50 years old double Tour de France winner Laurent Fignon lost his life yesterday, as he was suffering from cancer. Fignon is known to be a man, who had never stepped back from self-criticism, and had instead always wore a smile on his face, even to his critics.

A lot many people came to pay their tributes to such a man and his life, including President Nicolas Sarkozy, French society and sport, his literature teacher, the organizers of the Tour itself, and his ex competitors like the five-times winner Bernard Hinault.

Fignon had been a bicycle racer and it is said that he'll be always remembered for the successes he had achieved in his career. The most important incident that can be recalled with his name is his defeat in the Tour of 1989, which had exhibited a narrow finish and was recorded in the 107 year long history.

"Eight seconds" is the first chapter in the memoir of Fignon called We Were Young and Carefree (2009). It is because he had lost that Tour just by eight seconds.

Fignon has said, "Let's burst the abscess before we get started. The wound has to be left open. Let it bleed away in silence. It will bleed a good while yet".