It was July 5, 1978. For the third time in its history, Poitiers was the arrival city of the Tour de France.
The fourth is for this Wednesday, September 9.
In this year 1978, an Irishman will put his name on the prize list.
Sean Kelly, a 22-year-old young hopeful used to leading the sprints of the great Belgian Freddy Maertens, won his first major victory by beating the Dutchman Gerrie Knetemann.
The latter consoles himself by donning the yellow jersey.
For many, Sean Kelly's success will be the first in a long series on the Tour de France.
But sixteen years later, when he finally hung up his bike, his record will be strange: only five stages won on the Tour when he brought back four times, on the Champs-Elysées, the green jersey of the points classification of the best sprinter (1982, 1983, 1985 and 1989).
Often placed, rarely a winner
It was Sean Kelly, often placed, rarely a winner.
His profile of sprinter-adventurer will lead him to multiply the objectives on the stages as in the general classification.
“In the end, he won a lot less than he should have,” recalls Bernard Hinault.
Kelly was not a rival for me.
"
Kelly's 1985 Tour, the last one won by Hinault, attests to this.
That year, the Irishman will certainly win the green jersey.
But he was also aiming for the general classification and will finish at the foot of the podium (4th) and not win any stages.
Apart from the Tour de France, he has nevertheless built up an incredible track record, notably with three Tours of Lombardy, two Milan-San Remo, two Liège-Bastogne-Liège, two Paris-Roubaix or one Tour of Spain.
But Poitiers' promises were not really kept on the Grande Boucle.
