#FBF #TDF1998

Le Tour de France 1998…  AKA the ‘The Festina Affair’.

The 85th edition will forever be tainted with scenes of police raids, strikes, protests, drugs tests, and scandal after the entire Festina Team was arrested and expelled due to team-spread doping.

But all that drama wasn't until stage seven, for me the 1998 Tour was all about the prologue. The Winter family made a holy pilgrimage to Dublin. As devout Chris Boardman disciples, it was an opportunity to prove our faith (dad has a painting of him on the wall, no joke).

Boardman won the prologue and the maillot jaune was blessed upon him. A biblical moment for British Cycling.

Sadly, Boardman crashed out - but the GC battle between Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani, stage wins of Mario Cipollini, and the Sprint efforts of Tom Steels gave us something to live for.

Experience 1998 like never before - with the Winter family throwback album, photographed by Dad on a point and shoot Olympus.

Gareth.