Part 1 of my conversation with LeMond is here ua-cam.com/video/7xq5PQvBFvI/v-deo.html and you can see extracts from this chat including his thoughts on Lance Armstrong www.youtube.com/@roadmanpodcastclips
*I would be interested to hear about the evolution of LeMond's Time Trial bike, Scott bars, Aero helmet etc. For the unaware, at one time LeMond was the single greatest innovator in cycling aerodynamics history.*
Two podcast, more than 3 hours of talk... Not once did he plug his bicycle brand, book or anything else that would have profitable. Goes to show, it ain't all about money. Greg Lemond, pure class.
These are some of the best interviews on cycling I've ever seen. So honest. Greg at home, guitar in the background, explaining exactly what he's seen in pro cycling over the past three decades. Greg and Tyler Hamilton are two tremendously classy individuals.
When our bike shop was in trouble, Greg Lemond was the first big name in cycling to lend his support to us. It meant the world to me, he really is a great person.
I still remember the day when he showed up at a little bike shop in Chaska, MN for a group ride many years ago! Seriously, a TDF winner took his time to ride with a dozen local riders around Lake Minnetonka and he was so kind to all of us. I am 62 years old now and still have that autographed poster of the 1989 victory he signed for me that day. It reads "Tailwinds forever, Greg Lemond"! Priceless memories! Without Greg Lemond, I would have missed a glorious 40 years of cycling and coaching. Met him at the 1991 TDF as well and he was the same kind generous man! A true cycling hero. So Grateful I had a chance to meet him in person!! Cheers Greg!!!!
Yeah, that's him. I met him at a bike shop called Two Wheeler Dealer, in Huntington Beach, CA. I was an aspiring bike racer, that bike shop was one of only two shops in the area that actually sold created cycling shoes.. He was there for an evening, a simple, meet and greet, event. I saw him again in France after one of the Fall Classics, it was after the race, he and Bauer were standing and chatting with a couple of other riders, in a roped off area. My cycling teammate and buddy had never met him, so I called out, "hey Greg, do you have time for a couple of Americans?" He said "sure" and we stepped over the rope. My friend's reaction was kind of priceless to watch, like he was meeting Superman! Yeah, he was, and is, down to Earth, for sure.
I wore a tshirt in middle school (1986) that said “Greg LeMond”. I had no idea who he was but I loved the tshirt. Found out decades later he was an amazing athlete and stand up guy!! 👍
There's a short list of celebrities whose integrity has cost them a lot, and Greg is a rare person who had incredible ability and effort and discipline while also risking things for the sake of his integrity. Seems to be an authentic nice guy too. Thanks for being that sort of man, Greg.
Integrity? guy was doped to the gills lmao. Just didn't like that the new guys did it better. Armstrong's style of cycling simply made people like this obsolete in everyway.
Well you have no evidence that he was doped. So tread carefully. I have no evidence that he was not doping. He started racing at age 14 as a real novice, with his father. He won the first 11 races that he entered, so it may be that he had freakish natural ability. Several of the pro riders who have confessed their own doping and ratted out others have said that Lemond was probably clean. Maybe it was easier for him to be outraged over the doping of others because he had the VO2 max of an elephant, but he consistently was an advocate for clean racing. Unlike several others, he never had a 'miraculous' unexplained increase in his TT performance and has also spoken out against motor doping. I think he was clean.
He's Slippin a little, been thru soooo much , he mentioned 1990 into Jaca, that was actually 1991. I was there, I rode all the stages, into Jaca wasn't too bad, but the next day Col Soulor, Soudet, Aubisque, Tourmalet, then Val Loron where Lemond was clipped by the Gatorade team car.. He suffered w/ the runs dripping down his legs , the year before Indurain was "noticed" beating Greg up to Luz Ardiden, I was 200 m from the line that day, my first trip to France..
I'm 89 and Greg was and is a hero of mine. I saw him race in the U.S. a couple of times. Andy Hampston too. I loved bike racing, doing it and watching it both
met Greg in Houston at Bike Barn several years ago. I had him sign a poster and have it hanging in my den. What a great human being and one of the greatest cyclist of all times!
Roadman.... I can't tell you how impressive and valuable it is that you have given a voice to this cycling legend. He is absolutely the reason I joined the sport back in 1986 and I am still doing it today at a competitive level. It's great to see a younger person like yourself want to listen to and understand the sport through the eyes of this icon. Greg was silenced for many years because of his views on doping. It's great to see you give him his due. Thank you Thank you for all your work!
Greg is my cycling hero. I'm 52 years old. I grew up in North Highlands Sacramento. Basically the foothills of the Sierra Nevada's. I started racing in 88 because of Greg. Highway 80 and 50 where my training grounds in the late 80's. I have made that descent into Reno so many times.
After hearing this interview with Greg, I have so much respect for him. I didn't know about how Trek Bike treated him. I will never buy another one. What Armstrong did to the sport is a permanent black eye. He threatened everyone into silence by suing them .
Met Greg after he finished the 1986 fisherman warf criterium. Him and two teammates were headed up to Mt Tam for training ride after the race. A buddy and me came across him. He asked us if we knew how to get to Mt Tam I said no. He said he didn’t either he was following another guy in the group. 6 of us rode up Mt Tam .. I got dropped. I still ride today because of this guy. I’m 62
I was 13 when Greg won in 1989. My dad and I were jumping up and down screaming at the tv the entire finial time trial. He still brings it up today. I still ride bikes as well. Thank You Greg Lemond.
Greg was in Melbourne a few years ago and joined us for my friends 50th. They say don’t meet your heroes but that couldn’t be more wrong with Greg. He was an amazing human. Funny, interesting and so entertaining and engaging. My other friend told him that were all here as a friends group because of Greg. The man crush is strong with this one.
