View source for Luc Leblanc

{{Short description|French cyclist}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name           = Luc Leblanc
| image          = Douchy-les-Mines - Paris-Arras Tour, étape 1, 20 mai 2016, départ (B079).JPG
| full_name      = Luc Leblanc
| nickname       =
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1966|08|04}}
| birth_place    = [[Limoges]], France
| height         = 1.73 m
| weight         = {{convert|62|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}
| currentteam    = Retired
| discipline     = Road
| role           = Rider
| ridertype      =
| amateuryears1  =
| amateurteam1   =
| proyears1      = 1987&ndash;1988
| proteam1       = {{UCI team code|LVC|1987}}
| proyears2      = 1989
| proteam2       = [[Histor–Sigma]]
| proyears3      = 1990&ndash;1993
| proteam3       = [[Castorama (cycling team)|Castorama]]
| proyears4      = 1994
| proteam4       = [[Festina cycling team|Festina]]
| proyears5      = 1995
| proteam5       = [[Le Groupement]]
| proyears6      = 1995&ndash;1999
| proteam6       = [[Team Polti|Polti]]
| majorwins      = '''[[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]]'''
:'''[[Tour de France]]'''
::2 individual stages ([[1994 Tour de France|1994]], [[1996 Tour de France|1996]])
:'''[[Vuelta a España]]'''
::[[Mountains classification in the Vuelta a España|Mountains classification]] ([[1994 Vuelta a España|1994]])
'''[[Classic cycle races|One-day races and classics]]'''
:[[1994 UCI Road World Championships|World Road Race Championships]] ([[1994 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|1994]])
:{{nowrap|[[French National Road Race Championships|National Road Race Championships]] (1992)}}
| show-medals    = no
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport| Men's [[road bicycle racing]] }}
{{MedalCountry| {{flagu|France}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UCI Road World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold |[[1994 UCI Road World Championships|1994 Agrigento]]|[[1994 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Elite Men's Road Race]]}}
}}
'''Luc Leblanc''' (born 4 August 1966 in [[Limoges]], France) is a retired French professional [[road bicycle racing|road cyclist]]. He was [[World Cycling Championship|World Road Champion]] in 1994.
==Biography==
In 1978, a drunk driver hit Luc Leblanc, aged 11, and his younger brother Gilles Leblanc, aged 8. Gilles died after the accident, and  Luc was hospitalized for six months. After many operations, Luc was able to walk again, although his left leg was 3&nbsp;cm shorter and weaker than his right leg.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dewielersite.net/db2/wielersite/coureurmemofiche.php?coureurmemoid=445&coureurid=3455 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801034927/http://www.dewielersite.net/db2/wielersite/coureurmemofiche.php?coureurmemoid=445&coureurid=3455 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-08-01 |title=Memo Luc Leblanc |language=nl }}</ref>
Initially, Leblanc wanted to become a priest, but after a physiotherapist's advice to take up cycling to solve his leg problems, and subsequently [[Raymond Poulidor]]'s advice to become a professional cyclist, he did not become a priest.<ref name="wielerheld">{{cite web|url=http://wielerhelden.blogse.nl/log/luc-leblanc.html|title=Wielerhelden – Luc Leblanc|date=2006-01-04|access-date=2009-03-13|language=nl|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120218145505/http://wielerhelden.blogse.nl/log/luc-leblanc.html|archive-date=2012-02-18}}</ref>
At the [[1991 Tour de France]], in the 12th stage Leblanc joined the decisive attack together with [[Charly Mottet]] and [[Pascal Richard]]. Mottet won the stage, but they finished 7&nbsp;minutes ahead of the classification leader [[LeMond]], which meant that Leblanc was the new leader.<ref name="McGann">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V8mlwItBhhcC&pg=PA200 |pages=199–200|title=The Story of the Tour de France Volume II 1965-2007|author=Bill McGann, Carol McGann|publisher=Dog Ear Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-1-59858-608-4}}</ref>
The next day, Leblanc finished 12 minutes behind the winner, and lost the lead to [[Miguel Induráin]], who would remain the leader until the end of the race.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1978_2005/tdf1991.php |language=fr |publisher=Memoire du Cyclisme |title=78ème Tour de France 1991 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131133651/http://memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1978_2005/tdf1991.php |archive-date=2009-01-31 }}</ref>
The [[yellow jersey]] that he received for leading the general classification, he gave to Poulidor.<ref name="wielerheld"/> His accident years earlier did lead to operations on his injuries, and in the [[1992 Tour de France]] the effects caught up with him and he had to stop on the stage to Alpe d'Huez. Again, in 1993, his legs hurt, nothing worked, and Luc Leblanc wanted to end his cycling career. However, the last thing he decided to try was to switch to teams and he joined the Festina team.<ref name="wielerheld"/>
