Memorable Tour de France Moments: 1991...

This photo shows one of the few times I can recall in which Big Mig was visibly angry or frustrated. I don't think he was considering overall victory yet and really wanted the stage win. It was the finale of stage 13, a challenging race in every sense of the word. Starting in Jaca, Spain the Tour wound through 232 km, up and over the Portalet, Col d'Aubisque, Col du Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin, and with a final kicker up to Val-Louron.

Fireworks began on that first big bump of the day, the Aubisque when, first Gianni Bugno, and Charly Mottet, then Claudio Chiapucci, and Yellow Jersey wearer, Luc Leblanc bridged up to a break that had gone clear earlier in the day. The move forced the races other main contenders, including Greg Lemond and Laurent Fignon into action. Descending the Aubisque brought everyone back together, Lemond, Andy Hampsten, and Miguel Indurain had joined the group. Then, descending the Tourmalet's high pass, Indurain attacked out of the group, would later be joined by Chiapucci, and the two would ride away, ticking off the kilometers free from the chasers for the rest of the day.

Behind the two leaders, Lemond was knocked from his bike by the Gatorade team car, whose leader Bugno had just attacked away from Lemond and group. Heading over the penultimate climb, Indurain and Chiapucci had a 3 minute 34 second advantage over Lemond, Hampsten, and three others, with Bugno, Fignon, and Mottet in between at about 2 minutes 30 seconds. Indurain and Chiapucci worked well together, and Chiapucci was able to come around Indurain before the line. Indurain was consoled with the Yellow Jersey, which he would hold for the rest of the Tour, and in fact for the next four years as well.