Greg Lemond

[bryanquinn]

Well it looks as if GL has gone over the edge.
For those of you who have been following the stories, Trek has severed it's relationship with him a while back and now the trek dealers are trying to get his bikes out of their shops.
I'm curious as to what others feel about him and whether every one is getting rid of anything relating to him?
I grew up watching Lemond come up through the ranks and it saddens me to see what has become of him.
If you have have an opinion please post up.

 

[oldbobcat]

If you have have an opinion please post up.

As a pro racer Greg was always loquacious, a quality that endeared him to fans and the press. Speaking to French reporters in their native tongue didn't hurt, either. Contrast with Lance Armstrong, who is always circumspect and speaks only Texan.

Ten years after retiring, he's shooting off his mouth. I think he's not fully aware of the role he's supposed to play as a businessman and elder guardian of the sport. I'm saddened.

 

[Crankyfeet]

You mean he's supposed to keep his mouth shut about the doping problem so that the public is shielded from the truth?

So if you saw a company you have a business relationship with supporting a fraud... you would shut up about it... because it makes better business sense to promote the fraud?

I tip my hat to someone who is prepared to speak out about what he sees as the truth, despite the fact that it hurts himself financially.

 

[oldbobcat]

You mean he's supposed to keep his mouth shut about the doping problem so that the public is shielded from the truth?

His allegations on doping are ill-advised. He might be right but his allegations cannot be verified. And what he was doing with Trek, underselling his authorized dealers under the table, is just dumb.

He's more of a public figure than you and I are and he should watch his step. By the way, I don't make unverifiable allegations about doping, either.

 

[dgregory57]

Any dealer tries to get discontinued products out the door... or for that matter current lines... they try to sell whatever they can.

Or am I missing something on that point?

If Trek dealers are trying to abandon the Lemond name which is being carried by someone besides Trek now, you can bet it is at least partly because Trek doesn't like their dealers selling anything other than Trek. It is my understanding that the way they structure their deals with bike shops it discourages carrying a variety of brands. The LBS I buy at considered selling Trek, but did not like the structure of the deal they would have been required to sign.

 

[alienator]

His allegations on doping are ill-advised. He might be right but his allegations cannot be verified. And what he was doing with Trek, underselling his authorized dealers under the table, is just dumb.

He's more of a public figure than you and I are and he should watch his step. By the way, I don't make unverifiable allegations about doping, either.

+1. People want a fix to the doping issue, and in the rush to that fix, they're willing to forgo any semblance of fairness or objectivity. The phrase that applies is "witch hunt."

As for LeMond, he knew what he was doing as he mouthed off. He's not stupid, but he is fatally arrogant and given his baseless accuasations, not worthy of much respect at all.

 

[Crankyfeet]

I don't make unverifiable allegations about doping, either.

What about verifiable ones?

 

[Crankyfeet]

+1. People want a fix to the doping issue, and in the rush to that fix, they're willing to forgo any semblance of fairness or objectivity. The phrase that applies is "witch hunt."

There are some who are attracted to the doping crisis in cycling like those who are attracted to a car accident. There are also others that feel that doping is killing the integrity of the sport and that the system that is supposedly in place to prevent it, is also somewhat lacking in integrity... due to an obvious conflict of interest.

As for LeMond, he knew what he was doing as he mouthed off. He's not stupid, but he is fatally arrogant and given his baseless accuasations, not worthy of much respect at all.

You'll say whatever you like to back up your views. Here's one baseless alienator allegation: "Floyd Landis is not a doper". Forget that an official arbitration of his case took place... forget that the issues were thrashed out in various hearings spread over more than a year. The official decision verified by evidence is that Floyd doped with synthetic testosterone. But you choose to ignore that. With that kind of head-in-the-sand, hypocritical opinion rationalising... how can you even consider that you're objective?

So what hope has a three time winner of the TdF got of basing his allegations in your view... if they contradict what you want to hear?

 

[kennf]

I'm curious as to what others feel about him and whether every one is getting rid of anything relating to him?
.

I have a Lemond Zurich and love it.

 

[oldbobcat]

What about verifiable ones?

I have no means to verify who's doping. I just read the papers. I read in the papers that Greg was making some wild insinuations about Lance Armstrong, doping, and other riders, and Trek is suing to terminate their contract with him. I wouldn't keep a partner who slanders my franchise either.

You can draw your own conclusions about whether Trek sponsors a team that cheats, but that is beside the fact of Lemond violating the terms of their contract. Dragging in the testimony about childhood sexual abuse is also beside the point.

If Greg wants to continue supporting his family, he needs to shut up and find a new fabrication and distribution channel for his bikes. Tell you what, Greg. You sell me the brand and I'll get the bikes made in Taiwan and sell them on ebay.

 

[kennf]

I have no means to verify who's doping. I just read the papers. I read in the papers that Greg was making some wild insinuations about Lance Armstrong, doping, and other riders, and Trek is suing to terminate their contract with him. I wouldn't keep a partner who slanders my franchise either.

You can draw your own conclusions about whether Trek sponsors a team that cheats, but that is beside the fact of Lemond violating the terms of their contract. Dragging in the testimony about childhood sexual abuse is also beside the point.

