The latest of our trips down memory lane, as the 2023 Tour de France nears, sees us look back at the 74th edition of the race as Stephen Roche brought the luck of the Irish to take Yellow in one of the most memorable battles of all time.
The 1987 Tour de France, the 74th edition of the world's most prestigious cycling race, provided fans with exhilarating moments and an intense competition between two formidable rivals. Irish cyclist Stephen Roche emerged as the ultimate victor, securing his place in history as the first and only Irish rider to conquer the Tour de France.
Roche's main contender for the yellow jersey was Spanish cyclist Pedro Delgado, who represented the PDM team. Throughout the Tour, Delgado held the coveted yellow jersey as the overall leader, presenting a formidable challenge for Roche. The battle between these two riders would define the outcome of the 1987 Tour de France.
The turning point of the Tour came during the penultimate stage, which featured an individual time trial. Roche, representing the Carrera team, delivered a stellar performance, surpassing expectations and narrowing the gap between himself and Delgado. In a breathtaking display of determination and skill, Roche managed to overturn a significant deficit, ultimately winning the Tour by a mere 40 seconds.
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No Tour de France is complete without the iconic climb up Alpe d'Huez. During stage 18 of the 1987 edition, Roche encountered mechanical issues while ascending the challenging mountain. Undeterred by the setback, he displayed true grit and borrowed a bike from a supportive spectator to continue the race. Roche's determination and resilience limited his time loss and kept him firmly in contention for the Maillot Jaune.
Stage 19 of the 1987 Tour de France was marred by controversy. The mountain time trial up the Col du Granon was shortened due to adverse weather conditions, including heavy rain and fog. Several riders, including Roche, protested the decision and refused to continue racing. Consequently, the stage results were nullified, adding an element of controversy to an already gripping Tour.
In addition to Roche's overall victory, other notable achievements emerged from the 1987 Tour de France. Jean-Paul van Poppel from the Netherlands, representing the Superconfex team, claimed the green jersey for the best sprinter. Luis Herrera from Colombia, riding for the Café de Colombia team, secured the polka dot jersey for the best climber. The white jersey for the best young rider was awarded to Raúl Alcalá from Mexico, competing for the PDM team.
The 1987 Tour de France will forever be etched in cycling history as the year Stephen Roche overcame tremendous odds to secure a memorable victory. His battle with Pedro Delgado, the thrilling Alpe d'Huez drama, and the controversy surrounding stage 19 contributed to the race's enduring legacy. Roche's triumph marked a significant milestone for Ireland, and for himself, as he added the Tour de France to the Giro d'Italia he had won earlier that year before later adding the World Championship. His remarkable achievement continues to inspire cyclists and fans alike.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
- Thibau Nys does exactly what Iserbyt is calling for
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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