The Tour de France is full of stories. Every day we highlight a historical moment that can be linked to the upcoming stage. This time stage 17: the time trial in which a sick Gerrie Knetemann surprised by beating Bernard Hinault.
“If I don’t win the prologue of the Tour, I’ll take a big time trial from Hinault,” says Knetemann before the start of the 1982 Tour. The Amsterdammer finishes second behind Hinault in the prologue and must therefore get to work to fulfill that promise.
In the eleventh stage, a 57-kilometer time trial from and to Valence d’Agen is on the program. The time trial is not exactly Knetemann’s cup of tea in terms of distance. Moreover, ‘De Kneet’ feels lousy. His body protests against the slightest exertion.
Knetemann notices that in the morning during the reconnaissance of the course. “During training, I got in the wheel of such a small Spaniard, who was also exploring a part of the course. He was riding almost 0 per hour, but I still had trouble keeping up,” he says a day later.
Knetemann feels so bad that he asks team leader Peter Post to honk when Hinault passes him, so that he still gets on TV. After 22 kilometers, the Dutchman is still slower than Hinault, but the turning point follows on the first climb. He breaks a spoke after 10 kilometers, but eventually wins with an eighteen-second lead over Hinault.
“Miracles are not out of this world yet,” Knetemann jubilates. He has to leave the yellow jersey to Hinault, but provides the surprise of this Tour. He himself can hardly believe it: “After Hinault, I am the most surprised rider in the peloton today.”
