That is incorrect. It’s a myth that was created around… yes, Lance Armstrong.
Yup! There was a post the other day on the Wattage list (the thread about wiggins cadence):
“For example, had Armstrong never come back from cancer, all the talk about his high cadence would have been replaced by similar regarding Ullrich and his somewhat lower cadence peddling style.”
But you have to remember, for the Pros, a high cadence is around 100+ while a low cadence is in the low to mid 80s.
Like the other sports in a Tri, you need to learn to spin at higher RPMs on the bike. The only way I know of to do this is to practise doing it. A higher RPM makes it easier and faster to increase your speed. If you have ever driven a 2 stroke motorcycle or go-cart you will be used to keeping the RPM high so that you can accelerate faster.
Oh, and higher RPMs have been around longer than before “Lance” was born. I remember discussions about it when I started touring in the 1970s.