"I have always struggled to achieve excellence. One thing that cycling has taught me is that if you can achieve something without a struggle it's not going to be satisfying.
Greg LeMond
Showing posts with label GregLemond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GregLemond. Show all posts
Monday, 17 August 2015
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Lance Only in Top 30 - LeMond
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| Getty Images |
Greg LeMond believes Lance Armstrong was only capable of a top-30 Tour de France finish "at best" without performance-enhancing drugs.
LeMond, 52, is the only American winner of the Tour after Armstrong was stripped of his seven titles in 2012 for systematic doping.
"If he was clean and everybody else was clean, he's a top-30 [Tour finisher] at best,"LeMond told CNN.
"He's not capable of winning the Tour, he's not capable of the top five."
Armstrong, 42, was also banned for life following a United States Anti-Doping Agency investigation into the doping practices of the United States Postal Service team, a punishment LeMond feels is fair.
"There are people who are criminals who just shouldn't be able to participate again in anything," he said.
"It's like [jailed financier] Bernie Madoff - should he be allowed to come in and be a part of Wall Street managing money? No, he shouldn't.
"And that's [the case] with Armstrong. He shouldn't be allowed to be back in sport."
LeMond's victories
1983: Wins world road race title
1986: First non-European to win Tour de France
1989: Beats Laurent Fignon by eight seconds to win the closest finish to a Tour de France
1989: Wins world road race for second time
1990: Became the sixth man to win at least three Tour de France titles
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
LeMond Ready Now for UCI
Greg LeMond is ready to run for the International Cycling Union presidency in a bid to clean up cycling's image.
The American, 51, has been critical of the UCI's failure to address the culture of doping and in October called for president Pat McQuaid to quit.
The three-time Tour winner has also joined pressure group Change Cycling Now (CCN), which is demanding a radical reform of the sport.
"It is now or never to act," he said.
CCN has criticised the UCI over the Lance Armstrong scandal, which resulted in the American being banned for life and stripped of seven Tour de France titles after being accused of "systematic doping".
LeMond said: "After the earthquake caused by the Armstrong case, another chance will not arise.
"I'm ready. I was asked and I accepted. If we want to restore public confidence and sponsors, we must act quickly and decisively, otherwise cycling will die.
"Riders do not understand that if we continue like this there will soon be no money in cycling."
LeMond has been critical of McQuaid and predecessor Hein Verbruggen, publishing an open letter on Facebook in October.
"If Pat McQuaid really loves cycling, as he claims, he would have resigned," LeMond wrote.
Following the decision to strip Armstrong of his titles, LeMond is once more the only American to have won the Tour.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
Lemond Calls for McQuaid Resignation
Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond has called for International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid to resign.
In an open letter on Facebook, LeMond was critical of McQuaid and predecessor and honorary president Hein Verbruggen.
"I have never seen such an abuse of power in cycling's history. Resign, Pat, if you love cycling. Resign even if you hate the sport," said LeMond.
The UCI has been accused of covering up a positive test from Lance Armstrong.
"I want to tell the world of cycling to please join me in telling Pat McQuaid to resign," added LeMond, who has backed a campaign in support of former Sunday Times journalist Paul Kimmage, who is the subject of a defamation suit brought by McQuaid and Verbruggen.
The 1986, 1989 and 1990 Tour winner has made a donation to the fund to support Kimmage's legal fight, but would prefer money is used to "lobby for real change".
The 51-year-old added: "The sport does not need Pat McQuaid or Hein Verbruggen - if this sport is going to change it is now. Not next year, not down the road, now! Now or never!
"People that really care about cycling have the power to change cycling."
Armstrong's former team-mate Tyler Hamilton has also called for McQuaid to step down.
LeMond, who has long been critical of his compatriot, is now the only American to win the Tour after Armstrong was stripped of his seven titles and Floyd Landis was removed as the 2006 winner for doping.
Armstrong, 41, and his United States Postal Service team ran "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen," a 1,000-page United States Anti-Doping Agency report concluded.
In the report, it was also claimed that Armstrong paid the UCI $100,000 (£62,300) for the fight against anti-doping.
Landis, a former colleague of Armstrong's who now admits to using drugs, claims this was hush money to cover up a positive test for the banned substance EPO collected from Armstrong during his victory at the Tour of Switzerland in 2001.
The UCI admitted it received money from Armstrong in 2002, but had already said in 2010 that this was not part of a cover-up.
When he was asked by BBC sports editor David Bond how he could justify the payment, McQuaid said: "We used the money against doping; it was done openly and put to good use."
A special meeting of the UCI's management committee will take place on Friday to discuss the "exact sporting consequences" of the decision to strip Armstrong of his titles, including whether the 1999 to 2005 Tour titles and prize money will be redistributed.
Team Sky principal Dave Brailsford said the UCI must learn lessons from the situation.
"The UCI is there to provide leadership and that's what they need to do. The key thing about these situations for those in leadership roles is that you have to learn," he said.
"If you can't learn and put in place some changes, that's an error in my view. But now is the time to stand up and show some leadership. Make changes, make changes - that's what I'd like to see."
From 1945 (BST) BBC Radio 5 live Sport looks at the fall out from cycling's doping scandal, featuring an interview with Team Sky general manager and performance director of British Cycling Dave Brailsford, plus the man in charge of UK anti doping in sport, Andy Parkinson.
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