We Were Young and Carefree

I really enjoyed this book. Laurent won the Tour in 1983 and 1984....and.....almost.......in 1989. This is my favorite, and I think the best years of the Tour. Laurent Fignon, Bernard Hinault, Greg LeMond. All true legit Tour, and other races, champions. Laurent gets into his relationship with other riders, his own teams, team management, the press, and shares issues of his personal life. He shares some of his criticisms of other riders. He talks about the business side of the Tour and teams and getting sponsors, but the ultimately owning his own team. Most biking books I really just want to read about the specific races, the stages, the strategy. And this book does address the racing details. But the "non-race" background and personal issues and insights Laurent provides prove to be equally interesting. And yes, he does go into detail about the 1989 Tour and the famous, or infamous, 8 seconds. LeMond and Laurent going head to head on the Champs. Laurent does fully address the impact of that 1989 "loss" on him. And it was significant as he describes. Laurent was a great rider, one of the last true all-rounders and a competitor to the end. After reading this book, it was clear to me the one race, the 1989 Tour de France, does not define Laurent. He won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984. He won the Giro in 1989, but fell a mere 8 seconds short of a Tour win in 1989. The 1989 tour second place finish does not diminish in any way his accomplishments or his standing as a true race champion. I am a huge fan of Laurent Fignon. But even if you are not, this book will be of interest to any fan of professional bike racing in the 1980s. I love the image of Laurent cranking down the Champs in the 1989 Tour de France. No aero helmet. No tri-bars on his bike. Two disc wheels. His pony tail blowing in the wind as he gives it his all to get to the finish line. Edged out by 8 seconds by an equally competitive rider rival --- Greg LeMond. Laurent Fignon -- climber, sprinter, team leader, champion.

We were Young and Carefree is what you would expect from Fignon. It is essentially a chronological account of Fignon from when he was a child to when he began commentating on Television a few years ago. Thankfully, he was able to write this before he passed last year. The book is very interesting in that it takes you behind the scenes of Fignon's falling out with Bernard Hinault, and Cyrille Guimard. Fignon also makes his thoughts of Greg Lemond apparent. Although he talks about the 1989 Tour De France, he gets past it quickly. Although I was not a great fan of Fignon, I feel his career was so much more than than his 2nd place in the 1989 Tour. Finally, he spends a lot of time on drugs in cycling in the 90s. If you are fan of Fignon you will find a very confident champion in these pages. If you are not a fan, you will find sort of a whiner and strange person. No matter, if you were a cyclist in the 80's you will enjoy this book. I would have given 5 stars but there is nothing really about modern cycling eg. Lance Armstong, Contador, etc. even though he was very involved with modern cycling before his untimely passing.

Like many cycling fans in the US, particularly those who became fans post-Greg LeMond, I only knew Laurent Fignon as the rider that LeMond beat by 8 seconds in the 1989 Tour. I knew nothing about his background, of his two Tour de France victories, or his experience in the classics or the Giro. I'd read that he was typical Parisian: Aloof, unpleasant. That may be true, but like a friend that we grow to appreciate in spite of his/her flaws, I came to admire and appreciate Fignon as a rider and a sportsman through this self-portrait. Detailed and engaging, the narrative is completely enjoyable, and hugely informative. One can tell that it was translated to English by a Brit (William Fotheringham), as much of the phraseology is clearly colored in that direction. Interestingly enough, more-so than in Fotheringham's own writing. But, this is amusing and nothing more. For cycling enthusiasts with an interest in the "Giants of the Road," this is rewarding reading.