The next year, 1994, was his most successful year. At Festina, Leblanc won the 11th stage of the [[1994 Tour de France]] ahead of Pantani and Indurain, and in the [[1994 Vuelta a España]] he won the mountains classification. Later that year he won the [[1994 UCI Road World Championships]].<ref name="wielerheld"/>
As a world champion, Leblanc had many offers from the world's best cycling teams. He joined Le Groupement, but the team's sponsorship ended one week before the [[1995 Tour de France]]. Leblanc moved on to the Italian [[team Polti]]. Here, needing operations on his leg again, the results were not as expected, although he won one stage at the [[1996 Tour de France]].<ref name="wielerheld"/>
In 1999, Leblanc was fired by Polti, because Leblanc was injured and could not continue his career.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.volkskrant.nl/archief_gratis/article793721.ece/Stakingsleider_stopt_met_tegenzin|title=Stakingsleider stopt met tegenzin|author=Bart Jungmann|work=De Volkskrant|language=nl|date=4 March 1999}}</ref> Later, the Italian court decided that the dismissal was unfair, and Polti should pay Leblanc. In 2007, Leblanc sued the French and Italian cycling authorities and the [[Union Cycliste Internationale|UCI]] because he still had not gotten the money.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/nieuwsfiche.php?nieuwsid=5718 |title=Luc Leblanc dagvaardt UCI en wielerbonden |date=6 February 2007 |language=nl |publisher=Cyclingwebsite |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003143637/http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/nieuwsfiche.php?nieuwsid=5718 |archive-date=3 October 2012 }}</ref>
In 2004, Leblanc became team captain for Chocolade Jacques in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/nieuwsfiche.php?nieuwsid=1345 |title=Leblanc wordt ploegleider bij Chocolade Jacques |date=28 April 2004 |publisher=Cyclingwebsite |language=nl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003143648/http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/nieuwsfiche.php?nieuwsid=1345 |archive-date=3 October 2012 }}</ref>
Later, Leblanc became a consultant for a French radio station [[Radio Monte Carlo]] during the Tour de France.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://paris.thover.com/photo.new.php?l=en&ID=3371|title=Luc Leblanc in the Village Départ|publisher=Paris.Thover|date=July 8, 2007}}</ref>
== Doping ==
After his retirement, in a trial against [[Richard Virenque]] in 2000, Leblanc admitted that he had been using EPO to prepare for the Tour and the Vuelta.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/virenque-i-took-drugs-i-had-no-choice-637089.html|title=Virenque: 'I took drugs, I had no choice'|author=Olivier Hamoir|date=25 October 2000|access-date=2009-03-13|work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/cycling/news/2000/10/24/virenque2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010712033011/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/cycling/news/2000/10/24/virenque2/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 12, 2001|title=Virenque's confession exposes cycling's dark side|date=October 24, 2000|access-date=2009-03-13|publisher=CNNSI}}</ref>
==Major results==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
;1986
: 4th Overall [[Circuit de la Sarthe (cycling)|Circuit de la Sarthe]]
::1st Stage 2
;1987
: 2nd [[French National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 4th Overall [[Tour du Limousin]]
: 6th Overall [[Grand Prix du Midi Libre]]
: 6th Overall [[Étoile de Bessèges]]
: 8th Overall [[1987 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
: 8th [[Coppa Sabatini]]
;1988
: 1st [[1987 GP Ouest–France|GP Ouest–France]]
: 3rd Overall [[Tour Méditerranéen]]
: 3rd [[Trophée des Grimpeurs]]
: 4th Overall [[1988 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
::1st [[File:Jersey red.svg|20px]] Sprints classification
: 4th [[1988 Tour du Haut Var|Tour du Haut Var]]
: 5th Overall [[Route Adélie|Tour d'Armorique]]
::1st Stage 2
: 6th Overall [[1988 Paris–Nice|Paris–Nice]]
: 9th Overall [[Grand Prix du Midi Libre]]
;1989
: 2nd [[Grand Prix de Cannes]]
: 2nd [[Bol d'Or des Monédières]]
: 3rd Overall [[Tour du Limousin]]
: 4th [[Paris–Camembert]]
: 5th [[Cholet-Pays de la Loire]]
;1990
: 1st [[1990 Tour du Haut Var|Tour du Haut Var]]
: 1st [[Grand Prix de Wallonie]]
: 1st Stage 5 [[1990 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
: 2nd [[Bol d'Or des Monédières]]
: 3rd Overall [[1990 Paris–Nice|Paris–Nice]]
: 3rd Overall [[Tour du Vaucluse]]
: 7th Overall [[Grand Prix du Midi Libre]]
: 10th Overall [[Critérium International]]
;1991
: 1st [[Bol d'Or des Monédières]]
: 2nd [[Grand Prix de Rennes]]
: 3rd [[Classique des Alpes]]
: 3rd [[Trofeo Pantalica]]
: 4th Overall [[Grand Prix du Midi Libre]]
::1st Stage 5
: 5th Overall [[1991 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::Held [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] after Stage 12
: 5th Overall [[Tour du Limousin]]
: 5th [[French National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 8th [[Wincanton Classic]]
: 10th Overall [[1991 Tirreno–Adriatico|Tirreno–Adriatico]]
;1992
