Pinarello Banesto Team Bike Bernard 1993

Jean-François Bernard was one of those rare cyclists which were gifted enough to be a grand tour classement contender.
In 1983, the year before he became a professional, he won the French amateur championships in an unforgettable manner. He went on a solo ride for 173km gaining second after second. When he finished, it took the second rider 6 minutes to cross the line.
After such demonstration of class, it was no miracle that for the year 1984, after the olympic games, he was signed by the La Vie Claire team.

There Jean-François "Jeff" worked as support for Hinault and LeMond, but had plenty of opportunity to show his qualities. Within the next three years he was victorious in the Tour Méditerranéen, had won two stages of the Tour de Romadie, two stages of the Dauphiné-Libéré, one stage of each the Tour de Suisse and the Giro d'Italia, and three stages of the Tour de France.

So he was well prepared for the year 1987, when LeMond had to miss the Tour de France due to a hunting accident. Fignon had a rather weak year and the French cycling fans were waiting for the next Hinault to enter the stage.
And Jeff did deliver.
In the first solo time trial, a brutal mountain stage up the Mont Ventoux, he landed a real coup. In a legendary ride, he went all out and crushed all other classement riders which gained him a yellow jersey. But Stephen Roche, Mottet and Pedro Delgado were not willing to let him enjoy this placement for very long. If it had not been for bad luck with mechanical problems and punctures - who knows.
But in 1987 there was only a third place left on the podium for Bernard. He finished the Tour behind Roche and Delgado.

The next year did not pass without success for 'Jeff', including three stage wins in the Giro, but somehow it became more and more clear that he had the talent but maybe not the nerves to win a Grand Tour.

Consquently he settled for a life as domestique for other riders - mainly for Miguel Indurain. He contributed to his Tour de France victories in 1991, '92, '93 and '94.
It is those years in the livrée of the Banesto team from which this Pinarello stems.