Ep 03: Greg LeMond has a new signature bike brand starting with two, cutting-edge e-Bike model
Today’s guest is the legendary Greg LeMond and he joins us to share some memories from his storied career and weigh in on the newest products in his signature brand! With many wins under his belt, including the Tour de France in 1986, 1989, and 1990, LeMond is considered by many to be the greatest American cyclist of all time. Our conversation begins on the subject of Greg’s brand, LeMond, and the various stages it went through on its evolution to where it is today. Greg talks about the wonder of e-bikes and shares some of the new technologies he is employing to make two new models of this type for his own brand. From there, we get into some of the highs and lows of Greg’s career. After winning the Tour de France in 1986, Greg nearly lost his life after getting shot in a hunting accident. This and a cycling crash took a tremendous toll on Greg's health, nearly causing him to quit cycling, but that all changed when he miraculously won the Tour again in ’89. We hear about the tense final time trial where Greg took first place from Laurent Fignon, having started the race with the expectation to only place in the top 30 at best. We then get into the culture of doping that began to plague racing in the '90s and how Greg fared competing against cheating riders while battling lead poisoning and over-fatigue. Wrapping up our conversation, Greg talks about cycling culture today as far as doping and enthusiasm for the sport across its various sub-disciplines. For all this and more from Greg about brilliant the places he has ridden, races he has won, and cutting-edge bikes he is building, tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
The evolution of LeMond bikes toward their current products and the technology behind them.
Greg’s belief in the power of e-bikes; two new bikes of this type made by LeMond.
Perspectives on the relationship between good equipment and how hard you push yourself.
Why Greg chose a rear hub motor for the LeMond Prolog e-bike.
The beauty of riding, the types of riding Greg enjoys, and why he started riding initially.
Memories of riding in Nevada, the Alps, and around Lake Tahoe.
Comparing the different joys and challenges of mountain biking to road biking.
The story of how Greg beat Laurent Fignon in the final time trial of the 1989 Tour de France.
Greg’s experiences with aerodynamic gear and his perspectives on its effectiveness.
The toll Greg’s 1987 and 1988 accidents took on his mind, body, and career.
Greg’s journey from having no expectations of himself to winning the ’89 Tour de France.
Experiences Greg had racing against riders who had taken EPO.
Greg’s journey racing in the '90s, battling lead poisoning and fatigue from overtraining to compete with doped competitors.
Greg’s perspectives on the landscape of professional cycling today.
The history of doping in cycling and what being pro in the '90s had to involve.
Greg’s belief in the prevalence of ‘mechanical doping’ in cycling.
The state of different kinds of cycling in the US as far as sponsorship and public interest.
Tweetables:
“I really believed that the e-bikes have a huge future in terms of transportation, but also getting people that might not ride a bike into cycling.” — @GregLemond [0:09:45]
“We have some exciting products that we're developing that will make things lighter and stronger and more reliable over the next 24 months.” — @GregLemond [0:22:58]
“I don't think there's been a racer ever injured like I have that’s ever come back. It was so much more severe than I even led it to be.” — @GregLemond [0:39:15]
“That really got frustrating. I’m like, ‘What is going on?’ I was blowing up, because they were doping.” — @GregLemond [0:48:00]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: