The recent headlines being made in the cycling world have honestly not garnered a whole lot of attention at V-HQ, at least where a certain COTHO is concerned. Yes, The Keepers have added to the usual discussions on the topic here, read the news, and given it some thought. But we really don’t feel the need to take any sort of official position, recap the whole sordid mess, or offer up any ideas on how to move forward. Just as you all contribute positively to this place in ways we couldn’t possibly have envisioned when we started, the cycling community as a whole will contribute positively to our sport as we grow through this. COTHOS, governing bodies, PED’s, and corruption be damned. We’re here to live La Vie Velominatus.
That being said, we feel the need to retract LeMelvis from the Lexicon as a result of this whole mess. Perhaps the COTHO’s reach into public opinion went far enough to cloud our judgement of the greatest American cyclist and only American winner of the Tour. It went far enough that we thought it was okay, if not funny, to besmirch his more recent public image. We were wrong and for that we are sorry. Where has LeMond been in the recent tumult? Quiet, letting things speak for themselves. That’s class. The same class he showed when he turned up in Europe as a neo-pro to race with the best as a virtually solitary American. The same class he showed winning three Tours. The same class he showed in the above picture. Vive La Vie, Greg. You’re the man.
As point of clarification, Greg LeMan has maintained its honorary place in the Lexi. We might even put it in bold now.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@hmcsw
I'll likely never be as thin as a PRO, but that's okay. Nonetheless I hope to avoid ever entering the "stung by a bee" mode. Goddamn, I'll see dudes I knew in high school or college at weddings, reunions, etc. and so many of them look like they'd burst if you pricked them with a pin.
"I'm not fat, I'm thick. And strong." Yeah right.
Well done.
@Ron
Ironically, the only steel bike Le Man is riding in the above photos is the TT funny bike. Don't let that stop you though!
Le Mond was one of the first pro road riders to make their way into my consciousness, helped in no small part by the local showing of the US coverage of Le Tour. Have to admit, though, I was cheering for Fignon instead, since like me he wore glasses and because the 'merican covereage was (understandably) Le Man biased hence Laurent was more like the underdog to my mind.
Despite my disappointment over the result of THAT tour, I will admit I respected GL, especially with the shooting etc. Pharmstrong would have earned far more respect if he'd survived his cancer and left it at that.
Fuck me! Not that I ever doubted, or you cared, but this site has just become holy to me.
As I said earlier today, "Leman, telling it like it is since 1985."
Fucking guy rules and he's the reason I first ever threw my leg over a toptube with intention in my eye.
@frank AWESOME! I totally want to meet him some day! Man, would stalk the dude if i lived in MN!
The world rejoices when past wrongs are righted...
Don't post very often but gotta chime in here. Thanks for setting this issue straight.
Growing up a couple of houses away from the Morris family (Greg's in-laws) there was nothing cooler, as a young lad, than seeing him bombing around the bluffs, when they were back visiting on Holiday, on what we now all know is called a mountain bike. I remember throwing my inspired leg over the top tube of my I hope I grow into this thing soon, hand me down Schwinn Collegiate and just going out to ride as hard as I could. Never made it very far back then.......
The first bike I bought with my own money was a LeMond.
Now I wish I had kept it.
Cheers, LeMan! Here's to you!
(Also, he built a cyclocross course in his back yard!)
It never sat right with me... mocking Lemond. Still I felt it wasn't my place to speak up on the matter (here anyway). I've always believed his accounts and treated them as heartfelt honesty, and never doubted his 90+ relative VO2 data wouldn't someday speak for itself when all was said and done.
There's one cycling poster in our house... it sits in my sons room, neatly situated as one of the first things you see as you walk in. It's a poster of Lemond ripping the the shit out of the Champs de Elysee, on his way to winning his second TdF. I've always maintained with my son, Lemond is the only American to ever win the TdF without cheating.
Thank you for the change, Keepers!
As a side note, I've had a Lemond 853 frame set sitting around for years (slightly too small for me) that I was going to sell off... not now, I'm keeping it and going to build it up into a special ride for no other reason than respect for Lemond and his accomplishments.
@JFT nice. Give it to your son.