Probably the best interview with Greg that I've ever seen. Not only is he the greatest American cyclist ever, but his story is equally epic. I wish we'd hear from him more, especially because the powers that be tried for so long to dissuade him from speaking truth. Well done Anthony. I agree, every bit of his story is inspiring. Add me to that list of people who will never buy anything Trek/Bontager ever again 🙂
Lance just systematized and took to another level what Greg others began. Lemond might have raced clean for most of his career but he was juiced for the TdF, or at least the time trial. His wife egged him on to becoming a champion. “Are you sure you have done everything you can to be ready to race?Everything?”
@@johnlee7085--- so let me get this straight.... Kathy LeMond asking "have you done everything possible to prepare for the TdF?" means Greg was doping? LOL. Wow, you are a loon.
As a guy that raced CAL/NV-04 back in the day, let me say Greg is the REAL DEAL. He destroyed us. He was in a complete different league. And a great, great guy!
I've been a fan of Greg's since the early 80s, a very classy guy who has time for everyone. He was a key figure in some of the greatest TDF events of all time. His finale on the TT final stage in Paris in 89 was truly unforgettable. There were ex-pro's who did not think he could do it, but they forgot about Greg's amazing physiology and genetics. He WAS the "Mr Clean" of cycling back then, nature and biology selected him to be the rider he was, so he was already at the top of the class.
I read his book in HS. 47 years old now and I still love cycling. Thanks Greg! You're what a real American Hero should be. Thanks for the Podcast, it was great!!
I recently purchased a second hand bicycle from a bicycle store (there was no way I'd buy one from Walmart). I had a choice of what was in my budget, a Trek or a Cannondale. I went with the Cannondale. I absolutely love it.
I did a ride in 2002 called Face of America. From ground zero in NYC to the Pentagon in DC. Greg LeMond, Tyler Hamilton and Nelson Vails all rode with us as well. Three of the nicest cyclists ever! Greg would pose for photos with all the cyclists and talk with us for as long as we wanted, so approachable for all 3 days!
Nelson Vails was a freak of nature! Also, a righteous dude... I met him at the AAF California championships in LA in 1988. I was 15... He was just nice.
John Howard was a beast. Cycling in the 70's & 80's was fantastic. As an American, it had a mysterious Euro feel to it. All our cycling news came from LBS shop chatter, Winning Magazine, Velo News, & the occasional TV program. Thank you Greg!
Watching Paris Nice last week, I told my wife that years ago, in my early years of bike racing, we never saw this race and so many others. I said, at best we could read about them and view a picture or two in Velo News.
I too started competitive cycling because of Greg. Back then I followed team 7 eleven in the Tour de France. My good friend from high school also raced with me but has since passed away with cancer. Thank you Greg for decades of inspiration.
A breath of fresh air on a life that changed cycling forever... He stood on moral ground and is very comfortable with that resolve....a giant of a man and simply a good human... A complement to his parents that gave him a rock of moral ground.. A great of the sport of cycling and of the human race. Enjoy Ur bike... Regards jim
Hey Greg, it's Leigh Lommen from Lacrosse. Kathy used to babysit me as a kid. I later lived on the same road as your in laws on Country Club Lane in Onalaska. Loved that Cape Cod style home.
I'm 4 days older than Greg, and I started my amateur racing career in 1980, about the time Greg was heading to his pro career in Europe. I raced for over 25 years, of course never anywhere never his level, but I sort of lived my racing life vicariously through Greg's successes, because we are so close in age, thinking "That could have been me!" I did see him race in person here in central Florida of all places, during his come back from the shotgun wound in early 1989. So cool. And listening to this brings back a lot of memories for me of those years.
Greg LeMond was my childhood hero and really was the reason I got into biking. He's still a HERO to the cycling world, at least in my eyes. I still bike almost every day for fun and commute. Thank you Greg for always standing up for what is right.
Four thoughts: 1) Roadman, I don’t know how you do it. Fantastic. Would have loved to hear a bit more on Greg’s thoughts on Big Mig. But another fantastic, lengthy talk with Greg. Well done! 2) LeMond, three Tours. Clean. 3) Time to buy a classic LeMond frame. 4) Regarding the associated but probably necessary crap, it was tough to hear the part about Bob Roll. Anyway, a JOB WELL DONE!
Your opening statement about Greg being the reason for folks starting to cycle really resonated with me!!! He was a serious motivating factor for me as well. I followed him through every race I could find on TV at the time!!! Greg was and still is one of the most epic cyclists of our generation and how he did it (integrity) sets him apart from so many.
Great interview letting Greg be himself. Those who have heard Armstrong's needy attempt for approval can compare Lance's aggressive lies with LeMond's integrity in just being true to himself. Each of us knows Greg Lemond's place is with sport immortals because his actions and success need no words to defend them.
Greg Lemond was and is a personal hero of mine. The Breaking Away film got me riding a racing bike. Greg Lemond got me racing. God Bless you Roadman, these interviews mean a lot to people of my generation. 🚲
Greg broke our hearts at Chambery in 1989, when he beat Sean Kelly in that final sprint to win the world's. Bugger! Great interview, with a great guest.
I’ve always found it strangely ironic that Lemond, whose record in one-day races was VASTLY inferior to Kelly’s, always managed to humble Kelly at the world championships…a race (along with Flanders) that it is hard to believe Kelly never won!
Yeah but... as exciting as it was to see Greg Lemond pull off the win, it was equally (if not more) impressive and exciting to all of sudden see Sean Kelly appear. Where did he come from !? OMG OMG (I remember jumping up and down) and what kind of descending skill and determination to get into the final group...
That for me is the best photo ever taken in bike racing, at the finish. The distance in the worlds is so great that the advantage of a classics rider is somewhat diminished.
Long live Greg Lemond!!! What a champion. Met him several times, including in the south of France at the 91 tour and at the 1986 worlds. Super nice guy willing to take a couple of minutes and talk to a young junior about our shared passion of road cycling.
I was fortunate enough to be at the right intersection when Greg LeMond pulled out onto the road up in Wisconsin about 25 years ago. Really enjoyed the ten miles or so we rode together until I peeled off and he went his own way. Super nice guy!
You probably don't remember, but we rode and chatted together for a whole 30 seconds in the Wheels of Fire in Seattle a couple of lifetimes ago. Great to see you after all these decades, Greg! You fired up a whole generation of American riders. Best of everything in the future!
