On the day in question, the riders had to complete two stages in a single day. This followed grueling mountain stages and an extremely long overnight transfer, meaning the riders did not get to bed until after midnight and had to rise again at 5:00 a.m. In response to this packed and exhausting schedule, the peloton—led by the young French champion Bernard Hinault—staged a protest. The riders completed the stage at a painfully slow, leisurely pace. Just before the finish line in Valence-d'Agen, they all dismounted and walked across the line on foot.