Greg LeMond - 'Cycling is dying through Drugs' at Play the Game Conference

Greg LeMond is a three-time winner of the Tour de France. His stance on anti-doping and performance enhancing substances has brought him into conflict with some of the most famous names in the sport.

In this speech he talks about his career and his highly contentious opinions and attitudes toward the way that drugs are continuing to effect the integrity of professional cycling.

This talk was recorded at the Play the Game Sport and Society Conference that took place at Coventry University. You can listen and download more talks from the conference here http://www.coventry.ac.uk/podcasts/

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• sport
• exercise
• Greg
• LeMond
• lance armstrong
• lance
• armstrong
• cycling
• tour
• de
• france
• cycle
• sports
• drugs
• talk
• play
• the
• game
• coventry
• university
• usa
• doping
• enhancing
• race
• yellow
• jersey
• cathedral
• performance
• substances
• EPO
• ferrari
• athlete
• olympics
• controversial

[scrabbleking1965]

I rode during his era and he was a hero, but more so now because he IS NOT keeping his mouth shut. More people should listen to his insights. Doping has been the status quo for quite awhile now.

[coolmamac]

Still love and respect Greg Lemond. He is awesome.

[GoldeneSpeichen]

@ryanchandler25 LeMond's handlebar revolutionized time trials, after that everyone used them. He is very meek about his 1989 Tour de France win and his record that year, because he knew that he wouldn't have won without those; remember that it was only 8 seconds between him and Fignon, clearly his advantage in technology made him win. Attacking in every mountain stage possible, like Lance did, is obviously not due to the advance in technology and positioning which took place in the 90s.

[GoldeneSpeichen]

@ryanchandler25 You can not compare triathletes with Tour de France riders. You also can not compare pre 1991/92 riders with mid-90s riders, EPO was everywhere then, which put LeMond's (and also Fignon's) career to an immediate end.

[jetglo325]

EPO started to become prominent in the early 90's. This is when no names in the peloton started win races. The average speed of the peloton started to increase dramatically. Guys who couldn't pump Lemods tires started beating him. Drugs leveled the playing field between the stars and inferior riders. Lemond couldn't keep up. On another note, Greg has not had had all of his teammates accuse him of doping. Almost everyone Lance has ridden with has either been busted for drugs or admitted

[ryanchandler25]

Everyone has raced dirty...everyone....except greg lemond. Lemond is the only to ever make position or tech improvements....no one else have ever done that. Lemond is the only with great genetics for cycling....no other cyclist has superior lung capacity or above average size heart or capacity to take in large amounts of oxygon.....yep only Lemond no one else. And if anyone else has any success in cycling, it's because of doping.

[ryanchandler25]

Okay now he's talking about how his performance never varied over 18 years. Lance was keeping up with triathletes like Mark Allen, Dave Scott and other top triathletes when he was 15 years old. He even beat Dave Scott. He's won races from the time he jumped on the bike and never stopped. So Lemond's perfomence never varied, yet he wasn't on drugs. Yet Lance's performance never varied over 18 years and Lemond calls him a doper.

[ryanchandler25]

Greg is just a jealous, bitter man. In the opening he says that his fastest ever time trial was partly do to an more areo position on the bike. Yet when Lance mentions improvements in technology, bike positioning, etc., Lemond calls it bullshit and says the technology, positiioning etc., don't have an impact on speeds etc.

[vandigital1]

Wat Een Spreker Is Die Man

[asgardian001]

@bampie1 I don't want Armstrong to be a drug cheat but I fear he is. Lance nor his doctor have ever answered LeMond's challenge about Wattage able to be produced vs VO2 max. The missing factor must be drugs and corruption / better doctors / scientists working on your team gives you a get out of jail free card.

[bampie1]

@scrabbleking1965 Spot the difference LeMond never tested positive when drug testing was virtually non existant. Lance never tested positive when he has been the most tested athlete in the history of any sport and he never failed to give a sample when asked and drug testing is and was the best it has ever been. Using that logic both must be not guilty but Lance must be less guilty because he was tested more. How can someone be guilty if they have never been found cheating.

[scrabbleking1965]

@bampie1 Greg won in 86, 89 and 90, that is THREE!!!, the last 2 with nearly 40 shotgun pellets still in his body. This isn't about who was the better rider, it is about telling the truth and doing the right thing to change the sport for the better. Doping is killing the sport and the riders, Landis, LeMond and others who are dragging others OUT of this mess have my praise.