name	Greg LeMond
fullname	Gregory James LeMond
nickname	LeMondster
birth date	June 26, 1961
birth place	Reno, United States
family.	Scott Gregory Lemond (Son)
currentteam	Retired
discipline	Road
role	Rider
ridertype	All-Rounder
proyears	1981–198319841985–19861987198819891990–19921993–1994
proteams	Renault-Elf-GitaneRenaultLa Vie ClaireToshiba-LookPDMADRZGan
majorwins	Tour de France :Overall Classification (1986, 1989, 1990) Road Race World Championships (1983, 1989)
updated	April 7, 2009
medaltemplates	}}

Gregory James LeMond (born June 26, 1961) is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France. He was born in Reno, Nevada.

In 1986, LeMond became the first American and the first non-European cyclist to win the Tour de France. The following year he was shot and seriously injured in a hunting accident. He was able to return to the Tour in 1989, winning it dramatically in its final stage. He won again for the third time the following year in 1990. He is one of only nine cyclists to have won the Tour three or more times.

Racing career

Early career

Greg LeMond was a standout junior rider who quickly established himself as one of the most talented cyclists in the professional circuit. After his initial success on the junior circuit he began competing against older, more seasoned competitors. He gained the attention of the US Cycling Federation's national team, riding for them at the 1979 Junior World Championships held in Argentina. There he won gold, silver and bronze medals, the highlight being his spectacular victory in the road race. He was selected for the 1980 U.S. Olympic cycling team; however the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow prevented him from competing there.

With the guidance of Cyrille Guimard he joined the professional European peloton, first racing with Union Sportive de Creteil. He won a stage in the demanding Circuit des Ardennes, coming in third overall and proving to himself that he could compete with the best riders in the world. In 1981 he began riding for Renault-Elf-Gitane.

He placed second at the 1982 World Cycling Championship. The following year he won the World Championship outright, becoming the first American rider to do so. His overall strength, climbing ability, and capability to ride a fast time trial made him an excellent prospect for the more demanding Grand Tours.

Major tours

LeMond rode his first Tour de France in 1984, finishing third in support of team leader Laurent Fignon, and winning the young rider classification. The following year he was brought across to La Vie Claire to ride in support of team captain Bernard Hinault who had regained his form and was attempting to win his fifth Tour. Bernard Hinault led through the early mountain stages, but suffered a crash and came into difficulty. At this point it was clear that LeMond was an elite rider capable of winning the Tour in his own right. However, the managers of his La Vie Claire team ordered the 24-year-old LeMond to ride in support of Hinault. Instead of staying in the lead group and riding to win, LeMond let the leaders pull away and dropped back to aid Hinault. Hinault won the 1985 Tour, with LeMond finishing second, 1:42 behind. LeMond was clearly frustrated by the events, and later revealed that team management and his own coach Paul Koechli had misled him as to how far back Hinault had dropped during the crucial mountain stage. Regardless, he rode as the dutiful lieutenant, and his aid was crucial to enabling Hinault to gain his fifth Tour victory.

The following year in the 1986 Tour, LeMond was made co-leader of the La Vie Claire team alongside Hinault, with Hinault publicly promising to ride in support of LeMond to repay LeMond for the work he had done in 1985. What he did not say was that the help was contingent upon LeMond demonstrating that he was clearly the better rider. Hinault was in superb form, and had the chance to win an unprecedented sixth Tour. In Stage 12, the first mountain stage of the race in the Pyrenees, Hinault attacked the lead group and built up an overall lead. By the end of Stage 12, Hinault had a five-minute lead over LeMond and the other leaders. He claimed he was trying to draw out LeMond's rivals, but none of these attacks were planned with LeMond. He was clearly willing to ride aggressively and take advantage of the opportunities presented. LeMond was never in trouble, except by his own teammate. The following day Hinault broke away again early but was caught and then dropped by LeMond on the final climb of Stage 13, allowing LeMond to gain back four and a half minutes. The next three stages brought the Tour to the Alps. On Stage 17 LeMond and Urs Zimmerman dropped Hinault from the leading group, and the end of the day saw LeMond pulling on the yellow jersey of race leader, the first time it had ever been worn by an American rider. The following day in the Alps saw Hinault attack again early on the first climb, but he was pulled back. Attempting an escape on the descent, he was unable to separate himself from LeMond. The two La Vie Claire team leaders continued to pull away as they ascended the next col, and maintained the gap as they reached the base of the final climb, the vaunted Alpe d'Huez. They put on a show case of strength and form through the twenty-one switchbacks, cresting the summit together. LeMond put an arm around Hinault and gave him a smile and the stage win in a show of unity, but the infighting was not over. Hinault attacked again on Stage 19 and had to be brought back by teammates Andy Hampsten and Steve Bauer. Commenting on the team situation prior to the final individual time trial at Stage 20, LeMond offered the following with a wry smile:

"He's attacked me from the beginning of the Tour De France. He's never helped me once, and I don't feel confident at all with him."

