing account, the former champion spares nobody, not even himself, and pulls back the curtain on what really went on behind the scenes of this epic sport - the friendships, the rivalries, the betrayals, the parties, the girls and, of course, the performance-enhancing drugs.

Laurent fignon autobiography of a yogi: I am re reading autobiography

The highs were matched by lows of serious injury, periods of self-doubt, and accusations of cheating. Fignon's story bestrides a golden age in cycling: a time when the headlines spoke of heroes, not doping, and a time when cyclists were afraid of nothing. He won the Tour de France in and and the Giro d'Italia in