Greg Lemond will always be our champion it was exciting as a kid to hear about his win in the Tour de France. Got me on my first road bike a Centurion Comp TA. Thanks Greg for being you. We love you.
I was inspired by Greg as a young cyclist, and continue to be inspired by his candor, and his insights into the limits of human strength endurance type activities such as he experienced as a professional cyclist. He can talk about human limits because in his heyday, his own physical numbers were still some of the highest ever recorded - even higher than many professional cyclists today. When he spots anomalies in the physical data of some professional cyclists, he is understandably mistrusting and suspicious. Blood hematocrit values, oxygen uptake, max vo2 against wattage values, cadence, and body weight. These things can be fairly easily interlinked - one value will equate to another within small percentage values, and when that doesn't occur, either the data is incorrect, or the athlete is not making his gains or putting out the high values naturally. I love the way his analysis of these sorts of things has made the whole cheating game a bit more understandable.
I got into bike racing in 1987 thanks to Greg Lemond. It changed my life. I now have a network of friends all connected through cycling. Having a community with close connections transcends cycling. Thank you Greg, you are not only one of the greatest cyclist of my time but a man of integrity, courage and kindness.
I'm turning 60 this week Discovered road bikes and MTBs in the early 80s. When I was 40, my 7 year old son had brain cancer, we idolized LA... if only I'd have known. He tainted the sport so personally and horribly for me. Greg, you're an inspiration, honesty, integrity, humility all the things people like him sometimes eclipse. RESPECT
I’ve been a Greg LeMond fan for years and I smiled at the comment, “I’m on Team Greg”! He was and continues to be bike racer extraordinaire - physical and mental. He had both in his prime and today we are lucky to get to hear him share his deep knowledge and insights. Yes, I’m on Team Greg.
I was a senior two racer and I raced against Greg when he was a very very young racer in Nevada. We’re going along up the last hill and he blast past us like we were standing still I’ll never forget that. Oh my God Greg had a two max higher than anybody and he wasn’t unbelievably smart tactician, I think he’s the best that’s ever been VO2. Max was just way way way up there in the stratosphere.
I was, am & always will be Anti Trek from the days it all happened. That they threw Greg under the bus & ruined a great company that knew more about bike building than they did all for that lying POS is just shameful. Thanks for another great video/interview & letting folks like Greg & Tyler speak out
Trek is a shady company. Wisconsin residents learned this when Mary Burke, John’s daughter, ran for governor in 2014. Fortunately, one of the former Trek execs spoke out and it turned the Governor’s race.
Lemond = LEGEND! As a kid in 80's UK obsessed with cycling, he and other budding pros of his generation (from the Anglo brigade of that era) absolutely were responsible for massively boosting my love of the sport🙏
Without doping rearing its ugly head, Greg Lemond would be remembered as one of the world's greatest cyclists. He brought up the idea that Lance might be doping based upon data long before anyone ever knew that for fact. Greg was derided for this position and his career was short circuited and Lance tried to destroy him and his business as a result. He is a great man, great athlete, and a person many should look up to. Lance owes him an apology as well as recognition that Greg is the first and only American cyclist to actually win the Tour de France cleanly.
@manuelaguirre1062 Lots of teenage phenom in cycling and otherwise. It doesn’t make you a champion. Hacing one of the highest vo2 max doesn’t make you a champion. There was an interview probably a decade ago when postal doping was blowing up that included lots of people in the sport as well as Lemond’s wife. She recounted talking with him before the last time trial that won the Tour. “Have you done everything you can to prepare for this race? Is there anything else you you can to prepare for this race? Anything? Anything else you can do?” It wasn’t a Floyd turnaround, but you’re fooling yourself to think it wasn’t cooked. Maybe he didn’t have the systematic program that others had, but it is incredibly disingenuous to be calling out others without coming clean himself. It may have forced him out, but he’s hiding the scars of his own involvement.
@@johnlee7085 so u think he was doping as a teenager when he was winning all those races. Having a high vo2 max is desirable as a cyclist and if u add desire u can be a champion. If he hadnt suffered the shotgun blast, he wouldve won at least 5 tours. Listen to opinions of cyclists he competed against in his early days and theyll confirm that Lemond was on another level.
@manuelaguirre1062 “So u think he was doping as a teenager” Nope. Just for the infamous time trial. “Are you sure youve done everything you can to be ready?”
I was loved cycling as a kid and still cycle today. I remember when Greg won the first Tdf. I am a fan and think that Greg is the only real true ambassador of cycling for the US. Thanks for all you do for our sport.
Great interview Roadman , my wife & I were lucky enough to meet Greg at Tour down under, lovely man. Was happy to chat & have photos with us. Always enjoy his stories. 👍👏
I followed Greg’s career somewhat but this interview is beyond enlightening in demonstrating his courage to tell the truth when there was tremendous pressure to silence him. A fine, fine human being.
Thank you for this interview. I literally bumped elbows with Greg in Albany New York at the start of the Tour deTrump (!), on May 5, 1989. It was a miserable, chilly, wet day. I was there to cheer on Greg who had a rough start to the season as I recall. I also recall how the rest of that season went! Go Greg!! I still cheer for him!
I was one of those kids who started cycling because of Greg. First road bike in '88. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to watch limited Tour coverage on ABC.
The French cyclist who got harassed by Lance Armstrong is named Christophe Bassons. Shame that he is forgotten, the man had more moral fibre than most of those so called champions who doped. Stood up for truth. A real champion.
not 1 world tour pro was clean in the early 2000s, just like no pro was clean in 1986 nor in 2024. bassons was the originator of the classic french excuse for poor performances, the old 'they are on another planet' statement. Same with Gaudu. how do you think hinault came back, how did lemond recover from lead pellets in his lungs. epo was around back then, even if it wasent available to the general public, it was in 89 tho! lemond the og of EPO!