LeMond had to keep his eye on his teammate and rival throughout the race. Hinault rode aggressively and repeatedly attacked, and the division created in the La Vie Claire team was unmistakable. LeMond would keep the yellow jersey to the end of the race and win his first Tour, but he clearly felt betrayed by Hinault and the La Vie Claire team leadership. He later stated the 1986 Tour was the most difficult and stressful race of his career.

Accident and recovery

Disaster struck LeMond while turkey-hunting in California, April 20, 1987, when his brother-in-law accidentally discharged his shotgun within a few feet from LeMond, striking him in the back with over 40 pellets and nearly killing him. The 1987 Tour de France was just two months away. He would spend the rest of his career with 37 shotgun pellets remaining in his body, two resting in the lining surrounding his heart. LeMond missed the following two Tours while recovering. During this period he was also beset by other physical ailments, suffering appendicitis that required surgical intervention. Subsequently trying to push his return to cycling too quickly, he developed tendinitis in his knee and had to spend more time in recovery.

Return to elite level

After struggling in the Paris-Nice race and failing to find his form, he informed his wife he had decided to quit racing following the 1989 Tour de France. LeMond's most optimistic hope was to finish his final Tour in the top 20. With the pressure off, LeMond rode more easily, and astounded all with a blazing prologue that put him near the top of the leaders. Buoyed by this, he seemed to ride into form over the course of the first week's flat stages, and was on form by the time the tour reached the mountains. The overall lead was exchanged back and forth between LeMond and former teammate and rival Laurent Fignon. Coming out of the mountains, Fignon had won the battle, and held a 50 second lead going into the final stage time trial. Laurent Fignon had won the Tour twice before in 1983 and 1984, and was known as an extremely capable time trialist. It seemed almost impossible for LeMond to make up 50 seconds over a 25 kilometer course. That would mean LeMond would have to gain two seconds per kilometer on one of the fastest time trialists in the world. LeMond rode the time trial using an aero helmet and innovative aero bars, which kept his body in a more aerodynamic position. Telling his team management not to give him his split times, he rode flat out and finished in a record pace to beat Fignon by 58 seconds and claim his second yellow jersey. The final margin of eight seconds was the closest in the Tour's history. LeMond's average speed in the time trial, 54.545 km/h, was the fastest in Tour de France stage history; since then, only the 1994 prologue has been faster. As LeMond danced in victory on the Champs-Élysées, Fignon sat in shock and wept.

LeMond's return to the top of the sport was confirmed several weeks later with his second World Championship, again beating Fignon and outsprinting Dimitri Konyshev and Sean Kelly at the line. He was named ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's 1989 "Sportsman of the Year", the first cyclist to receive the honor.

LeMond won the Tour for the third time in 1990. This time riding on the much stronger "Z" team, LeMond would get help in controlling the race. An oddity of this tour was a first day breakaway that gained over ten minutes on the field. The break had no major riders in it, and as Team Z had a rider in the bunch, they did not ride the break down. The break did contain a young Italian rider by the name of Claudio Chiappucci, then at the start of his career and relatively unknown. The break's 10 minutes 35 second gain on the field resulted in the leader's yellow jersey being passed between members of the opening day break until arriving at last on the capable shoulders of Chiappucci. Chiappucci rode an inspired race, and did not give up the yellow jersey until the final individual time trial. LeMond ended up finishing the time trial more than two minutes up on Chiappucci, gaining at last the leader's yellow jersey which he wore down the Champs-Élysées. That year's Tour was won without the leader taking a single stage of the race.

In 1992, LeMond became the first American to win the Tour DuPont, a short-lived American answer to the Tour de France that took place from 1991 to 1996. LeMond won the prologue in record time and it was his first American win since the mid-1980s. The 1992 Tour DuPont victory was Greg LeMond's last major win of his career.

Retirement from cycling

LeMond retired from racing in 1994, blaming mitochondrial myopathy for his deteriorating performance since 1990. In 2007, he said he believed he had not had the illness after all, assigning his weakened condition on overtraining and the ongoing effects of the lead pellets embedded in his body from the shotgun accident.

In an interview with Bryan Malessa, LeMond discussed his career and his place among cycling's five Tour winners, such as Indurain and Hinault. Noting he had essentially given away the 1985 Tour and missed what could have been two very strong years in 1987 and 1988, while still ending up with three career Tour wins, he offered "I'm confident that I would have won five Tours."

Post-racing career

LeMond founded LeMond Bicycles in 1990, while he was still racing, but it faltered, something LeMond blames on "undercapitalization" and poor management by his father (a former real estate agent). In 1992, LeMond struck a deal with Trek in which it would license his name for bicycles it would build, distribute and help design, but which would be sold under LeMond's name. This is often summarized as a sale to Trek, although he still owns the company. LeMond says the deal with Trek "destroyed" his relationship with his father. In 2001, the Trek deal proved painful for LeMond, as he was forced by John Burke, the head of Trek, to apologize for comments that seemed to impugn Lance Armstrong, by then a more important marketing force for Trek than LeMond. After a showdown with Burke, LeMond read a formal apology to Armstrong.

