3 Aug

Paris Tour Stage Winner Jeff Pierce

Paris Winner Interview: The Tour de France didn’t finish in Paris this 12 months (2024), nonetheless the Olympic Video video games freeway races do. We look once more to 1987 with Ed Hood. Jeff Pierce is one amongst solely two US riders to have gained the last word stage of the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The other is Greg LeMond who gained in 1989, Pierce took his victory two years beforehand, merely ahead of Canada’s Steve Bauer.

“I’m in no way happier than after I’m writing.”
~ Ed Hood, as spoken to Martin Williamson from the passenger seat, driving alongside a stage route on the Tour de France.

Costly Readers – Our beloved colleague and good good friend Ed Hood suffered a crucial stroke in February. We don’t anticipate Ed will make it once more into our bunch, so we’ve started a GoFundMe net web page to help Ed alongside together with his future. Be taught the full submit proper right here – and please bear in mind donating.

** Click on on this hyperlink to donate to the GoFundMe net web page to help Ed **

We’ll be posting a alternative of Ed’s work from the earlier 16 years, because of good story-telling in no way will get outdated.

Jeff Pierce? Isn’t he that dude from the 7-Eleven group who gained the ultimate stage of the Tour de France once more throughout the 80’s? That’s the person! Nonetheless there’s considerably bit additional to the particular person than that in a occupation which lasted some 22 years. . .

PEZ: Your first worldwide expertise was throughout the strong novice ‘Milk Race,’ Tour of Britain in 1980?
Jeff Pierce: Yeah, my first time on a plane, too! Eddy Borysewicz our Nationwide Coach observed us off on the airport and talked about to me; ‘you skinny man, ought to make excessive 20 finish in any other case you off group!’ The race was fully brutal with the Russians unbelievably good, they solely smashed everyone, an entire technique of attrition. The Russians have been first, second, third, fourth and sixth on final GC whereas I accomplished thirty seventh @ 1 hour 6 minutes, nonetheless remained on the nationwide group.

PEZ: You may have been third common throughout the Coors Fundamental in 1984 nonetheless is it truthful to say your ‘breakthrough’ expertise obtained right here throughout the ’85 Coors whilst you gained that mountain stage?
I really feel so, Stage 10, Vail to Copper Mountain over Battle Mountain, Tennessee Go and Fremont Go which was at 11,316 ft above sea diploma. I purchased away with the Colombian guys Cabrera and Lopez on the first climb then dropped them on the ultimate climb – not a nasty final result for a ‘crit man’ from Detroit! Certain, an enormous breakthrough.

1996 – His final season

PEZ: And in addition you gained the Tour of Berlin that 12 months too?
Certain, that was a ‘preparation’ race for the US Milk Race group – I take into account circuit races and plenty of cobbles. Inside the Milk Race that 12 months, I purchased on the podium twice with a second and third place on phases; and Roy Knickman took the jersey for a quick spell, which was an enormous deal for us. Sadly, 4 of our group had crashed out so it was troublesome to defend; I take into account on one stage, when Roy was throughout the break, the group supervisor saying to me; ‘it’s a should to dam for Roy.’ So that was what I was doing, then he comes once more to me and says; ‘OK, now I would love you to get all through to the break to help him!’

The final word stage of the 1987 Tour de France

PEZ: Skilled with Schwinn for 1986 nonetheless you rode the Tour de France for 7-Eleven?
With Schwinn I wasn’t technically an expert, it was a kind of halfway house and they also let me away to expertise the Tour with 7-Eleven. We’ve been really meant to expertise the Vuelta that 12 months – it was throughout the spring once more then – nonetheless one factor occurred on the worldwide stage that was going to fireside up a lot of anti-American feeling. We’ve been on the airport, in a position to fly to Spain after we acquired the choice from Jim Ochowicz that we weren’t going, it might need been too dangerous.

PEZ: The US house scene to le Grande Boucle, that’s pretty a soar?
We’d all had some huge outcomes on the house scene, 85/86 nonetheless we didn’t know loads regarding the Continental scene. We’ve been pretty good riders and desperate to see how we’d measure up in the direction of the Europeans. It was fully brutal – after week one now we have been in ‘survival mode’ nonetheless that talked about, for guys who’d in no way ridden a 3 week tour, 5 of us purchased to the top, Alex Stieda had the yellow jersey and Davis Phinney gained a stage so we positioned on a fairly good displaying.

7-Eleven group of 1987

PEZ: Milan-Sanremo in 1987?
I take into account Etienne, our soigneur telling us that the Classics have been ‘no joke’ – he was correct and that was one pretty prolonged ass race! The Italian kind of racing took just a little little bit of getting used to, they’d merely roll alongside for the first 4 hours then the ultimate couple of hours may be ‘full gasoline’ at 110% – the Italians didn’t like in the event you occur to attacked early. Bob Roll and I used to go from the gun and they also’d ought to chase, that really upset them, they’d be yelling at us nonetheless Bob and I had loads gratifying. . .

