| The 1990s are the Miguel Indurain era in the Tour de | | | | aggressive chemotherapy. Bjarne Riis wins the Tour. |
| France. He entered the race for the first time in 1985 | | | | In 1997, Riis wants a second win. Near the end of the |
| and entered it eleven more consecutive times. His | | | | race he begins to weaken from exhaustion. On the |
| ratings steadily improved and he eventually won for | | | | contrary, Ullrich is stronger than ever. During the race, |
| the first time in 1990. He went on to win each year | | | | Riis becomes furious, throwing his bike to the ground. |
| thereafter until 1995. He became the first person to win | | | | In 1998, the Tour begins in Dublin, Ireland. Ullrich is a |
| this race five consecutive times. In 1996, Indurain made | | | | well-rounded rider who could do anything. However he |
| a valiant effort but a week of cold, damp riding lead to | | | | begins to fall apart. He couldn't find the right way to |
| a case of bronchitis and Bjarne Riis won. | | | | practice. He actually stayed in bed indulging in |
| It's been said that Indurain is the best time trialist. He | | | | chocolate. Ullrich would then pull it together in order to |
| would make hugh gains and he didn't do badly when it | | | | train. He would go out and train too hard for his lapsed |
| came to mountain times either. He had an astounding | | | | form and then get sick again. Despite this, he wins the |
| career, holding a World Record in 1994 and claiming | | | | Tour. |
| gold in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Indurain | | | | Doping is a big problem in the Tour. Riders who had |
| was built to win. He had an exceptional physique. For | | | | never tested positive now were. A group of Festina |
| example, his resting heart rate was only 29 bpm when | | | | riders confess to doping. The police knew they were |
| an average person's is 60-80 bpm. This slow heart | | | | up against formidable opponents. Riders were crying |
| rate meant that it didn't have to work so hard during | | | | foul and as a group, they maintained a code of silence. |
| long, arduous mountain climbs. | | | | After all, doping had been going on from the very |
| Indurain's fantastic tour came to an end in 1996 at the | | | | beginning of the Tour. Rider took drugs back then to |
| hands of Denmark's Bjarne Riis. The mountains got the | | | | mask their pain, help them sleep and boost their |
| better of him. He retired as possibly the greatest Tour | | | | performance. |
| rider ever. | | | | In 1999, Lance Armstrong was back, as a gaunt, lean |
| The 1996 Tour had a surprising, notable abandon, | | | | athlete. He trained with such focus and this would be |
| Lance Armstrong. He said he wanted to prepare | | | | his best weapon against Ullrich. Even Armstrong had |
| instead for the Olympics in Atlanta. It was during that | | | | been tainted by the doping scandals. He tested positive |
| fall that he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that | | | | for corticosteroid but was cleared when it was |
| had metastasized all over his body. As prove of his | | | | discovered the tiny traces of steroids came from skin |
| superior physique, he returned to racing after | | | | cream he was using. Armstrong dominates the race. |