In March 2008 LeMond filed a lawsuit against Trek for breach of contract, claiming that they had not made a "best efforts" attempt to sell his bicycles. His complaint included statistics detailing slow sales in some markets, including the fact that between September 2001 and June 2007, Trek only sold $10,393 worth of LeMond bikes in France, a country in which Lemond remains both famous and popular. A month later Trek countersued and stopped building bikes under the LeMond brand. In connection with that announcement Trek also gave a short timeline of the Trek-Greg LeMond association. These lawsuits were settled in February 2010. Though the details of the settlement was keep confidential, it did involve a $200,000 donation by Trek to 1in6.org, a charity with which LeMond is affiliated.

In 2002 LeMond, with his parents-in-law David and Sacia Morris, friend Michael Snow and J.P. Morgan & Co. fund manager Jorge Jasson, became investors in the exclusive Yellowstone Club, a Big Sky, MT private ski and golf community founded by timber baron Tim Blixseth and his wife Edra. Each of the five partners paid Blixseth $750,000 for one percent shares in the exclusive resort. LeMond also purchased several building lots and maintained a property at the resort. LeMond and partners sued Blixseth in 2006 following reports of a Credit Suisse loan to the resort of $375 million from which Blixseth reportedly took $209 million in a disputed partial payout for his ownership stake. The Credit Suisse loan was based on a $1.16 billion Cushman & Wakefield valuation of the resort for which LeMond and partners each sought $11.6 million for their one percent shares. LeMond settled his suit with the Blixseths for $39 million in 2007; however, he and his partners remain creditors as the Blixseths defaulted on a $20 million payment followed by their divorce and bankruptcy of the Club in 2009.

Greg LeMond also founded LeMond Fitness. He took up auto racing for a few years. In the 1990s he created a restaurant called Tour de France on France Avenue in a retail district of Edina, Minnesota. He lives in Medina, Minnesota, United States. More recently, he was the guest speaker for Sumitomo Drive Technologies' International Sales Meeting in Cancun, Mexico on May 2, 2008. In 2008, LeMond narrated an award-winning documentary for Adventures for the Cure.

Anti-doping stance and controversy

Greg LeMond was one of the first professional cyclists of note to openly discuss the sport's extensive and troubled relationship with performance-enhancing substances. This stance has brought him into conflict with some of the most famous names in the sport.

Lance Armstrong

In July 2001, LeMond criticized Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong for associating with Michele Ferrari, an Italian physician and sports trainer who has at various times admitted to practicing blood doping, advocated the controlled use of banned substance Erythropoietin by athletes, and accused by professional cyclists of providing banned substances.

''When Lance won the prologue to the 1999 Tour I was close to tears, but when I heard he was working with Michele Ferrari I was devastated. In the light of Lance's relationship with Ferrari, I just don't want to comment on this year's Tour. This is not sour grapes. I'm disappointed in Lance, that's all it is.''

A month later, LeMond issued an apology for this comment, calling Armstrong "a great champion and I do not believe, in any way, that he has ever used any performance-enhancing substances. I believe his performances are the result of the same hard work, dedication and focus that were mine 10 years ago."

LeMond spoke out again three years later, after additional Tour de France wins by Armstrong. "If Armstrong's clean, it's the greatest comeback. And if he's not, then it's the greatest fraud." He also described the fallout of his 2001 statement, alleging that Armstrong had threatened to defame him, and that his business interest had also been threatened.

''[Armstrong] basically said 'I could find 10 people that will say you took EPO'... The week after, I got multiple people that were on Lance ... Lance's camp, basically saying 'you better be quiet,' and I was quiet for three years. I have a business ... I have bikes that are sold ... and I was told that my sales might not be doing too well if ... just the publicity, the negative publicity.''

The same month, LeMond also stated to French newspaper ''Le Monde'': "Lance is ready to do anything to keep his secret. I don't know how he can continue to convince everybody of his innocence."

In a 2007 interview, LeMond accused Armstrong of trying to sabotage his relationship with Trek bicycles, and described him by saying "I just think he's not a good person and that's all I can say. I mean, he's a facade, if you knew the real Lance Armstrong that I know. I think he fronts himself as a guy who is loving and caring. From my experience, he's not a nice guy and I've had some very difficult periods with him. And I don't believe he'll finish up having any friends in cycling."

Floyd Landis

On May 17, 2007, LeMond testified at a USADA hearing convened to weigh the evidence of doping by Floyd Landis during the 2006 Tour de France. Under oath, he described a phone conversation he had with Floyd Landis on August 6, 2006, as well as another with Will Geoghegan, Landis' business manager, on May 16, the evening before the testimony. The major points of the testimony are as follow: In an August 6 phone conversation, LeMond said he told Landis that ''If you did (admit to having used banned substances), you could single-handedly change the sport. You could be the one who will salvage the sport'', to which Landis allegedly responded ''What good would it do? If I did, it would destroy a lot of my friends and hurt a lot of people.'' LeMond disclosed his childhood sexual abuse to Landis. ''I was sexually abused before I got into cycling, and it nearly destroyed me by keeping it secret,'' LeMond stated he told Landis. ''(Lying about doping) will come back to haunt you when you are 40 or 50. If you have a moral compass and ethics, this will destroy you.'' Will Geoghegan called LeMond at his personal mobile phone number the night before the scheduled testimony. LeMond reported that Geoghegan said ''Hi Greg, this is your uncle. I’ll be there tomorrow and we can talk about how we used to hide your weenie.'' LeMond's BlackBerry, with Geoghegan's phone number captured in the call log, was entered into evidence.