@@Sobchak2 just remember. Its jot because a sociopath like lemond says something that its so.amgen developped epo in the 80s to treat anemia. In the.mid 80s the drug was available to those in the know. The 2 richest men in cycling where in the know, ya think. Greg crwates a narrative where he is the poor victim whom got cheated out of the end of his carreer by evil dopers.. wpuld it not be mire likely that the rest of the peloton caught on to what he was up to, it levelled the playing field abd greg lost hia advantage. How can a clean rider go fro.a vo2max of 79 to 94. If you can explain that i might believe mr clean
Had no idea there was such a thing as bike racing until I saw LeMond in The Tour De France on the Wild World of Sports (U.S. TV show). I was hooked. A talented American in a European sport expanded my sporting interests. Loved cycling ever since. Greatest American cyclist with no competition for the title.
Loved hearing about Greg training freestyle skiing, Wayne Wong is a legend for those of us who are Gregs age. (or older lol.) I got to meet Wayne, Scott Brooksbank and other freestyle stars via clinics around Washington State in the late 70's early 80's.
A huge thank you to both you and Greg LeMond for these interviews. Usually, I struggle staying interested in anything over half an hour on UA-cam but I've watched both parts of the interview with him in their entirety. A true legend of the sport and as many have said, all round good guy. Great interviews.
Wow. I’ve always wanted to hear him talk at length like this. This is golden to me. Thank you so much for doing this interview. Greg is and always been my hero and motivation.
I met Greg for 3 mins in S.F. Fisherman's Warf during the tour of Calif. He autographed his poster for me and I still have and treasure it today! Thank you Greg! Rode Mt. Tam a few times, currently traffic there is too dangerous (and now my age lol)
I started cycling because of Greg! I am almost 60 and am still at it! I remember getting the newspaper and looking for the box score of the previous day's race. This was before the internet and instant communication.
I remember those times. I would buy the local newspaper in the month of July just to be able to get a daily update. Usually the third page of the sports section, three to four paragraphs at the most.
in 1989 I was a wknd in Paris, a trip to watch the final day of th TdF, never forget that wknd, espeialy that sunday, what a hero, his life, he such a special true man, was everybody like him, fascinating rider, family man, always looking what I can do better or strart something new, have goal. And with a troubled past its even more magic what he accomplished. Anthony is a great interviewer, has experience, knowledge and can listen to answers, no rush like on the TV Greetings from Holland, Alkmaar💖
I remember the 1989 TDF, I started following in 1985 when living in France. I think Greg doesn't get the credit he deserves for innovation for the sport. I remember his crazy looking his handle bars for the time trial, these lead to the current day TT handle bars. He is a great ambassador for the sport.
A real champion. A unique talent. A team player. Le Mond got me into cycling as much as my bike did. Timing is everything but I'm so glad it coincided with his winning legacy.
I used to go on training rides with Jamie Paolinetti in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was on the Net Zero team at the very end I believe. Great racer. Greg is a total legend.
Great interview. I raced against him in late 70;s at Coconut Grove, Fla. A three day race, crit, time trial and a road race. He was a monster and i had a long way to go to compare. I wore my team jersey Fitchburg Cycling Club shirt and another guy Rob Butler participated. Davis Phinny, 7-11 team guys etc where there.. One of my highlights of cycling. After that race was my downfall, i started into Triathlons and that was it...
I could listen to Greg for hours, you gave a great interview because you just let him talk without interruptions and if you get the chance for a part 3 I'll be here.
Part 1 of my conversation with LeMond is here ua-cam.com/video/7xq5PQvBFvI/v-deo.html and you can see extracts from this chat including his thoughts on Lance Armstrong www.youtube.com/@roadmanpodcastclips
From Colombia I was so happiness watching to Greeg lemon wining four de France 💪 vs full doping doctor fiñon and hinalt 😵💫😵💫
*I would be interested to hear about the evolution of LeMond's Time Trial bike, Scott bars, Aero helmet etc. For the unaware, at one time LeMond was the single greatest innovator in cycling aerodynamics history.*
7j ous renoun.oranje.?.+❤+.!^_=0.0 for her 321.😮😂😮😂.
Two podcast, more than 3 hours of talk... Not once did he plug his bicycle brand, book or anything else that would have profitable. Goes to show, it ain't all about money. Greg Lemond, pure class.
Because he has nothing to do with it
2 hours.....no way.
@@mgoo1713yes he does he’s literally wearing the brand hat in the thumbnail
These are some of the best interviews on cycling I've ever seen. So honest. Greg at home, guitar in the background, explaining exactly what he's seen in pro cycling over the past three decades. Greg and Tyler Hamilton are two tremendously classy individuals.
@@mgoo1713 this is different from his previous bike company that had affiliation with (I think) TREK.
When our bike shop was in trouble, Greg Lemond was the first big name in cycling to lend his support to us. It meant the world to me, he really is a great person.
Greg LeMond. One of life's good guys and one of cycling's greatest
This guy is like the Jimmy Steward of cycling !
Loved Watching the Tour de France coverage back during Greg’s run
Greg LeMond is a class act.
I still remember the day when he showed up at a little bike shop in Chaska, MN for a group ride many years ago! Seriously, a TDF winner took his time to ride with a dozen local riders around Lake Minnetonka and he was so kind to all of us. I am 62 years old now and still have that autographed poster of the 1989 victory he signed for me that day. It reads "Tailwinds forever, Greg Lemond"! Priceless memories! Without Greg Lemond, I would have missed a glorious 40 years of cycling and coaching. Met him at the 1991 TDF as well and he was the same kind generous man! A true cycling hero. So Grateful I had a chance to meet him in person!! Cheers Greg!!!!
Yeah, that's him. I met him at a bike shop called Two Wheeler Dealer, in Huntington Beach, CA. I was an aspiring bike racer, that bike shop was one of only two shops in the area that actually sold created cycling shoes.. He was there for an evening, a simple, meet and greet, event. I saw him again in France after one of the Fall Classics, it was after the race, he and Bauer were standing and chatting with a couple of other riders, in a roped off area.
