Pascal Lino

Pascal Lino (born 13 August 1966) is a French former road racing cyclist. Lino turned professional in 1988, and is most famous for being the wearer of the yellow jersey of the 1992 Tour de France for 11 days. He represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in the Men's Points Race.

Career Lino was born on August 13, 1966, in Sartrouville, Yvelines. He started cycling in 1980, and was later based in Vannes, Brittany. Turning pro in 1989, After the sixth stage in Brussels, Lino had increased his lead at the top of the standings, and his overall advantage stood at over three minutes as the race headed into the individual time trial after he had spent a week in yellow. The time trial was expected to end his days in yellow, with Lino having finished more than six minutes behind race winner Miguel Indurain in both stages in the discipline during the previous year's Tour. However, Lino performed well enough in the time trial in Luxembourg to keep the yellow jersey by a +1:27 margin over Indurain, finishing with the sixth best time, only two seconds behind multiple-Tour winner Greg Lemond and ahead of a host of other race favourites and precious winners, such as Laurent Fignon, Pablo Delgado and Claudio Chiappucci. After 11 days in yellow, Lino lost the race lead to Indurain after the first Alpine stage on 19 July, which finished in Sestriere, won with a solo attack by Chiappucci, with Lino dropping to fourth overall. Lino ultimately finished the three week race in fifth place, having been overtaken in the standings by Italian Gianni Bugno in the final time trial.

At the 1993 Amstel Gold Race, Lino received a six-month suspended sentence for failing a doping control whilst riding for Festina. On 20 July, he was the first French stage winner at the 1993 Tour de France, winning a two-man sprint in Perpignan against Italian Giancarlo Perini, with the pair having escaped from a breakaway group which included Johan Bruyneel and Gianni Faresin. He later finished 11th overall in the 1994 Tour. He competed in the Tour de France for the tenth and final time in 2001, completing the race for the eighth time having only abandoned in 1996 and 1997.

Post-racing career After retiring from racing in 2001, Lino returned to Vannes in Brittany, and worked as a race director for ASO, with responsibilities including working at the Tour de France as a driver in an organisation car following combatants in the race. His son Julian Lino also raced as a cyclist.

Career achievements Major results

1986 2nd Duo Normand 1987 2nd Overall Ruban Granitier Breton 10th Overall Tour Méditerranéen 1988 1st Prologue Tour of Greece 1989 1st Overall Tour de la Communauté Européenne 8th Grand Prix de la Libération 9th Overall Critérium International 1st Stage 2 1992 5th Overall Tour de France, Held for 11 days 1993 1st Stage 14 Tour de France 1994 8th Overall Route du Sud 1995 8th Chrono des Herbiers 1997 2nd Circuit de la Sarthe 2nd Cholet-Pays de Loire 3rd Critérium International 6th La Flèche Wallonne 6th GP de la Ville de Rennes 10th Overall Paris–Nice 1998 1st Overall French Road Cycling Cup 1st Paris–Camembert 2nd Cholet-Pays de Loire 3rd Route Adélie 3rd Polymultipliée de l'Hautil 5th Overall Tour du Limousin

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ LegendDSQ DisqualifiedDNF Did not finish