Following the testimony, Landis' legal team announced that Geoghegan had just been fired as Landis' business manager. Geoghegan was also observed by reporters approaching LeMond during the break. LeMond later stated to reporters that Geoghegan had admitted making the call, and "tried to apologize". Landis has admitted to being in the same room as Geoghegan when the call was made, and defended his decision not to fire Geoghegan until after the LeMond testimony, saying he had been waiting for legal advice. Landis testified at the hearing that Geoghegan came to know of LeMond's childhood sexual abuse through discussions with the defense team, and obtained his personal mobile phone number by syncing their phones together. Geoghegan blamed "a beer or two" for his action, and entered an undisclosed rehab facility on May 21. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation of the incident as a potential witness tampering and then terminated the case without prosecution on July 31.

LeMond's testimony is supported by an online posting Floyd Landis made on the Daily Peloton forum, in which he states that LeMond disclosed personal information of a sensitive nature to Landis, and threatens to use the information to damage LeMond if LeMond continues to speak about Landis' doping case:

''Unfortunately, the facts that he divulged to me in the hour which he spoke and gave no opportunity for me to do the same, would damage his character severely and I would rather not do what has been done to me. However, if he ever opens his mouth again and the word Floyd comes out, I will tell you all some things that you will wish you didn't know and unfortunately I will have entered the race to the bottom which is now in progress. For the record, I don't know Greg, and have no more respect for Greg than I have for people who go through life blaming others for all of their problems. You are not a victim of others Greg, you are a pathetic human who believes that if others didn't cheat (not sure about you) you would be the President and all the peasants would bow to your command. Join reality with the rest of us who win some and lose some and keep on smiling. ...''

Aftermath of the Landis testimony

Several weeks after his testimony, Greg LeMond and his wife Kathy gave an extensive interview to the ''Sunday Times''. He provided additional details on the circumstances of his 2001 apology to Armstrong, stating that Trek, the longtime manufacturer and distributor of LeMond Racing Cycles, had threatened to end the relationship at the behest of Armstrong. He described the two years that followed the forced apology as the worst in his life, marked by self-destructive behavior that ultimately led him to disclose his sexual abuse to his wife and seek help. LeMond also described how being a victim of molestation had impacted both his racing career and his life since. In September 2007, Greg LeMond became a founding board member of the non-profit organization 1in6.org, whose mission is "to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences in childhood live healthy, happy lives".

In 2010, after Floyd Landis admitted to doping while riding for Armstrong's USPS team and later at Phonak, he personally contacted LeMond to apologize for the events of 2007, and the two reconciled their differences. Although he declined to make details of the conversation public, LeMond acknowledged his support of Landis and sought to assist his former adversary in obtaining legal representation for the ensuing US federal investigation. LeMond told the NY Daily News he believed 'most of Floyd Landis' statements' about doping.

Alberto Contador

On July 23, 2009, LeMond wrote an opinion article in the French newspaper Le Monde questioning Alberto Contador's climb up Verbier in the 2009 Tour de France. In the opinion piece, LeMond calculates Contador's VO2 max as 99.5 ml/kg/min, which LeMond claims has never been achieved (LeMond has been calculated at 92.5 ml/kg/min). "The burden is then on Alberto Contador to prove he is physically capable of performing this feat without the use of performance-enhancing products," LeMond goes on to declare. LeMond equates this to a Mercedes winning a Formula One race. "There is something wrong," LeMond writes. "It would be interesting to know what's under the hood." However, other experts in exercise physiology have questioned LeMond's calculation of 99.5 ml/kg/min. In an article from Cyclingnews.com, published later the same day as LeMond's piece, expert Andrew Coggan questions the validity of LeMond's allegations. He states that "a more reasonable estimate of Contador's power during that ascent is about 450 W, which would require a sustained VO2 of 'only' 80 mL/kg/min"(although if this is operating at 90% his VO2 Max would still be the very high figure of 89 mL/kg/min); which is "still high, but not so high that you can definitively state that it can only be achieved via doping".