My cycling teammate and buddy had never met him, so I called out, "hey Greg, do you have time for a couple of Americans?" He said "sure" and we stepped over the rope. My friend's reaction was kind of priceless to watch, like he was meeting Superman! Yeah, he was, and is, down to Earth, for sure.
What an awesome experience!❤
I wore a tshirt in middle school (1986) that said “Greg LeMond”. I had no idea who he was but I loved the tshirt. Found out decades later he was an amazing athlete and stand up guy!! 👍
There's a short list of celebrities whose integrity has cost them a lot, and Greg is a rare person who had incredible ability and effort and discipline while also risking things for the sake of his integrity. Seems to be an authentic nice guy too. Thanks for being that sort of man, Greg.
Integrity? guy was doped to the gills lmao. Just didn't like that the new guys did it better. Armstrong's style of cycling simply made people like this obsolete in everyway.
Well you have no evidence that he was doped. So tread carefully. I have no evidence that he was not doping. He started racing at age 14 as a real novice, with his father. He won the first 11 races that he entered, so it may be that he had freakish natural ability. Several of the pro riders who have confessed their own doping and ratted out others have said that Lemond was probably clean. Maybe it was easier for him to be outraged over the doping of others because he had the VO2 max of an elephant, but he consistently was an advocate for clean racing. Unlike several others, he never had a 'miraculous' unexplained increase in his TT performance and has also spoken out against motor doping. I think he was clean.
@@mriguy3202 Well all of the things you mention are a testament to the evidence supporting his claim: and his crusade toward clean racing.
Without a doubt, the greatest American cyclist of all time.
Does anyone else think that Greg’s memory of race details is world class?
He's Slippin a little, been thru soooo much , he mentioned 1990 into Jaca, that was actually 1991. I was there, I rode all the stages, into Jaca wasn't too bad, but the next day Col Soulor, Soudet, Aubisque, Tourmalet, then Val Loron where Lemond was clipped by the Gatorade team car..
He suffered w/ the runs dripping down his legs , the year before Indurain was "noticed" beating Greg up to Luz Ardiden, I was 200 m from the line that day, my first trip to France..
Yup 😂
I'm 89 and Greg was and is a hero of mine. I saw him race in the U.S. a couple of times. Andy Hampston too. I loved bike racing, doing it and watching it both
met Greg in Houston at Bike Barn several years ago. I had him sign a poster and have it hanging in my den. What a great human being and one of the greatest cyclist of all times!
Shout out the H, how long ago?
They are now “Trek”. 🙁
Why was he at Bike Barn? Wonder if he knows who owns these shops currently?
@@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe Trek bought out Bike Barn
@@johnbethscheider3242 You mean yesterday or what?
Roadman.... I can't tell you how impressive and valuable it is that you have given a voice to this cycling legend. He is absolutely the reason I joined the sport back in 1986 and I am still doing it today at a competitive level. It's great to see a younger person like yourself want to listen to and understand the sport through the eyes of this icon. Greg was silenced for many years because of his views on doping. It's great to see you give him his due. Thank you Thank you for all your work!
Greg is my cycling hero. I'm 52 years old. I grew up in North Highlands Sacramento. Basically the foothills of the Sierra Nevada's. I started racing in 88 because of Greg. Highway 80 and 50 where my training grounds in the late 80's. I have made that descent into Reno so many times.
After hearing this interview with Greg, I have so much respect for him. I didn't know about how Trek Bike treated him. I will never buy another one. What Armstrong did to the sport is a permanent black eye. He threatened everyone into silence by suing them .
Met Greg after he finished the 1986 fisherman warf criterium. Him and two teammates were headed up to Mt Tam for training ride after the race. A buddy and me came across him. He asked us if we knew how to get to Mt Tam I said no. He said he didn’t either he was following another guy in the group. 6 of us rode up Mt Tam .. I got dropped.
I still ride today because of this guy. I’m 62
awesome
Home boy got dropped up Tam ! Ha ha, at least your honest aboot it eh ? !!
I was 13 when Greg won in 1989. My dad and I were jumping up and down screaming at the tv the entire finial time trial. He still brings it up today. I still ride bikes as well. Thank You Greg Lemond.
Same here. I was jumping up and down in my living room. What a moment!
Great race but Juiced.
“Are you sure you have done everything you can to be prepared? Everything?”
What station played it back then?
@@niceguy1774 abc or nbc. Can’t remember.
Greg's 89 tour win is what catapulted me into cycling. Still doing it now at 47.
Greg was in Melbourne a few years ago and joined us for my friends 50th. They say don’t meet your heroes but that couldn’t be more wrong with Greg. He was an amazing human. Funny, interesting and so entertaining and engaging. My other friend told him that were all here as a friends group because of Greg. The man crush is strong with this one.
Probably the best interview with Greg that I've ever seen. Not only is he the greatest American cyclist ever, but his story is equally epic. I wish we'd hear from him more, especially because the powers that be tried for so long to dissuade him from speaking truth. Well done Anthony. I agree, every bit of his story is inspiring.
Add me to that list of people who will never buy anything Trek/Bontager ever again 🙂
Greg LeMond is the Hero of pro bicycle racing. Armstrong is the archdemon.
Lance just systematized and took to another level what Greg others began. Lemond might have raced clean for most of his career but he was juiced for the TdF, or at least the time trial. His wife egged him on to becoming a champion. “Are you sure you have done everything you can to be ready to race?Everything?”
@@johnlee7085 I hope LeMond files a Defamation suit against you for lying about him.
@@johnlee7085--- so let me get this straight.... Kathy LeMond asking "have you done everything possible to prepare for the TdF?" means Greg was doping? LOL. Wow, you are a loon.
@@johnlee7085oh man come on.. I hate a silly comment
For sure Greg is the reason I fell in love with cycling, saw him ride and the rest is history
During Coors Classic in 85 I got to shake a Greg’s hand and get his autograph. Very very nice man.
As a guy that raced CAL/NV-04 back in the day, let me say Greg is the REAL DEAL. He destroyed us. He was in a complete different league. And a great, great guy!
Do you think that he was so great, that he won without doping?