I'm so glad I took the time to read this account by Fignon. I started racing in 1984-85 and I couldn't stand this guy. His public persona was of this pompous, arrogant, smirking celebrity cyclist... who also had a tremendous talent that at least sometimes made up for these character flaws. The book does a good job of uncovering the roots of this perception - some of it justified; some of it magnified by the media accounts of the time. I was pleased to find that he and the Badger were actually quite good friends and seem to have remained so throughout his run in life. His taunting of Hinault during and after the 1984 TDF was one of the reasons I took to disliking the man. I even appreciated the fact that this was not an account by an accomplished author - quite the contrary. As a result, many readers may find it plodding and pedantic in places; repetitive in others. This is a small price to pay for Fignon's perspective on the last years of the Golden Age of cycling (roughly 1948 - 1986). The account brims with authenticity, soul searching, and the confessions of a man who must have known at some level that he was penning his own obituary. I get so angry when cyclists today apologize for Armstrong and other modern cyclists by claiming that professional cyclists have always used drugs and cheated. Fignon makes the case that the drugs doing the rounds in his day were known, tested for, and were never a part of the general routines and traditions of cycling. The drug of choice in his day was amphetamine and as Fignon says, it could never take an average cyclist and make them into a champion. He also chronicles the rise of the super drugs like EPO, HGH, synthetic testosterone, etc. (which could not be tested for at the time) and the ways these accelerated the decline of cycling from the sport of 'the Giants of the Road' into the cash cow it is today. The other insight that I really found fascinating was his relationship with the one time Renault Directeur Sportif, Cyrille Guimard. His relationship with Guimard began when he was still racing as an amateur in the late 70's early 80's and the Renault team enjoyed this almost cult-like status among the French. From Fignon's account it is clear that as a directeur sportif, Guimard had no equal... however when it came to running a business or even mastering the intricacies of close personal relationships, he was a singular failure. Guimard seems to have had a great reservoir of passive-aggressiveness which would show itself during times of stress. I always suspected he was just too much the authoritarian, which might help explain his falling out with Hinault who held a similar reputation for strictness at the time. However, the opposite seems to have been the case. Fignon doesn't quite put his finger on it, but I felt Guimard just didn't know how to deal with criticism - or perhaps more to the point - how to deal with people who were unhappy with him. At the same time I felt that several of Fignon's criticisms of Guimard were not fair... because who can be all things to all people at all times? Still, such a sad end to a famous collaboration. If you lived and raced in my era, you will find yourself nodding 'yes' to many of the descriptions and details recounted here. It was such a beautiful sport in its day... it's a shame, really.

Laurent Fignon always seemed a bit too France for me growing up. I couldn't connect with him and really didn't understand him as a person (or as a person portrayed via the media). His book did a great deal to help me understand him as a person and then as a cyclist, but almost on purpose he seems to have left out 'that little something' that would have helped me understand him as a man. I don't know what else to say - it's worth reading but I wish I was the receiver or more insight to the man via his book.

Fignon was one of the great cyclists of the 80s, not because he was super talented, but because he was so determined. He had a huge influence on the generation of cyclists that followed, leaving a generation of thoughtful, honorable, riders. Shame there is such a contrast to the Sky team today. Fignon writes about a time before and just as drugs were becoming mainstream in sport, and clearly expresses the tragedy of it. He started riding in a time when dashing young men competed in a time of mutual respect. He ends in a time when victory was becoming defined by who would take the most risks with his health. Its a well written portrait of a man who was highly intelligent for a sportsman, and as such is a very good and readable account of a career that had far more than its fair share of challenges. Highly recommended for cyclists, general sports fans, and anyone who thinks drugs in sport are ok.

I was lucky enough to be a competitive athlete in the 1980's...an Iron Man distance triathlete who fell in love with cycling. It was a time when MTV and the Tour de France both made their debut on television. We learned a new language; peloton, Alpe d'Huez and riding a wheel. We also learned of old heroes and fell in love with new one's; Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, The Badger, Greg Lemond and Laurent Fignon. Laurent was the man I admired and even tried to mirror in appearance. He was fast, insane in his tactics and was the cool French guy with the pony tail! He was partly why I rode. Even why my wife and I became part of a student exchange program with a French family. If you took up cycling in the 1980's you MUST read this book. His recollections bring back images we watched on TV of Paris Roubaix and the Tour. His stories will help you to understand the times and to make the men of the peloton like Sean Kelly and Bernard Hinault become real people not just powerful guys on bikes. I have to say there were times while reading I felt great melancholy at the knowledge these days are gone for them and for me. Though it took only two days to read the book I have already re-read pages as they instill such emotion, joy and sometimes sadness. Laurent is a personal hero. Many Americans at that time loved to hate Laurent as he was Lemond's nemesis. And few remember that Laurent won the Tour de France twice before Lemond beat him with skill and technology. The yellow Renault jersey and The Professor will never be forgotten. Laurent is very very sick now...which brings another level of mortality to the book and to life. I wish him well and I hope he knows he DID create a legacy and a joy for many of us...as we rode our bikes over 100 mile training rides we would take up the personas of Hinault and Lemond....and I, Laurent Fignon.