Major achievements and accolades

}} ;1979 : UCI Road World Championships Junior Men's Road Race ;1980 : 3rd Overall Circuit des Ardennes : 1st, Stage 5 Circuit des Ardennes : 1st Overall Circuit de la Sarthe : Member, United States Olympic Cycling Team ;1981 – Renault-Elf-Gitane ''First year as a professional.'' : Coors Classic (1st overall; 2 stage wins) : Tour of Oise (1 stage win) ;1982 – Renault-Elf-Gitane : Tour de l'Avenir (1st overall; 3 stage wins) : UCI Road World Championships Road Race (2nd-Silver Medal) : Tour Méditerranéen (2nd overall) : Grand Prix des Nations (2nd) ;1983 – Renault-Elf-Gitane : UCI Road World Championships Road Race (1st – Gold Medal) : Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1st overall; 3 stage wins) : Tour Méditerranéen (Stage 1 win) : Giro di Lombardia (2nd) ;1984 – Renault : Tour de France (3rd overall; 20px1st young rider, 1st Stage 3 Team Time Trial) : Liège–Bastogne–Liège (3rd) : Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (3rd overall; Stage 7b win) : Tirreno–Adriatico (5th overall) ;1985 – La Vie Claire : UCI Road World Championships Road Race (2nd – Silver Medal) : Coors Classic (1st overall; Stage 5 win) : Tour de France (2nd overall; 2nd points; 1st Stage 21 ITT) :: : Giro d'Italia (3rd overall) : Vuelta al País Vasco (2nd overall) : Paris–Roubaix (4th) : Omloop Het Volk (4th) ;1986 – La Vie Claire : Tour de France (20px1st overall; Stage 13 win; 7 days in ''maillot jaune'') :: : Giro d'Italia (4th overall; Stage 5 win) : Milan – San Remo (2nd) : Coors Classic (2nd overall; Stage 5 win) : Tour de Suisse (3rd overall; 1st points classification) : Paris–Nice (3rd overall) : Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (6th overall; Stage 4 win) ;1988 : Tour of the Americas (2nd overall) ;1989 – ADR : ''Sports Illustrated'' Sportsman of the Year : ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year : UCI Road World Championships Road Race (1st – Gold Medal) : Tour de France (20px1st overall; Stage 5 ITT win; Stage 19 win; Stage 21 Champs-Élysées ITT; 7 days in ''maillot jaune'') : Tour of the Americas (3rd overall) : Corestates U.S. Pro Cycling Championships (9th) : Giro d'Italia (39th overall) ;1990 – Z : ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year : Tour de France (20px1st overall; 2 days in ''maillot jaune'') : Züri-Metzgete (2nd) : UCI Road World Championships Road Race (4th) : Giro d'Italia (105th overall) ;1991 – Z : World's Most Outstanding Athlete Award, Jesse Owens International Trophy : Tour de France (7th overall; 6 days in ''maillot jaune'') : Tour DuPont (12th overall) ;1992 – Z : USA Cycling's Korbel Lifetime Achievement Award : Tour DuPont (1st overall; Prologue (ITT)) ;1996 : Inductee, United States Bicycling Hall of Fame

;1999 : Fox Sports Network's "50 Greatest Athletes of the Century" ;2006 : International Cycling Center's "Lifetime Achievement Award" winner

Grand Tours overall classification results timeline

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- style="background:#eee;" !Grand Tour !1983 !1984 !1985 !1986 !1987 !1988 !1989 !1990 !1991 !1992 !1993 !1994 |- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Vuelta a España|alt=gold jersey Vuelta |WD |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Giro d'Italia|alt=Pink jersey Giro |- |- | style="background:#ddf;"|3 | style="background:#ddf;"|4 |- |WD |39 |105 |WD |- |WD |- |- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Tour de France|alt=Yellow jersey Tour |- | style="background:#ddf;"|3 | style="background:#ddf;"|2 |style="background:yellow;"|1 |- |- |style="background:yellow;"|1 |style="background:yellow;"|1 | style="background:#ddf;"|7 |WD |- |WD

|} WD = Withdrew

See also

1985 Tour de France

1986 Tour de France

1989 Tour de France

1990 Tour de France

References

External links

Official website of Greg LeMond

LeMond Fitness

Greg Lemond/Gitane

Greg Lemond talks about Performance Enhancing Drugs in Cycling

Category:American cyclists Category:American Giro d'Italia stage winners Category:Tour de France winners Category:American Tour de France stage winners Category:Tour de France Champs Elysées stage winners Category:UCI World Champions Category:Cycle designers Category:United States Bicycling Hall of Fame inductees Category:1961 births Category:Living people

ca:Greg LeMond cs:Greg LeMond da:Greg LeMond de:Greg LeMond es:Greg LeMond eu:Greg LeMond fr:Greg LeMond gl:Greg Lemond it:Greg LeMond he:גרג למונד lv:Gregs Lemons nl:Greg LeMond ja:グレッグ・レモン no:Greg LeMond pl:Greg LeMond pt:Greg LeMond ru:Лемонд, Грег simple:Greg LeMond sl:Greg LeMond fi:Greg LeMond sv:Greg LeMond

name	Andrew Hampsten
fullname	Shirus Andrew Hampsten
nickname	Ernie
birth date	April 07, 1962
birth place	Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
currentteam	Retired
discipline	Road
role	Rider
ridertype	All-rounder
amateurteams	Yellow Jersey
majorwins	Giro d'Italia :20px|link Overall Classification (1988) :20px|link Mountain Classification (1988)
updated	July 28, 2008 }}

Andrew Hampsten (born April 7, 1962 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American former professional road bicycle racer who won the 1988 Giro d'Italia and the Alpe d'Huez stage of the 1992 Tour de France.

Career highlights

Andy Hampsten caught the public eye in 1985, when he won stage 20 of the Giro d'Italia. The following year, he was signed by Bernard Hinault's La Vie Claire team. In his first full season as a pro, 1986, he won the Tour de Suisse and helped his compatriot and team leader Greg LeMond to victory in the Tour de France. He also finished the Tour de France fourth overall and claimed the white jersey of best young rider.

