GREG LEMOND TEAM Z PROFESSIONAL

LeMond’s 1986 Tour win was followed by a two-year absence from the race. > Greg LeMond interview: Tour de France 1990 Tour de France 1989 Even if I could win but Hinault was riding a little better, I raced for him, and he would do the same for me.” We never had one leader leadership was given in the moment. He added: “I came into cycling with Guimard, who was really changing the way races were ridden. It wasn’t really Hinault himself it was all the other people who wanted Hinault to win.” “Riding in the same team as Hinault was the most stressful thing, and looking back it was even more dark than I first thought. It’s the one when I beat one of the best riders of all time, and I beat him fair and square,” said LeMond. “Athletically it’s the one I’m most proud of. Wave after wave of Hinault attacks failed to break the American, who rolled home in Paris to take the overall win. The yellow jersey was on LeMond’s shoulders after stage 17, setting up a famous tussle on Alpe d’Huez where the duo finished side by side. However, not even a five-minute time deficit could dissuade LeMond from chasing the title, and the American clawed back four and a half minutes the following day. LeMond was officially a co-leader of the La Vie Claire team, along with the ‘Badger’, but Hinault looked certain to claim his sixth Tour title halfway through the race.

GREG LEMOND TEAM Z PROFESSIONAL

It was in LeMond’s sixth year as a professional that he stood on the top step of the Tour de France podium, having beaten team-mate Hinault for the yellow jersey. The American’s form in the 1985 season was equally remarkable, with podium finishes in both the Tour and Giro d’Italia, and another second place at the World Championships, this time losing out to Joop Zoetemelk. Wearing the rainbow jersey for the first time, LeMond stormed his way to third place in his first Tour de France in 1984, picking up the young rider classification too. The win saw LeMond become the first American to win a World Championships road race, with Lance Armstrong joining him on the list 10 years later. LeMond’s wait for a rainbow jersey was not to be a long one, however, coming back the following year to triumph in Altenrhein, Switzerland.

Greg lemond team z