I read an article recently (I think Cycle Sport) where Lance said something along the lines of always wanting to keep fit, unlike LeMond who put on 40 LBs since he stopped cycling.
I was wondering if anyone knew the history behind the animosity between LeMond and Armstrong. I know that each cyclist has things to say about the other, but wasn’t sure where it all started!
“Lance said something along the lines of always wanting to keep fit, unlike LeMond who put on 40 LBs since he stopped cycling.”
keep in mind ongoing medical issues with lemond.
i have a history with lance, and because of that intersection will always be a big lance fan, will wish him the best, always root for his success.
that said, i am a huge lemond fan as well. i was in the right place at the right time, through sheer fate and an accident of geography, and watched them both–lance and greg–in their early days of cycling. they each have a fire in their belly. greg was the last of the old school, lance is the epitome of modern cycling. they each have their approach, their views, how they see the sport. i can appreciate both views. i started riding right when greg did, in the early 70s, in his same town (reno). and then of course there’s lance, former triathlete, who spent a lot of time living at my house when starting out with the eddy b. suburu montgomery team.
best (in my view) not to pit the two against each other. as to any animosity, within a year, or two, or five, it’ll all be over. it’s a transitory flap. at some point in the future, when each are retired, they’ll be sharing beers. i’ll act as if that day is now, tho it isn’t. we’ve been blessed to have two trailblazing americans, and largely as a result americans now captain several european teams. who’d a thunk it?
it would be nice to see them have that beer.
it’s amazing that the two most influential cyclists in american history both had to over come incredible odds due to medical issues, and did it in gloriious fashion.
really , they both rock. i wear a lemond hat and a yellow band.
it’s what they are/were as cyclists that matters to me.
not what they say.
altough I read every word of it 
Back on point…I would bet on LeMond…he paved the way and IMO had it harder in Europe…he really smoothed the road for Lance.
Lemond has some health issues. Let’s see where Lance is in 20 yrs from now. Who knows.
Also it’s never fair to compare one generations hero against anothers.
IMO, it’s sad that the two greatest American cyclists have such a dislike of each other.
I was doing some research online on LeMond and Armstrong’s history, and found that Greg had a lot to say regarding the doping charges against Lance. It’s a shame to see these icons in cycling attempt to bring one another down with such comments and allegations…
At the same time it would be sweet to take the Lance of today back to 1990 or so and put him in the Tour…that would be a race for the ages!
Towards the end of Gregs career before he found out about his illness Lance was saying stuff about Greg,like i wish he would get off his ass and return to his earlier success,he even said he would love to insprire him. that may not sound to bad but when your having health problems ,losing your job and having everyone second guess your life you might take it wrong. I belive if Greg had not been shot he would have had a much longer stay at the top. I thought it was very ironic when i heard Lance got cancer,but for him his future in racing ended up much better than Gregs post shooting. I like Lance but his road was made easier because of Greg.
That comment was in Outside Magazine July 2005 issue…He also answers the question “Any idea of going back to triathlon?” with “No. Listen, I am going to do a triathlon5 and its called Luke, Grace Isabelle.” I’m assuming those are his kids’ names.
He also makes a passing reference about running for Goveror of Texas aftre 2006…not too sure how serious it was, but you never know…he seems to have an interest in public service…
Lance definately did not dodge the question about running for governor. Hey, if Ahh-nold can do it, I think Lance could win hands down.
I read an article recently (I think Cycle Sport) where Lance said something along the lines of always wanting to keep fit, unlike LeMond who put on 40 LBs since he stopped cycling
Easy to say, but another thing to DO. Lance is young and doesn’t have the long view. Let’s talk to Lance when he is 50 and then we’ll see how fit and lean he is. Lance is quite the talker (often to his own detriment), but his follow-through could be a lot better.
If you read his first book (the only one I have read), he focuses on two things quite a bit: the first is/was his vast love for his wife and the second is/was his determination to not raise his children as he was–in a ‘broken’ home. So far, he is not batting so well on either of those.
So I would put good money on the fact that he will get just as “fat” as a sedentary male will when he stops putting in the long days on his bike. Nature always bats last.