In 1987, Hampsten repeated his victory in the Tour de Suisse, this time for the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. His greatest moment came in the 1988 Giro d'Italia, on a short stage over the Gavia Pass. Attacking on the climb, Hampsten overcame a blizzard to take the leader's jersey - although he finished second on the stage to Dutchman Erik Breukink. His subsequent overall victory in the 1988 Giro was the first (and to date, only) by a non-European.

Hampsten's final highlight came in the 1992 Tour de France when he dropped his breakaway companions to win the stage to Alpe d'Huez. He again finished the race fourth, having lost his third place to Gianni Bugno in the final time trial.

Life After Racing

Hampsten used to live in Grand Forks, North Dakota and the 40-mile bikeway system there has been dedicated as the "Andy Hampsten Bikeway System." Hampsten now lives in Tuscany and Boulder, Colorado. In 1999, Andy Hampsten and his brother Steve started a bicycle company in Seattle Washington called Hampsten Cycles. Andy Hampsten also operates a bicycle touring company in Italy called Cinghiale Cycling Tours.

Victories and major results

;1985 : 1st Gran Premio Yardley Gold de Montaña : 1st Stage 20 win Giro d'Italia ;1986 : 1st Overall Tour de Suisse :: 1st Prologue : 4th overall Tour de France :: 1st 20px Best Young Rider ''Maillot blanc'' ;1987 : 1st Overall Tour de Suisse ;1988 : 1st Overall Giro d'Italia 20px1st overall :: 1st King of the Mountains :: 2 stage wins

;1989 : 1st Subida a Urkiola : 3rd Overall Giro d'Italia : Stage win Tour of the Basque Country ;1990 : 1st Subida a Urkiola : 3rd Overall Tour de Suisse :: 1st Stage 7 ;1991 : 3rd Overall Tour de Suisse :: 1st King of the Mountains : 8th Overall Tour de France : 5th Overall Paris–Nice ;1992 : 4th Overall Tour de France :: 1st Stage 14 Alpe d'Huez : 1st Overall Tour de Romandie :: 1st Stage 3 : 5th Overall Giro d'Italia ;1993 : 1st overall Tour of Galicia ::1st Stage 2 : 3rd overall Tour de Romandie : 8th Overall Tour de France : Stage win Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme ;1994 : 3rd overall Tour de Romandie : 3rd overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme

Grand Tours overall classification results timeline

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- style="background:#eee;" !Grand Tour !1985 !1986 !1987 !1988 !1989 !1990 !1991 !1992 !1993 !1994 !1995

|- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Giro d'Italia|alt=Pink jersey Giro |20 |- |- |bgcolor=pink |1 |style="background:#ddddff;"|3 |- |- |style="background:#ddddff;"|5 |14 |style="background:#ddddff;"|10 |58 |- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Tour de France|alt=Yellow jersey Tour |- |style="background:#ddddff;"|4 |16 |15 |22 |11 |style="background:#ddddff;"|8 |style="background:#ddddff;"|4 |style="background:#ddddff;"|8 |- |- |- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Vuelta a España|alt=red jersey Vuelta |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |} WD = Withdrew

Notes

External links

Hampsten Cycles

Bike touring company Hampsten runs

Story and interview with Hampsten about his 1988 Giro win.

Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:American cyclists Category:American Giro d'Italia stage winners Category:American Tour de France stage winners Category:People from Grand Forks, North Dakota Category:Giro d'Italia winners Category:People from Columbus, Ohio Category:United States Bicycling Hall of Fame inductees

ca:Andrew Hampsten de:Andrew Hampsten es:Andrew Hampsten eu:Andrew Hampsten fr:Andrew Hampsten it:Andrew Hampsten nl:Andy Hampsten ja:アンドリュー・ハンプステン no:Andrew Hampsten pl:Andrew Hampsten

name	Bernard Hinault
fullname	Bernard Hinault
nickname	Le Patron, Le Blaireau
birth date	November 14, 1954
birth place	Yffiniac, France
currentteam	Retired
discipline	Road
role	Rider
ridertype	All-Rounder
proyears	1975–19771978–19831984–1986
proteams	Gitane-CampagnoloRenault-Elf-GitaneLa Vie Claire
majorwins	Tour de France :20px Overall classification (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985) :20pxPoints classification (1979) :20pxMountain classification (1986) :20pxCombativity award (1981, 1984, 1986) :28 individual stages (1978 -1986) Giro d'Italia :20px Overall classification (1980, 1982, 1985) Vuelta a España :20px Overall classification (1978, 1983) Grand Prix des Nations (1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1984) World Road Cycling Championship (1980) Paris–Roubaix (1981) Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1977, 1979, 1981) Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1977, 1980) Giro di Lombardia (1979, 1984) La Flèche Wallonne (1979, 1983) Ghent-Wevelgem (1977) Amstel Gold Race (1981) Tour de Romandie (1980) Quatre Jours de Dunkerque (1984)
updated	16 April 2007
medaltemplates	}}

}}

Bernard Hinault (born 14 November 1954 in Yffiniac, Brittany) is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985. He came second in 1984 and 1986 and won 28 stages, of which 13 were individual time trials. The other four to have achieved at least five victories are Jacques Anquetil (1964), Eddy Merckx (1974), Miguel Indurain (1995) and Lance Armstrong (2003). Even among these elite riders, he is the only one to have finished either first or second in each Tour de France he finished. Among the star riders, Bernard Hinault is notable for never having tested positive to doping.

