Laurent Fignon Toddler T-Shirt

Laurent Fignon - realistic acrylic painting by the Dutch fine artist Paul Meijering - 90 x 90 cm - The painting is at the Museum in Roeselare, Belgium

Laurent Patrick Fignon; 12 August 1960 ￿ 31 August 2010, was a French professional road bicycle racer.

He won the Tour de France in 1983 and in 1984. He won the Giro d'Italia in 1989, and nearly captured the Tour for a third time that same year before being edged by Greg LeMond by 8 seconds in the final stage time trial, the closest margin ever to decide the Tour. Fignon won many classic races, including taking Milan￿San Remo back to back in 1988 and 1989. Fignon died from cancer on 31 August 2010.

For almost 33 years now, Paul Meijering has been active with the paint brushes. As a 17- year old inspired youngster he joined the Academy of Arts in Enschede (Holland) in order to receive a native training in drawing- and painting technique. At that time (1980) the tendency of the abstract was running riot, and to his dismay and disappointment Paul found that the trade of the ancient masters was merely 'old hat', the realistic art being disregarded and looked down upon. After two years of useless botchery, there was only one conclusion to draw: "get autodidact, be a self-taught person!" Paul then left the academy to work for a living, but at the back of his mind there always loomed the passion of his life: to paint. At his spare time...