I've been a fan of Greg's since the early 80s, a very classy guy who has time for everyone. He was a key figure in some of the greatest TDF events of all time. His finale on the TT final stage in Paris in 89 was truly unforgettable. There were ex-pro's who did not think he could do it, but they forgot about Greg's amazing physiology and genetics. He WAS the "Mr Clean" of cycling back then, nature and biology selected him to be the rider he was, so he was already at the top of the class.
I read his book in HS. 47 years old now and I still love cycling. Thanks Greg! You're what a real American Hero should be. Thanks for the Podcast, it was great!!
Greg is the reason I won’t buy or ride a Trek after they took Lance side and stopped selling his Lemond bike. Hope you are well Greg
I recently purchased a second hand bicycle from a bicycle store (there was no way I'd buy one from Walmart). I had a choice of what was in my budget, a Trek or a Cannondale. I went with the Cannondale. I absolutely love it.
That's an old, odd grudge you have.
Trek makes some great road bicycles, you should check one out.
Greg is a rare combination of great athlete/sportsman/champion and great human
I did a ride in 2002 called Face of America. From ground zero in NYC to the Pentagon in DC. Greg LeMond, Tyler Hamilton and Nelson Vails all rode with us as well. Three of the nicest cyclists ever! Greg would pose for photos with all the cyclists and talk with us for as long as we wanted, so approachable for all 3 days!
Nelson Vails was a freak of nature! Also, a righteous dude... I met him at the AAF California championships in LA in 1988. I was 15... He was just nice.
John Howard was a beast. Cycling in the 70's & 80's was fantastic. As an American, it had a mysterious Euro feel to it. All our cycling news came from LBS shop chatter, Winning Magazine, Velo News, & the occasional TV program. Thank you Greg!
Watching Paris Nice last week, I told my wife that years ago, in my early years of bike racing, we never saw this race and so many others. I said, at best we could read about them and view a picture or two in Velo News.
I too started competitive cycling because of Greg. Back then I followed team 7 eleven in the Tour de France. My good friend from high school also raced with me but has since passed away with cancer. Thank you Greg for decades of inspiration.
A breath of fresh air on a life that changed cycling forever...
He stood on moral ground and is very comfortable with that resolve....a giant of a man and simply a good human...
A complement to his parents that gave him a rock of moral ground..
A great of the sport of cycling and of the human race.
Enjoy Ur bike...
Regards jim
Hey Greg, it's Leigh Lommen from Lacrosse. Kathy used to babysit me as a kid. I later lived on the same road as your in laws on Country Club Lane in Onalaska. Loved that Cape Cod style home.
Lemond, a true talent with morals. A great example of an athlete.
I'm 4 days older than Greg, and I started my amateur racing career in 1980, about the time Greg was heading to his pro career in Europe. I raced for over 25 years, of course never anywhere never his level, but I sort of lived my racing life vicariously through Greg's successes, because we are so close in age, thinking "That could have been me!" I did see him race in person here in central Florida of all places, during his come back from the shotgun wound in early 1989. So cool. And listening to this brings back a lot of memories for me of those years.
I never tire of listening to Lemond. He is pure class. Great interview!
Would love to see Greg provide commentary on NBC/Peacock...he's clearly so passionate about cycling and seems like a genuinely nice person.
Greg LeMond was my childhood hero and really was the reason I got into biking. He's still a HERO to the cycling world, at least in my eyes. I still bike almost every day for fun and commute. Thank you Greg for always standing up for what is right.
Seems like such a genuine person……..I am glad he can speak his truth.
True champion. Brave on and off the bike.
Four thoughts:
1) Roadman, I don’t know how you do it. Fantastic. Would have loved to hear a bit more on Greg’s thoughts on Big Mig. But another fantastic, lengthy talk with Greg. Well done!
2) LeMond, three Tours. Clean.
3) Time to buy a classic LeMond frame.
4) Regarding the associated but probably necessary crap, it was tough to hear the part about Bob Roll.
Anyway, a JOB WELL DONE!
Your opening statement about Greg being the reason for folks starting to cycle really resonated with me!!! He was a serious motivating factor for me as well. I followed him through every race I could find on TV at the time!!! Greg was and still is one of the most epic cyclists of our generation and how he did it (integrity) sets him apart from so many.
Great interview letting Greg be himself. Those who have heard Armstrong's needy attempt for approval can compare Lance's aggressive lies with LeMond's integrity in just being true to himself. Each of us knows Greg Lemond's place is with sport immortals because his actions and success need no words to defend them.
Greg Lemond was and is a personal hero of mine. The Breaking Away film got me riding a racing bike. Greg Lemond got me racing. God Bless you Roadman, these interviews mean a lot to people of my generation. 🚲
Greg LeMond is always fascinating and informative. Probably my favourite GC rider of all time. Great interview :)
Greg broke our hearts at Chambery in 1989, when he beat Sean Kelly in that final sprint to win the world's. Bugger! Great interview, with a great guest.
I’ve always found it strangely ironic that Lemond, whose record in one-day races was VASTLY inferior to Kelly’s, always managed to humble Kelly at the world championships…a race (along with Flanders) that it is hard to believe Kelly never won!
I think it was the only time he out sprinted Kelly! His book is still the best on racing-cycling.
Yeah but... as exciting as it was to see Greg Lemond pull off the win, it was equally (if not more) impressive and exciting to all of sudden see Sean Kelly appear. Where did he come from !? OMG OMG (I remember jumping up and down) and what kind of descending skill and determination to get into the final group...
That for me is the best photo ever taken in bike racing, at the finish.
The distance in the worlds is so great that the advantage of a classics rider is somewhat diminished.
Kellys book "Hunger" is excellent. Is it a Lemond book you refer to, i must check it out.👍
Long live Greg Lemond!!! What a champion. Met him several times, including in the south of France at the 91 tour and at the 1986 worlds. Super nice guy willing to take a couple of minutes and talk to a young junior about our shared passion of road cycling.
I admire and respect Greg LeMond! The Greatest! 🚴
I was fortunate enough to be at the right intersection when Greg LeMond pulled out onto the road up in Wisconsin about 25 years ago. Really enjoyed the ten miles or so we rode together until I peeled off and he went his own way. Super nice guy!
