How it unfolded
On the morning of the final day, Laurent Fignon led Greg LeMond by 50 seconds. All that remained was a 24.5 km individual time trial from Versailles to the Champs-Elysees, a gap no one had ever overturned over that distance. LeMond rode with Scott aero bars mounted on his handlebars and an aerodynamic teardrop helmet. Fignon rode with conventional drop bars, his ponytail exposed with no aero helmet. LeMond, riding by feel with no radio, clocked 26 minutes 57 seconds, an average of 54.545 km/h, the fastest time trial in Tour history to that point. Fignon, counting down the remaining distance, lost 58 seconds, and the final overall margin came to 8 seconds, still the smallest winning margin in Tour history after three weeks and 3,285 km. LeMond had recovered from a hunting accident two years earlier that left roughly 30 shotgun pellets in his body.
Why it still matters
This day proved that equipment can decide a result, and every team began spending on aerodynamics afterward. Fignon had to live the rest of his life being remembered for these 8 seconds. It's the race most often cited to explain why a gap of mere seconds in cycling is worth defending for three straight weeks.