--- product_id: 66766277 title: "We Were Young and Carefree: The Autobiography of Laurent Fignon" brand: "laurent fignon" price: "VT7633" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/66766277-we-were-young-and-carefree-the-autobiography-of-laurent-fignon store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # We Were Young and Carefree: The Autobiography of Laurent Fignon **Brand:** laurent fignon **Price:** VT7633 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** We Were Young and Carefree: The Autobiography of Laurent Fignon by laurent fignon - **How much does it cost?** VT7633 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/66766277-we-were-young-and-carefree-the-autobiography-of-laurent-fignon) ## Best For - laurent fignon enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted laurent fignon brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description We Were Young and Carefree: The Autobiography of Laurent Fignon ## Images ![We Were Young and Carefree: The Autobiography of Laurent Fignon - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41D-lv407KL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Man Behind the Smirk *by S***R on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 17, 2013* 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. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Two time winner of the Tour de France ---'Nuff Said *by J***E on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 2, 2020* 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 *by T***. on Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 27, 2010* 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. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/66766277-we-were-young-and-carefree-the-autobiography-of-laurent-fignon](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/66766277-we-were-young-and-carefree-the-autobiography-of-laurent-fignon) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-11*