The Tour win in Paris

PEZ: ‘That’ Tour, ’87. . .
It was ‘survival’ as soon as extra; nonetheless Davis gained the Bordeaux stage and Dag Otto Lauritzen gained the stage to Luz Ardiden. On the last word stage we had the inexperienced caps as best group on components and wished to carry on to them; now we have been driving for Ron Kiefel, our best sprinter and attempting to set it up for him. With just a few laps to go, two guys took off, purchased a spot and I went with them, guys obtained right here all through and with a lap to purchased there have been maybe 12/13 of us away and I felt it might ‘stick’ – I was a climber nonetheless I’ll sprint a bit and thought I’ll beat a whole lot of the others and a excessive 10 on the last word stage may be cool. Any person attacked on the descent of the Champs, the remaining hesitated; I slammed it into my largest gear and went with him. It was an outstanding place to go because of the break was contemplating we’d be caught and the peloton eased considerably because of they thought the catch was made. Steve Bauer was throughout the break and he observed what was occurring and obtained right here after me nonetheless burned all his gasoline to face as much as me and I knew I wanted to have that remaining little little little bit of vitality to survive – which I clearly did. It wasn’t until quite a lot of years after after I watched a video of the top that I realised how crafty Bauer was – after I regarded over my left shoulder he went correct after which after I regarded over my left shoulder he went correct! Nonetheless like I discussed he had nothing left as quickly as he purchased to me.

PEZ: And in addition you might have been on the legendary Hampsten 1988 Giro profitable 7-Eleven group; how was the Gavia for you?
We’re nonetheless the one US group to win the Giro – we went in very correctly prepared and Andy was in good type. I’m from Michigan so I’m used to snow nonetheless that day the descent off the Gavia it wasn’t like a freeway, it was like a toboggan run. Inside quarter-hour, I couldn’t actually really feel my legs from the thighs down and take into account contemplating; ‘how am I pedalling?’ My brakes didn’t work and I couldn’t see – there are sections I’ve no memory of. The next issue I was in a trailer on the top having dry clothes positioned on me and consuming scorching tea and whisky – it was surreal.

PEZ: Giro, Suisse Tour and Tour de France in 1988, that’s pretty a workload.
And the Coors Fundamental too, I really feel I raced one factor like 80 out of 100 days in that part of the ’88 season.

PEZ: Inform us about your 1989 Tour of the Basque Nation stage win.
That was a gratifying day, there was a break of maybe 20 away with me, Ron Kiefel and Andy Hampsten – Ron attacked, they launched him once more then it was Andy’s flip, he obtained right here once more and I went. There have been two Spanish guys with me and I may even see them talking and slicing a deal, they didn’t know me and I acted like I was empty. On the top, the one man lead out the other, I sat on and went straight earlier – they shouldn’t have beneath estimated me!

7-Eleven 1988 group

PEZ: The ’90 Giro was your remaining Grand Tour?
Yeah, I was all the best way right down to expertise the Tour because of Davis Phinney was prepared on Connie giving supply to Taylor. Nonetheless she gave supply sooner than the Tour and Davis flew out so the 1990 Giro was my remaining Grand Tour of seven.

PEZ: Once more racing throughout the US for 1991?
There have been plans for a US 7-Eleven group which could moreover race in Europe nonetheless that fell via and 7-Eleven grew to grow to be Motorola – time to maneuver on. . .

Chevrolet-LA Sheriffs

There was a person starting a model new group, Chevrolet-LA Sheriffs and I joined up. The first 12 months wasn’t good nonetheless 12 months two we had the likes of Malcolm Elliott on board and we went on to be the dominant group throughout the USA. We had the bases coated, if it was a topic sprint we had Malcolm and if not then we on a regular basis had enjoying playing cards to play. The group lasted six years with ’96 my remaining 12 months.

PEZ: You may have been 1995 US Madison Champion with Steve Hegg?
I grew up on the monitor and was attempting to make the Olympic group, ‘Mission 96’ for the components race, it was a two day trial, we gained the madison nonetheless I didn’t make the group – it was an outstanding run though, a 22 12 months occupation on the bike.

PEZ: Civilian life?
I retired on the end of ’96 and went once more to my house and boat in San Diego and January 2nd ’97 I moved to a job in publishing in New York – Bicycling journal and Rolling Stone. The I labored with GT bikes in sports activities actions promoting and advertising, BMX and MTB nonetheless then they talked about; ‘we’d choose to place our freeway bikes throughout the Tour de France – this 12 months!’ This was in April so clearly all the teams have their bike presents in place. Nonetheless we heard that Lotto didn’t have a improbable deal with ALAN, we met with them and hammered out a deal. I delivered them three days sooner than the start of the Tour; there was a lot of resistance from the riders nonetheless I assured them they’d love the machines and sure ample, they started coming to me and thanking me, saying the bikes have been stiff and super-responsive. Then I labored with US Biking and employed Jim Miller who took over after I left to go to T-Cell. I was with them for 15 years on product sales and promoting and advertising and when Jim left US Biking I obtained right here once more. I prefer it, it’s in no way simple however it’s my passion; finally you merely ought to do your best.