: 1st [[File:MaillotFra.PNG|20px]] [[French National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 1st [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall [[Grand Prix du Midi Libre]]
::1st Prologue & Stage 4
: 2nd Overall [[1992 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
::1st [[File:Jersey green.svg|20px]] Points classification
::1st Stage 2
: 2nd Overall [[Tour de Picardie]]
: 2nd [[Classique des Alpes]]
: 3rd [[Paris–Camembert]]
: 3rd [[Grand Prix des Amériques (cycling race)|Grand Prix des Amériques]]
: 5th Overall [[1992 Tour de Romandie|Tour de Romandie]]
: 6th Overall [[Tour of Ireland|Nissan Classic]]
: 8th [[1992 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1992 UCI Road World Championships|UCI Road World Championships]]
: 10th [[Cholet-Pays de la Loire]]
;1993
: 1st Stage 1 [[Tour du Vaucluse]]
: 6th Overall [[1993 Tour de Romandie|Tour de Romandie]]
: 7th Overall [[Tour du Limousin]]
;1994
: 1st [[File:Jersey rainbow.svg|20px]] [[1994 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1994 UCI Road World Championships|UCI Road World Championships]]
: 1st Stage 1 [[Euskal Bizikleta]]
: 1st Stage 4 [[Tour of Galicia]]
: 4th Overall [[1994 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::1st Stage 11
: 6th Overall [[1994 Vuelta a España|Vuelta a España]]
::1st [[File:Jersey white.svg|20px]] [[Mountains classification in the Vuelta a España|Mountains classification]]
;1995
: 9th Overall [[Grand Prix du Midi Libre]]
;1996
: 1st Stage 7 [[1996 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
: 2nd [[Classique des Alpes]]
: 2nd [[Giro dell'Emilia]]
: 2nd [[Coppa Placci]]
: 3rd [[Polynormande]]
: 5th Overall [[Route du Sud]]
: 5th [[Giro del Piemonte]]
: 6th Overall [[1996 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::1st Stage 7
: 7th Overall [[1996 Paris–Nice|Paris–Nice]]
;1997
: 1st [[File:Jersey violet.svg|20px]] Overall [[1997 Giro del Trentino|Giro del Trentino]]
::1st Stage 2
: 2nd [[1997 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
: 4th [[1997 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
: 7th Overall [[1997 Tour of the Basque Country|Tour of the Basque Country]]
: 9th Overall [[Critérium International]]
;1998
: 2nd [[French National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 2nd [[Boucles de l'Aulne]]
: 4th Overall [[Critérium International]]
: 4th Overall [[Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt]]
: 6th [[1998 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
: 7th Overall [[1998 Tour de Romandie|Tour de Romandie]]
: 8th [[Trofeo Pantalica]]
: 9th [[Grand Prix of Aargau Canton|GP du Canton d'Argovie]]
{{div col end}}
===Grand Tour general classification results timeline===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tour]]
! scope="col" | 1990
! scope="col" | 1991
! scope="col" | 1992
! scope="col" | 1993
! scope="col" | 1994
! scope="col" | 1995
! scope="col" | 1996
! scope="col" | 1997
! scope="col" | 1998
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey pink.svg|20px|link=|alt=A pink jersey]] [[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:center;"|[[1993 Giro d'Italia|DNF]]
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:center;"|[[1997 Giro d'Italia|DNF]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[1998 Giro d'Italia|34]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px|link=|alt=A yellow jersey]] [[General classification in the Tour de France|Tour de France]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[1990 Tour de France|73]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#ddf;"|[[1991 Tour de France|5]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[1992 Tour de France|DNF]]
| —
| style="text-align:center; background:#ddf;"|[[1994 Tour de France|4]]
| —
| style="text-align:center; background:#ddf;"|[[1996 Tour de France|6]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[1997 Tour de France|DNF]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[1998 Tour de France|DNF]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px|link=|alt=A yellow jersey]] [[General classification in the Vuelta a España|Vuelta a España]]
| —
| —
| —
| —
| style="text-align:center; background:#ddf;"|[[1994 Vuelta a España|6]]
| —
| —
| —
| —
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Legend
|-
! scope="row" | —
| Did not compete
|-
! scope="row" | [[Did not finish|DNF]]
| Did not finish
|}
==See also==
*[[List of doping cases in cycling]]
*[[List of doping cases in sport]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{Cycling Archives|3455}}
*[http://histo.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/coureur/5001.html Official Tour de France results for Luc Leblanc]
{{UCI Road World Champions – Men's road race}}
{{French National Road Race Championships (men) |state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leblanc, Luc}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:French male cyclists]]
[[Category:Doping cases in cycling]]
[[Category:French Tour de France stage winners]]
[[Category:UCI Road World Champions (elite men)]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Limoges]]
[[Category:Cyclists from Nouvelle-Aquitaine]]
[[Category:20th-century French sportsmen]]