You probably don't remember, but we rode and chatted together for a whole 30 seconds in the Wheels of Fire in Seattle a couple of lifetimes ago. Great to see you after all these decades, Greg! You fired up a whole generation of American riders. Best of everything in the future!
I raced in races with Greg between 1979 and 1981. There was nothing like him! One of a kind and a very nice guy!
Greg Lemond will always be our champion it was exciting as a kid to hear about his win in the Tour de France. Got me on my first road bike a Centurion Comp TA. Thanks Greg for being you. We love you.
I was inspired by Greg as a young cyclist, and continue to be inspired by his candor, and his insights into the limits of human strength endurance type activities such as he experienced as a professional cyclist. He can talk about human limits because in his heyday, his own physical numbers were still some of the highest ever recorded - even higher than many professional cyclists today. When he spots anomalies in the physical data of some professional cyclists, he is understandably mistrusting and suspicious. Blood hematocrit values, oxygen uptake, max vo2 against wattage values, cadence, and body weight. These things can be fairly easily interlinked - one value will equate to another within small percentage values, and when that doesn't occur, either the data is incorrect, or the athlete is not making his gains or putting out the high values naturally. I love the way his analysis of these sorts of things has made the whole cheating game a bit more understandable.
I got into bike racing in 1987 thanks to Greg Lemond. It changed my life. I now have a network of friends all connected through cycling. Having a community with close connections transcends cycling. Thank you Greg, you are not only one of the greatest cyclist of my time but a man of integrity, courage and kindness.
I'm turning 60 this week
Discovered road bikes and MTBs in the early 80s.
When I was 40, my 7 year old son had brain cancer, we idolized LA... if only I'd have known. He tainted the sport so personally and horribly for me.
Greg, you're an inspiration, honesty, integrity, humility all the things people like him sometimes eclipse.
RESPECT
I’ve been a Greg LeMond fan for years and I smiled at the comment, “I’m on Team Greg”! He was and continues to be bike racer extraordinaire - physical and mental. He had both in his prime and today we are lucky to get to hear him share his deep knowledge and insights. Yes, I’m on Team Greg.
Greg seems like a genuinely decent person.
It never gets easier you just get faster. Greg LeMond❤
I was a senior two racer and I raced against Greg when he was a very very young racer in Nevada. We’re going along up the last hill and he blast past us like we were standing still I’ll never forget that. Oh my God Greg had a two max higher than anybody and he wasn’t unbelievably smart tactician, I think he’s the best that’s ever been VO2. Max was just way way way up there in the stratosphere.
I was, am & always will be Anti Trek from the days it all happened. That they threw Greg under the bus & ruined a great company that knew more about bike building than they did all for that lying POS is just shameful. Thanks for another great video/interview & letting folks like Greg & Tyler speak out
Trek is a shady company. Wisconsin residents learned this when Mary Burke, John’s daughter, ran for governor in 2014. Fortunately, one of the former Trek execs spoke out and it turned the Governor’s race.
Lemond = LEGEND! As a kid in 80's UK obsessed with cycling, he and other budding pros of his generation (from the Anglo brigade of that era) absolutely were responsible for massively boosting my love of the sport🙏
Lemond was the reason I switched from BMX to road bikes. The only true american Tour de France winner!
Without doping rearing its ugly head, Greg Lemond would be remembered as one of the world's greatest cyclists. He brought up the idea that Lance might be doping based upon data long before anyone ever knew that for fact. Greg was derided for this position and his career was short circuited and Lance tried to destroy him and his business as a result. He is a great man, great athlete, and a person many should look up to. Lance owes him an apology as well as recognition that Greg is the first and only American cyclist to actually win the Tour de France cleanly.
No way was Greg clean
@@manfromdelmonty303Greg was a teenage cycling phenom. He had one of the highest vo2 max. He didnt need to cheat.
@manuelaguirre1062
Lots of teenage phenom in cycling and otherwise. It doesn’t make you a champion. Hacing one of the highest vo2 max doesn’t make you a champion.
There was an interview probably a decade ago when postal doping was blowing up that included lots of people in the sport as well as Lemond’s wife. She recounted talking with him before the last time trial that won the Tour. “Have you done everything you can to prepare for this race? Is there anything else you you can to prepare for this race? Anything? Anything else you can do?” It wasn’t a Floyd turnaround, but you’re fooling yourself to think it wasn’t cooked.
Maybe he didn’t have the systematic program that others had, but it is incredibly disingenuous to be calling out others without coming clean himself.
It may have forced him out, but he’s hiding the scars of his own involvement.
@@johnlee7085 so u think he was doping as a teenager when he was winning all those races. Having a high vo2 max is desirable as a cyclist and if u add desire u can be a champion. If he hadnt suffered the shotgun blast, he wouldve won at least 5 tours. Listen to opinions of cyclists he competed against in his early days and theyll confirm that Lemond was on another level.
@manuelaguirre1062
“So u think he was doping as a teenager”
Nope. Just for the infamous time trial.
“Are you sure youve done everything you can to be ready?”
I was loved cycling as a kid and still cycle today. I remember when Greg won the first Tdf. I am a fan and think that Greg is the only real true ambassador of cycling for the US. Thanks for all you do for our sport.
Great interview Roadman , my wife & I were lucky enough to meet Greg at Tour down under, lovely man. Was happy to chat & have photos with us. Always enjoy his stories. 👍👏
I followed Greg’s career somewhat but this interview is beyond enlightening in demonstrating his courage to tell the truth when there was tremendous pressure to silence him. A fine, fine human being.
I've had the pleasure of cycling with Greg several times. This man is a legend and a total class act.
Thank you for this interview. I literally bumped elbows with Greg in Albany New York at the start of the Tour deTrump (!), on May 5, 1989. It was a miserable, chilly, wet day. I was there to cheer on Greg who had a rough start to the season as I recall. I also recall how the rest of that season went! Go Greg!! I still cheer for him!
