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Greg LemondAmerican cyclist, three-time winner of the Tour de France
Date of Birth: 26.06.1961
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Biography of Greg LeMond
- Early Years and Junior Success
- Success and Controversy at the Tour de France
- Setbacks and Comeback
- Post-Cycling Career
- LeMond currently resides in Medina, Minnesota, USA.
Biography of Greg LeMond
Greg LeMond, an American cyclist, is a three-time winner of the Tour de France. In 1986, LeMond became the first American to win the Tour. In 1987, he suffered an injury due to a hunting accident, but after two years of recovery, he won the Tour again in 1989 and 1990. LeMond became only the eighth cyclist to win the Tour de France three or more times.
Early Years and Junior Success
LeMond showed his talent as a promising junior cyclist. He gained attention from the U.S. national cycling team after winning gold, silver, and bronze at the 1979 Junior World Championships in Argentina. He impressed spectators with his victory in the group road race. Although he was selected for the 1980 Olympic Games, LeMond was unable to compete due to the U.S. boycott.
Under the guidance of Cyrille Guimard, LeMond participated in European races, initially riding for the Paris-based Union Sportive de Creteil. He turned professional in 1981, riding for Renault-Elf-Gitane. LeMond finished second at the World Championships in 1982 and became the first American to win it the following year. He soon began preparing to compete in the Grand Tours.
Success and Controversy at the Tour de France
LeMond completed his first Tour de France in 1984, finishing third and winning the White Jersey for the best young rider. In the 1985 Tour, his team managers at La Vie Claire ordered him to support their captain, Bernard Hinault, instead of competing for the win. LeMond finished second, just 1 minute and 42 seconds behind Hinault, who won his fifth Tour. LeMond later claimed in interviews that the team management and his coach, Paul Köchli, deceived him during a crucial stage by falsely informing him that Hinault was close behind when he was actually more than 3 minutes behind.
A year later, in the 1986 Tour de France, Hinault and LeMond were co-captains of the La Vie Claire team. Hinault publicly promised to help LeMond win the race as a gesture of gratitude for LeMond's sacrifice in 1985. By the 12th stage, Hinault had a 5-minute lead over LeMond, claiming he was trying to drop his rivals but fell behind on a mountain stage the next day. LeMond soon took the lead. Although they finished together, hand in hand, at Alpe d'Huez, it was evident that Hinault rode aggressively against his own teammate. LeMond claimed the Yellow Jersey on that Tour but felt betrayed by Hinault.
Setbacks and Comeback
In April 1987, while hunting turkeys in California, LeMond's brother-in-law accidentally shot him with a shotgun. Recovering from his injuries, LeMond missed two Tours. In 1989, with 37 shotgun pellets still in his body, including two near his heart, LeMond had low expectations and hoped to finish in the top 20. However, on the final stage, a time trial in Paris, LeMond was in second place, trailing Laurent Fignon, the winner of the Tour in 1983 and 1984, by 50 seconds. In a dramatic comeback, LeMond made up 58 seconds on Fignon and won the Tour with a final margin of 8 seconds, the smallest in Tour history.
LeMond confirmed his return by winning his second World Championship a few weeks later, defeating Dmitry Konyshev and Sean Kelly in a sprint finish. In 1989, LeMond was named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated, becoming the first cyclist to receive such an honor. He won his third Tour de France in 1990, capturing the lead on the final stage. LeMond is one of the few cyclists to win the Tour without winning any stages.
Post-Cycling Career
After retiring from professional cycling in 1994, LeMond founded "LeMond Bicycles" in 1990. Initially, the business struggled due to inadequate capitalization and poor management by his father, a former real estate agent. In 1992, LeMond struck a deal with "Trek" to license his name for bicycles they would manufacture and sell under the LeMond brand. Although this deal could be seen as a sale to Trek, LeMond still owns his own company. The deal with Trek strained LeMond's relationship with his father. In 2001, this deal led to trouble for LeMond as John Burke, the CEO of Trek, forced him to apologize for comments questioning Lance Armstrong's achievements. After settling with Burke, LeMond read a formal apology to Armstrong and broke down in tears.
LeMond also founded "LeMond Fitness" and competed in car racing for several years. In the 1990s, he opened a restaurant called "Tour de France on France Avenue" in the commercial district of Edina, Minnesota. In 2011, LeMond was invited to voice himself in the animated series "Phineas and Ferb" in the episode "Tour de Ferb".