Hinault was nicknamed ''Le Blaireau'' (the Badger) because the animal has the reputation of not letting go of his prey. Throughout his career, he's been known for his personality: independent, outspoken, quick to take offense and quick with a riposte. In an interview in the French magazine, Vélo, however, Hinault said the nickname had nothing to do with the animal. He said it was a local cyclists' way of saying "mate" or "buddy" in his youth - "How's it going, badger?" - and that it came to refer to him personally.

Biography

Cycling career

Hinault started professional cycling in 1974. Hinault became friends with Cyrille Guimard, who was ending his career in part due to a knee injury. Guimard became a directeur sportif for the Gitane team and Hinault joined. In 1976, Hinault scored an early victory in Paris–Camembert. He demonstrated his time trial strength as he sustained his thin lead to the finish. That year, Guimard spurred Lucien Van Impe to his only win in the Tour de France. Taking Guimard's advice, Hinault did not enter in 1977. Yet he had demonstrated his talent in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré where he beat many Tour favourites including eventual winner Bernard Thevenet. Of note in the Dauphiné Libéré that year was one of the mountain stages. Hinault, wearing the yellow jersey, was at the front after an attack on the ascent and heading for victory. But he crashed descending the mountain, climbed up from the roadside and got back on his bike for the win.

To prepare for the 1978 Tour de France, Hinault rode his first grand tour, the Vuelta a España. He won and felt ready for his first Tour de France. Before the Tour, he won the national championship, which allowed him to wear the tricolour . This tour became a battle with Joop Zoetemelk, Hinault taking the yellow jersey after the final time trial. He was hailed as the next great French cyclist and won the Tour again in 1979.

In the 1980 Tour de France he abandoned while wearing the yellow jersey because of a knee injury but he returned to win the world championship in Sallanches that year.

The following year, 1981, wearing the rainbow jersey, he won Paris–Roubaix and returned to victory in the 1981 Tour and then again in 1982. He missed the Tour in 1983, again because of knee problems. The organiser, Jacques Goddet, said in his autobiography, L'Équipée Belle, that Hinault's problems came from pushing gears that were too high. During Hinault's absence, his teammate Laurent Fignon rose to prominence by winning the Tour in 1983. In the 1984 Tour de France Fignon won with Hinault second at more than 10 minutes.

Disagreements with Guimard led to their separation, and by the mid-1980s Hinault had become associated with the Swiss coach Paul Koechli and the La Vie Claire team. Koechli introduced meditation and relaxation that helped Hinault return to the Tour with a victory in 1985. That year he rode much of the race with a black eye after a crash. In 1985 Hinault's lieutenant Greg LeMond was under pressure from Koechli and his team manager to support Hinault and not try for victory. Years later, LeMond claimed in an interview that they had lied about his lead over Hinault in a mountain stage, forcing him to lose several minutes and his chance of victory.

Hinault also rode the 1986 Tour, ostensibly to return LeMond's favor of the previous year and help him win. Hinault rode an aggressive race, which he insisted was to demoralize rivals. He claimed his tactics were to wear down opponents and that he knew LeMond would win. Laurent Fignon and Urs Zimmermann were put on the defensive from the first day. Fignon quit due to injuries aggravated by stress. In the Alpe d'Huez stage Hinault mounted an early attack that gained a lot of time. LeMond then chased down Hinault and eventually took the yellow jersey from his teammate. LeMond was later stated as feeling betrayed by Hinault's tactics.

Hinault had more than 200 victories in 12 years. He won the Giro d'Italia in 1980, 1982 and 1985, and the Vuelta a España in 1978 and 1983. He also won Classics including Paris–Roubaix (1981) and Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1977, 1980). His victory in the 1980 Liège–Bastogne–Liège is memorable because of snow from the start. Hinault made a solo attack and finished nearly 10 minutes ahead of his next rival.

Le Patron

Hinault was a ''boss of the peloton'' or "le Patron". He was prominent in a riders' strike at Valence d'Agen in the 1978 Tour to protest against split stages, in which the riders had to ride a stage in the morning and another in the afternoon. He also imposed discipline and often cooperation among riders, once decreeing that "there will be no attacks today because tomorrow's stage will be difficult". He was respected by riders but feared by many for his temperament. If he felt slighted by another rider he would use his strength to humiliate the offender. To the public, Hinault was often arrogant, remote, and shy of publicity. When an interviewer suggested he devote more attention to fans, Hinault replied,

Retirement

After retiring in 1986, Hinault returned to farming in Brittany and worked for the Tour de France organization, appearing at stage finishes to greet stage winners and jersey holders. He also worked for Look as a technical consultant and helped develop the Look clipless pedal. He has now finished with farming and in 2008 returned to cycling, but not to racing. Hinault has lost none of his fire in recent years: upon seeing a protester jump onto the podium at the end of stage 3 of 2008's Tour de France, in front of the winner - Samuel Dumoulin -, Hinault leapt forward without hesitation and shoved the protester off.

