Paris-nice 11 March, 1991

Laurent Fignon leads his Castorama-raleigh team in stage one’s 47km team time trial around Nevers. The Frenchman wasn’t a major factor in the race, eventually finishing 10th, over four minutes down on the winner.

The GC was all about Tony Rominger. The Swiss led from start to finish. Few stood a chance after this day, which had been preceded by a short prologue time trial the day before, as Rominger’s Toshiba team crushed the opposition, placing five riders a minute ahead of the rest of the field.

From there it was something of a procession south – not helped by Sean Kelly crashing out on stage two – and while there were fleeting efforts to dislodge Rominger, he and his Toshiba team were too strong. When they rolled out the final podium in Nice, Rominger was flanked by Laurent Jalabert and Martial Gayant, both of whom were Toshiba team-mates.

Perhaps the most exciting thing that happened during the race came on the morning of the final stage when the riders staged a mass protest at being forced to wear helmets.

The day before, Frenchman Francis Moreau became the first rider to be disqualified for the offence when he took his helmet off while climbing in 25°C temperatures.

Fignon was there at the front with all the top riders at the start the next day as the peloton stood helmet-less. “It suits me just fine if we’re all disqualified,” said Stephen Roche. “The rugby match starts at 3.30 and my wife is coming.”

At the end of the neutral section Fignon and Marc Madiot negotiated with the commissaires as they tried to get the riders to wear helmets. Eventually most rode to the finish without them.