greg was understandably hailed as the greatest US cyclist ever :
- US champ
- world road champ
- multiple TDF champ
- scarce non-euro TDF winner which no-one thought possible
- miraculous TDF win after crippling hospitalization
- backed by trek
- cutting edge bikes and technology
lance came on by storm and quickly ticked all the same boxes - the media was all over his story and trek understandably redirected more and more tech development and marketing budget toward the UPS series and lemond bikes were slowly becoming a boutique label. trek still carried lemond label for 7 years after the interview. that might be surprising since I imagine most sponsor contracts would have a line about not deliberately putting the sponsor or their athletes or products in a bad media light. it just sounds like he was eclipsed
It was not an off-hand comment. LeMond knew exactly what he was doing.
Here is a recent and somewhat similar example. After Landis dropped the bomb on cycling, Bradley Wiggins was interviewed about it. He said Landis could not be trusted. He said that he heard Landis had a drinking problem. He said he was unhinged. He did his best to discredit Landis. Now if that was a random person who did not know any better then that would be one thing. But during the previous year Wiggins was on a team that was chock full of ex-Postal dopers. They told him about the doping on Postal. The team manager told Wiggins about the doping. Wiggins knew that Armstrong was doping. He knew Landis was telling the truth. Yet he tried to heap doubt on what Landis said and Landis himself. Why? That is a very good question.
LeMond was in the same position. He was not a naive recreational cyclist who fell off the turnip truck in 1999 then bought a Trek Madone. If you hear LeMond tell it (depending on which version he is relating that week), his career was ended by EPO users. Anyone who was involved in cycling at that time and tells you he did not know Armstrong was doping is a liar, stupid, or both. LeMond knew Armstrong was doping, just like the other riders Armstrong was competing with and just like the riders LeMond competed against. LeMond is also very knowledgeable about cycling's history. He knew the sport was a cesspool of doping. It was during his time racing, and it was in the decades before. Yet he decided to go after Armstrong.
- US champ
- world road champ
- multiple TDF champ
- scarce non-euro TDF winner which no-one thought possible
- miraculous TDF win after crippling hospitalization
- backed by trek
- cutting edge bikes and technology
lance came on by storm and quickly ticked all the same boxes - the media was all over his story and trek understandably redirected more and more tech development and marketing budget toward the UPS series and lemond bikes were slowly becoming a boutique label. trek still carried lemond label for 7 years after the interview. that might be surprising since I imagine most sponsor contracts would have a line about not deliberately putting the sponsor or their athletes or products in a bad media light. it just sounds like he was eclipsed
Arch Stanton wrote:
AlanShearer wrote:
He made an offhand comment in response to a question about Armstrong's associaion with Ferrari. If I remember correctly, he was asked about it shortly after the relationship between Armstrong and Ferrari broke. Lemond commented that he was disappointed that Armstrong was working with someone with that reputation, and then went on to question Armstrong's integrity, saying it was either the greatest comeback or the greatest fraud.It was not an off-hand comment. LeMond knew exactly what he was doing.
Here is a recent and somewhat similar example. After Landis dropped the bomb on cycling, Bradley Wiggins was interviewed about it. He said Landis could not be trusted. He said that he heard Landis had a drinking problem. He said he was unhinged. He did his best to discredit Landis. Now if that was a random person who did not know any better then that would be one thing. But during the previous year Wiggins was on a team that was chock full of ex-Postal dopers. They told him about the doping on Postal. The team manager told Wiggins about the doping. Wiggins knew that Armstrong was doping. He knew Landis was telling the truth. Yet he tried to heap doubt on what Landis said and Landis himself. Why? That is a very good question.
LeMond was in the same position. He was not a naive recreational cyclist who fell off the turnip truck in 1999 then bought a Trek Madone. If you hear LeMond tell it (depending on which version he is relating that week), his career was ended by EPO users. Anyone who was involved in cycling at that time and tells you he did not know Armstrong was doping is a liar, stupid, or both. LeMond knew Armstrong was doping, just like the other riders Armstrong was competing with and just like the riders LeMond competed against. LeMond is also very knowledgeable about cycling's history. He knew the sport was a cesspool of doping. It was during his time racing, and it was in the decades before. Yet he decided to go after Armstrong.
Last edited by:
lacticturkey: Feb 2, 15 15:08