Professional highlights

Pro Team Sponsors

Gitane-Campagnolo: 1977

Renault-Elf-Gitane: 1978-1983

La Vie Claire: 1984-1986

Main victories

}} ;1977 :Liège–Bastogne–Liège :Gent–Wevelgem :Grand Prix des Nations :Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ;1978 :Tour de France ::20px 1st place overall classification ::Winner stages 8, 15 and 20 ::3 days in yellow jersey :Vuelta a España ::20px 1st place overall classification :Grand Prix des Nations ;1979 :Tour de France ::20px 1st place overall classification :: ::Winner stages 2, 3, 11, 15, 21, 23 and 24 ::17 days in yellow jersey :Giro di Lombardia :La Flèche Wallonne :Grand Prix des Nations :Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré ;1980 :Tour de France ::Winner prologue, stages 4 and 5 ::2 days in yellow jersey :Giro d'Italia ::20px 1st place overall classification ::Winner stage 14 ::5 days in pink jersey : World Road Cycling Championship :Liège–Bastogne–Liège :Tour de Romandie ;1981 :Tour de France ::20px 1st place overall classification ::Combination classification ::Winner stages 7, 16, 20 and 22 ::18 days in yellow jersey ::Winner Combativity award :Paris–Roubaix :Amstel Gold Race :Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré :Critérium International ;1982 :Tour de France ::20px 1st place overall classification ::Combination classification ::Winner prologue, stages 15, 20 and 22 ::12 days in yellow jersey :Giro d'Italia ::20px 1st place overall classification ::Winner prologue, stages 3, 12, 18, 22 ::15 days in pink jersey :Grand Prix des Nations :Tour de Luxembourg Critérium des As ;1983 :Vuelta a España ::20px 1st place overall classification :La Flèche Wallonne ;1984 :Tour de France ::Second place overall classification ::Winner prologue ::1 day in yellow jersey ::Winner Combativity award :Giro di Lombardia :Grand Prix des Nations :Four Days of Dunkirk :Trofeo Baracchi (with Francesco Moser) ;1985 :Tour de France ::20px 1st place overall classification ::Winner prologue, stage 8 ::16 days in yellow jersey :Giro d'Italia ::20px 1st place overall classification ::Winner stage 12 ::10 days in pink jersey ;1986 :Tour de France ::Second place overall classification :: ::Winner stages 9, 18 and 20 ::5 days in yellow jersey ::Winner Combativity award Hinault also won the season-long ''Super Prestige Pernod International'' competition four consecutive times up to 1982, equalling Jacques Anquetil's total.

Grand Tours overall classification results timeline

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="1" style="font-size: 95%; border: #aaa solid 1px; border-collapse: collapse;" |- style="background:#eee;" !Grand Tour !1978 !1979 !1980 !1981 !1982 !1983 !1984 !1985 !1986 |- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Vuelta a España|alt=gold jersey Vuelta |bgcolor=gold | 1 |- |- |- |- |bgcolor=gold | 1 |- |- |- |- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Giro d'Italia|alt=Pink jersey Giro |- |- |bgcolor=pink | 1 |- |bgcolor=pink | 1 |- |- |bgcolor=pink | 1 |- |- align=center | style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|20px|link=General classification in the Tour de France|alt=Yellow jersey Tour |style="background:yellow;"|1 |style="background:yellow;"|1 |WD |style="background:yellow;"|1 |style="background:yellow;"|1 |- |style="background:#ddddff;"|2 |style="background:yellow;"|1 |style="background:#ddddff;"|2

|} WD = Withdrew

Quotes

''"I slept like a baby the night before, because I knew that I'd win the next day,"'' on winning the World Championship at Salanches, France, in 1980.

''"In the beginning of the year, I choose a few races that I want to win. Other than those races, I'm willing to work for others."''

''"Cyrille Guimard does not listen to you, but in the races he is a tactical genius,"'' on his relationship with former manager / directeur sportif Cyrille Guimard.

''"As long as I breathe, I attack."

''"He has a head, two arms, two legs, just as I,"'' in reference to whether he fears Eddy Merckx.

See also

Cycling records

Sign Vélo Hinault

References

;General

''Memories of the peloton'' by Bernard Hinault, Vitesse Press, ©1989., ISBN 0-941950-23-9

''Hinault par Hinault'' by Bernard Hinault, Editions Jacob Duvernet, ©2005.

;Specific

Category:French cyclists Category:French Giro d'Italia stage winners Category:Tour de France winners Category:French Tour de France stage winners Category:Tour de France prologue winners Category:Tour de France Champs Elysées stage winners Category:Giro d'Italia winners Category:Vuelta a España winners Category:French Vuelta a España stage winners Category:UCI World Champions Category:People from Côtes-d'Armor Category:1954 births Category:Living people

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