If Greg wants to continue supporting his family, he needs to shut up and find a new fabrication and distribution channel for his bikes. Tell you what, Greg. You sell me the brand and I'll get the bikes made in Taiwan and sell them on ebay.

Greg is a multimillionaire, and is doing just fine. Instead of reading the sound bites from the newspapers, read, or listen to the full length interviews with him. It may change your perception. Any insinuations made about Armstrong are far from being "wild." Greg has talked about the doping problem before Armstong won his first Tour, and his comments about Armstrong began when the news broke about Armstrong's affiliation with Ferrari.

 

[oldbobcat]

Any insinuations made about Armstrong are far from being "wild."

Not too wild for an internet bulletin board or a blog, but until his stories start arriving at a point and can be verified by legitimate journalists or investigators, he's going to continue to come off like a bitter has-been with an ax to grind. In the professional world where money and careers are at stake your words have to be verifiable.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Not too wild for an internet bulletin board or a blog, but until his stories start arriving at a point and can be verified by legitimate journalists or investigators, he's going to continue to come off like a bitter has-been with an ax to grind. In the professional world where money and careers are at stake your words have to be verifiable.

The corporate world is filled with examples of integrity being compromised for money... where the most important consideration is "Will we get caught?" rather than "Is this right?". Greg's sense of mission is with the sport of cycling IMHO... not his connection with TREK.

 

[bryanquinn]

Not too wild for an internet bulletin board or a blog, but until his stories start arriving at a point and can be verified by legitimate journalists or investigators, he's going to continue to come off like a bitter has-been with an ax to grind. In the professional world where money and careers are at stake your words have to be verifiable.

Greg coming off sounding like a bitter has been is what bothers me. Not that he has accused anyone of doping. I just feel like he should be more elegant in his later years.

Is there doping in cycling? Of course. I still think Greg should have been a little more careful in his delivery. I still like him...I just feel bad about the way he has made himself look to the public.

 

[Pendejo]

Greg coming off sounding like a bitter has been is what bothers me. Not that he has accused anyone of doping. I just feel like he should be more elegant in his later years.

Is there doping in cycling? Of course. I still think Greg should have been a little more careful in his delivery. I still like him...I just feel bad about the way he has made himself look to the public.

I hate that phrase, "has been." It's either meaningless, or else everybody in the world is destined to be one (provided you live long enough).

 

[oldbobcat]

The corporate world is filled with examples of integrity being compromised for money... where the most important consideration is "Will we get caught?" rather than "Is this right?". Greg's sense of mission is with the sport of cycling IMHO... not his connection with TREK.

Prove it.

 

[bryanquinn]

I hate that phrase, "has been." It's either meaningless, or else everybody in the world is destined to be one (provided you live long enough).

Good point.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Prove it.

Prove what?

 

[kennf]

Not too wild for an internet bulletin board or a blog, but until his stories start arriving at a point and can be verified by legitimate journalists or investigators, he's going to continue to come off like a bitter has-been with an ax to grind. In the professional world where money and careers are at stake your words have to be verifiable.

I disagree to the extent that a lot of people perceived him as a bitter has-been in 2001/2002. But I think that perception has changed quite a bit in the last 5 years, as an increasing number of people learned about the rampant epo use in the '90s. All of that is verfiable. Dr. Ferrari was/is a notorious doping doctor who worked with Dr. Conconi and a lot of confirmed doping riders in the '90s. That is verifiable. You have to realize that if you took all of his comments from interviews about doping, statements about Lance would probably make up 5%. But those are the statements that make headlines. If he had talked about Indurain or Riis or Pantani, no one (at least in the U.S.) would lable him as "bitter."

If John Burke called me and told me to shut up about doping or I'd be out of business, then had his cronies draft my own "apology", I'd be pretty frickin bitter.

 

[Crankyfeet]

I disagree to the extent that a lot of people perceived him as a bitter has-been in 2001/2002. But I think that perception has changed quite a bit in the last 5 years, as an increasing number of people learned about the rampant epo use in the '90s. All of that is verfiable. Dr. Ferrari was/is a notorious doping doctor who worked with Dr. Conconi and a lot of confirmed doping riders in the '90s. That is verifiable. You have to realize that if you took all of his comments from interviews about doping, statements about Lance would probably make up 5%. But those are the statements that make headlines. If he had talked about Indurain or Riis or Pantani, no one (at least in the U.S.) would lable him as "bitter."

If John Burke called me and told me to shut up about doping or I'd be out of business, then had his cronies draft my own "apology", I'd be pretty frickin bitter.

+1. Why would a clean successful cyclist, with so much to lose by association with a notorious cycling dope-doctor, keep that relationship with an exclusivity contract, when he could have obtained those meager lactate monitoring services from a thousand different honest doctors? There's a cavalcade of other circumstantial evidence and witness testimony that makes the conclusion obvious.

In any case... your point is about LeMond sacrificing business for what he deems to be honesty. Need I say more. Or maybe he sacrificed all that business relationship and $$$ cause he's jealous... or stupid?... Yeah right...