Very rare book for cycling fans. As a racer here in the States for over 15 years I always knew what made guys like Lemond great was equally great competitors such as Laurent Fignon. Yes, the book has Fignon's arrogance in it, but that is part of the reason it is a fun and great read. How strange that I purchased this book shortly before Fignon's death. It is as though Fignon felt a need to leave us all with lasting impressions from a great career. Sometimes as athletes and fans we forget about the spirit, and competitive fire that is involved in sports and life and that can be felt by winners, and losers alike. Because it is in the "fight" and "spirit" that all of us are victorious. This book captures what is clearly missing in cycling today, and maybe it will return. An inspiring read from one of the greats of cycling.

Great book. I have a new appreciation for Fignon despite his at times blatant lack of self awareness and inflated sense of self importance. Unfortunately the translator clearly did a lazy job of putting this book into English. As someone who spent the greater part of ten years translating ancient Greek and Latin, I was disappointed by the lack of effort to put this book into English that feels natural. The translations are technically correct but clearly he was not able to capture the sense of what was being said with accuracy or finesse.

Libro straordinario di un talento sportivo incredibile. Per chi ama il ciclismo è una lettura imperdibile. Ho aspettato anni per comprarlo nella speranza che uscisse in italiano...pochi giorni dopo l'acquisto ho scoperto che a fine Maggio 2022 esce la versione italiana.

I read this autobiography during my last vacances and I can say that is easy to read and entertaining. Maybe Fignon is a little bit cocky is some affirmations, but also you can feel the cycling world from inside. P.S. Excuse me if there are any errors in my writing, but English isn't my mother tongue.

If I could describe this book in one word, I'd say it was 'fearless'. And when you think how Laurent Fignon rode during his pro career, it's not too far away from that... I had a few pre-conceived ideas prior to reading this book; some from what i already knew and others from general reading, chat etc. and so was intrigued to find out more about such an enigmatic character. This book is a very detailed account of Laurent Fignons pro-cycling career and the intracacies contained therein, describing his time in the peloton as 'a golden age' when pro-bike riders were 'winners' rather than the 'earners' of today. (Couldn't agree more with that sentiment, as it goes). He doesn't give much away about his private life (only found out he was married half way through the book) but for me, that in no way detracts from the books' essential content. It's written with great passion about life in the pro peloton and the tactical nous needed to succeed-describing some races as "guerilla warfare" and writing of "going into battle". This for me was the highlight of the book; to have that level of insider knowledge and insight was just great and I loved that about it. Those eight seconds; it was very very interesting to get his take on that momentous event... Another element of this book I liked is the way in which Laurent Fignon shares with the reader his take (as well as his respect)of other big players / riders of the day; Hinault, Kelly etc etc and from that, we get to know more about those riders also. Doping is discussed, but not in any great depth-I had the feeling that whatever it was Monsieur Fignon took in his day,there was a line he wouldn't cross, believably appearing horrified as to how doping seems to have progressed in more recent times. I did wonder as to why he didn't include any photos-would have liked to have seen a few-and as well, why no palmares? Over the years, I've read a lot of pro-cycling literature-this is the only one on immediately after finishing reading,I went to the front and started to re-read. Normally, i'll give away books I've read, but not this one-I'm keepin it! :) Such a shame there won't be any more-i had the feeling there's a good few other books this guy could have written, particularly on pro-cycling of today. A thoroughly absorbing and enjoyable read-R.I.P Monsieur (Twice TDF winner) Fignon...

I must confess that for some reason neither Hinault nor Fignon really got to me. I never was as interested in them as I was in other riders. So it was a huge surprise for me that after reading this book, I was really sad and deeply felt the loss of Fignon. That is the accomplishement of the person that Laurent Fignon was. It is compelling and soothing when a great champion is also a great man in one way or another.