1980 Liège–Bastogne–Liège

1980 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Race winner Hinault (photographed in 1982)
Race details
Date 20 April 1980
Distance 244 km (151.6 mi)
Winning time 7h 01' 42"
Results
Winner  Bernard Hinault (FRA) (Renault-Gitane)
Second  Hennie Kuiper (NED) (Peugeot)
Third  Ronny Claes (BEL) (IJsboerke)

The 66th running of Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the monument cycling race in Belgium, was held on 20 April 1980. It was won by French Rider Bernard Hinault in an average speed of 34,717 km/h. The race was affected by abysmal weather conditions from start to finish.[1] Only 21 of 174 participants finished the race.[2]

Teams

Professional cycling teams (15)
  1. Renault-Gitane
  2. Peugeot-Esso-Michelin
  3. IJsboerke-Warncke Eis
  4. Boule d'Or-Sunair-Colnago
  5. La Redoute-Motobécane
  6. Safir-Ludo
  7. Splendor-Admiral
  8. TI-Raleigh-Creda
  9. DAF Trucks-Lejeune
  10. Bianchi-Piaggio
  11. Boston-IFI-Mavic
  12. Miko-Mercier-Vivagel
  13. Puch-Sem-Campagnolo
  14. Gis Gelati
  15. Marc-Carlos-V.R.D.-Woningbouw

Race summary

The peloton started the race in a raging snow storm. After one hour of racing more than half of all starters had abandoned the race;[3] another hour later some 60 riders, just one-third of the field, were still in the race.[1]

Two riders, Rudy Pevenage and Ludo Peeters, broke away from the shattered peloton and gained a 2'15” lead by the Stockeu climb.[3][4] Bernard Hinault broke clear with Silvano Contini and Henk Lubberding and, after a 20 km chase, the Hinault group caught the leaders on the Haute Levée climb. With 80 km (50 mi) to go, Hinault attacked solo on the snow-covered roads and ploughed on to Liège.[3] After seven hours of racing in glacial temperatures, he finished nearly 10 minutes ahead of Hennie Kuiper to claim his second Liège–Bastogne–Liège victory.[5]

Weather conditions

The edition was exceptionally hard because of the weather conditions: snow fell from the start and temperatures were near freezing point, leading commentators to call it Neige-Bastogne-Neige ("Snow-Bastogne-Snow").[6] Many media called it the worst Ardennes weather in the history of Liège–Bastogne–Liège.[3] A feature published by the British magazine Procycling in 2000, described the infamous race:

A cold wind that blew across Belgium brought snow flakes and then a heavy fall within moments of the race starting. [...] Riders struggled on, with hands to faces to keep a view on the road. The race was an anonymous mass of plastic jackets and windcheaters. Spectators stood in goggles like upmarket snowmen, red-faced in the bitterness. Within the hour some teams had barely a man left on the road. They pulled out two dozen at a time, men like Gibi Baronchelli and Giuseppe Saronni, Lucien Van Impe and Jean-René Bernaudeau.[7]

Hinault was one of just 21 riders to finish the race. He suffered frostbite in two fingers of his right hand, taking three weeks for proper movement to return,[7] and causing lasting damage to this day.[1]

Results

Full result of the race:[8]

General classification
RiderCountryTeamTime
1. Bernard Hinault FranceRenault-Gitane7h 01' 42"
2. Hennie Kuiper Kingdom of the NetherlandsPeugeot-Esso-Michelin+ 9' 24"
3. Ronny Claes BelgiumIJsboerke-Warncke Eis+ 9' 24"
4. Alfons De Wolf BelgiumBoule d'Or-Sunair-Colnago+ 10' 34"
5. Pierre Bazzo FranceLa Redoute-Motobécane+ 10' 34"
6. Ludo Peeters BelgiumIJsboerke-Warncke Eis+ 10' 34"
7. Herman Van Springel BelgiumSafir-Ludo+ 12' 05"
8. Guido Van Calster BelgiumSplendor-Admiral+ 12' 35"
9. Johan van der Velde Kingdom of the NetherlandsTI-Raleigh-Creda+ 12' 35"
10. Eddy Schepers BelgiumDAF Trucks-Lejeune+ 12' 35"
11. Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle FrancePeugeot-Esso-Michelin+ 12' 35"
12. Silvano Contini ItalyBianchi-Piaggio+ 12' 35"
13. Henk Lubberding Kingdom of the NetherlandsTI-Raleigh-Creda+ 16' 03"
14. Stefan Mutter SwitzerlandTI-Raleigh-Creda+ 16' 03"
15. Pascal Simon FrancePeugeot-Esso-Michelin+ 16' 03"
16. Jan Jonkers Kingdom of the NetherlandsBoston-IFI-Mavic+ 17' 59"
17. Bert Oosterbosch Kingdom of the NetherlandsTI-Raleigh-Creda+ 18' 35"
18. Paul Wellens BelgiumTI-Raleigh-Creda+ 18' 35"
19. Frits Pirard Kingdom of the NetherlandsMiko-Mercier-Vivagel+ 18' 35"
20. Jean-Raymond Toso FrancePuch-Campagnolo-Sem+ 24' 06"
21. Jostein Wilmann NorwayPuch-Campagnolo-Sem+ 27' 00"

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Crushing Victories – Bernard Hinault at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, 1980". ragtimecyclist.com. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  2. ↑ Deneits, Stéphane. "L'expédition d'Hinault". vélochrono.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Boyce, Barry. "Top 20 All Time Major Classics #5. Liege-Bastogne-Liege 1980: Hinault, Snow, and Pain.". cyclingrevealed.com. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Une édition de légende". cyclo-ardennaise.net (in French). Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "Guest Article: Bernard Hinault's 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege". velominati.com. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Bernard Hinault and his epic 1980 win in Liege-Bastogne-Liege (VIDEO)". thebikecomesfirst.com. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Bernard Hinault at 1980 Liege-Bastogne-Liege". Procycling. United Kingdom: Immediate Media Company. May 2000.
  8. ↑ "1980: 66th Liège-Bastogne-Liège". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 19 February 2016.

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