This episode is the first in a three-part series examining the lasting importance of the 1986 Tour de France, 40 years on.It's available here for a limited time, as well as ad-free for our Friends of the Podcast subscribers. Sign up at thecyclingpodcast.comJoin Lionel Birnie, Graham Willgoss and special guest Edward Pickering as they discuss the 1986 Tour de France, which signalled the end of the road for Bernard Hinault and, in a way, the French dominance of their national sporting event. The Tour de France was embracing the world rapidly – and the world was falling in love with the Tour.We discuss the inter-team battle between America's blue-eyed boy, Greg LeMond, and his legendary teammate-slash-rival Hinault.For Lionel and Ed, it was also a first opportunity to follow the Tour daily on television and so it left indelible memories that shaped how they have experienced the Tour ever since.So why was the 1986 Tour one of the most important, watershed events in modern cycling history?This episode was produced by Jon Moonie. Artwork by Lionel Birnie, featuring a photograph by Graham Watson.

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