I always enjoy listening to Mr. Lemond
I love how happy Greg looks now.
Wow what a powerful interview. Greg certainly seems like a sincere and ethical person. We could use people like him in the world.
I was one of those kids who started cycling because of Greg. First road bike in '88. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to watch limited Tour coverage on ABC.
I am an American and Greg is the reason I became a cycling fan.
The French cyclist who got harassed by Lance Armstrong is named Christophe Bassons. Shame that he is forgotten, the man had more moral fibre than most of those so called champions who doped. Stood up for truth. A real champion.
His book, _a clean break_ , is a really nice read.
@@Sobchak2 Thank you. I just ordered a copy.
not 1 world tour pro was clean in the early 2000s, just like no pro was clean in 1986 nor in 2024. bassons was the originator of the classic french excuse for poor performances, the old 'they are on another planet' statement. Same with Gaudu. how do you think hinault came back, how did lemond recover from lead pellets in his lungs. epo was around back then, even if it wasent available to the general public, it was in 89 tho! lemond the og of EPO!
@@cypriano8763 you clearly don't know what you are talking about.
@@Sobchak2 just remember. Its jot because a sociopath like lemond says something that its so.amgen developped epo in the 80s to treat anemia. In the.mid 80s the drug was available to those in the know. The 2 richest men in cycling where in the know, ya think. Greg crwates a narrative where he is the poor victim whom got cheated out of the end of his carreer by evil dopers.. wpuld it not be mire likely that the rest of the peloton caught on to what he was up to, it levelled the playing field abd greg lost hia advantage. How can a clean rider go fro.a vo2max of 79 to 94. If you can explain that i might believe mr clean
I was a teenager when Greg raced and won TDF and I had some posters of him hanging on my bedroom wall. Thanks Greg, thanks!
Had no idea there was such a thing as bike racing until I saw LeMond in The Tour De France on the Wild World of Sports (U.S. TV show). I was hooked. A talented American in a European sport expanded my sporting interests. Loved cycling ever since. Greatest American cyclist with no competition for the title.
I don't think i've ever seen a better interview in sport or otherwise than part 1. This is going to be so fun to watch
Loved hearing about Greg training freestyle skiing, Wayne Wong is a legend for those of us who are Gregs age. (or older lol.) I got to meet Wayne, Scott Brooksbank and other freestyle stars via clinics around Washington State in the late 70's early 80's.
If you reading the comments Greg, I started riding because of you back in the 80s. I’ll be doing the unbound gravel 200 this summer. Thanks!
Racing on eurosport and now this interview....it feels like Christmas ❤🎉
A great, great in depth interview with Greg. I loved the honesty about his feelings towards Armstrong. Absolutely top man. 😊😊 More like this please.
Greg, an absolute legend and one of the most talented cyclists of all time. A joy to listen to.
A huge thank you to both you and Greg LeMond for these interviews. Usually, I struggle staying interested in anything over half an hour on UA-cam but I've watched both parts of the interview with him in their entirety. A true legend of the sport and as many have said, all round good guy. Great interviews.
Greg's training book helped me a lot when I started training and racing in the 80's. Big ups
Wow. I’ve always wanted to hear him talk at length like this. This is golden to me. Thank you so much for doing this interview. Greg is and always been my hero and motivation.
I'm impressed with Greg's attitude, explanation and his view on his life experience.
I met Greg for 3 mins in S.F. Fisherman's Warf during the tour of Calif. He autographed his poster for me and I still have and treasure it today! Thank you Greg! Rode Mt. Tam a few times, currently traffic there is too dangerous (and now my age lol)
I started cycling because of Greg! I am almost 60 and am still at it! I remember getting the newspaper and looking for the box score of the previous day's race. This was before the internet and instant communication.
I started cycling in 1989. I had to read the morning newspaper to be able to see the previous day's results to see how he was doing in the TDF.
I remember those times. I would buy the local newspaper in the month of July just to be able to get a daily update. Usually the third page of the sports section, three to four paragraphs at the most.
Greg is a great person. He is so admirable..
Greg is Americas great cycling champion. The real American cycling champion.
I do love the Greg lemond interviews, he’s so well balanced and thoughtful in his perspective and a depth of knowledge that is incomparable.
in 1989 I was a wknd in Paris, a trip to watch the final day of th TdF, never forget that wknd, espeialy that sunday, what a hero, his life, he such a special true man, was everybody like him, fascinating rider, family man, always looking what I can do better or strart something new, have goal.
And with a troubled past its even more magic what he accomplished.
Anthony is a great interviewer, has experience, knowledge and can listen to answers, no rush like on the TV
Greetings from Holland, Alkmaar💖
I remember the 1989 TDF, I started following in 1985 when living in France. I think Greg doesn't get the credit he deserves for innovation for the sport. I remember his crazy looking his handle bars for the time trial, these lead to the current day TT handle bars. He is a great ambassador for the sport.
A real champion. A unique talent. A team player. Le Mond got me into cycling as much as my bike did. Timing is everything but I'm so glad it coincided with his winning legacy.
I've beeb waiting sooooo long for this one. Yesssss!!!
I used to go on training rides with Jamie Paolinetti in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was on the Net Zero team at the very end I believe. Great racer. Greg is a total legend.
Thank you Greg & Anthony! Watching Greg & Fignon (RIP) in 89 inspired my love of all things cycling. Greg is class; respect!
Great interview. I raced against him in late 70;s at Coconut Grove, Fla. A three day race, crit, time trial and a road race. He was a monster and i had a long way to go to compare. I wore my team jersey Fitchburg Cycling Club shirt and another guy Rob Butler participated. Davis Phinny, 7-11 team guys etc where there.. One of my highlights of cycling. After that race was my downfall, i started into Triathlons and that was it...
I could listen to Greg for hours, you gave a great interview because you just let him talk without interruptions and if you get the chance for a part 3 I'll be here.
thanks for tuning in. Did you watch tyler hamilton interview from a few days ago? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts
@@TheRoadmanPodcast Not yet but I will do in the next few days and get back to you.