Greg Lemond: "It really blew my mind that the Armstrong era was even worse than the late 90's"

Greg Lemond is 63 years of age but just as sharp with his words as when he was a Tour de France winner back in the 80's and early 90's. In a recent interview he talks about how he still dreams about racing the Grand Boucle, and tackles the topics of Lance Armstrong, doping and how he thinks he would've won more Tour if it wasn't for the doping epidemic of the 90's.

“Three or four times a year, I still dream about riding the Tour. I wake up and say to myself, ‘What am I thinking? I’m 63 and double the weight of the pros’,” Lemond jokes in an interview with CyclingWeekly. “I can’t imagine any other sport that has the same speed, intensity and competitiveness of cycling. I have a love-hate relationship with it because of the drugs and the closed-minded culture, but what’s more exciting than racing the Tour de France? I’m so glad I found cycling.”

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It is a relationship that many from those eras struggle to handle. Throughout the 1990's and 2000's there were many busts on professional riders including many big winners. Few at the top managed to escape positive tests, whilst several others had their career either clouded by suspicions or their results had been clouded by the sheer amount of doping that was present in the peloton at that time. Many of those who did test positive were never 'forgiven' and maintain a very negative reputation with the sport until today.

Lemond was the first American Tour de France winner back in 1986, survived an almost fatal gunshot wound in 1987, and then returned to win the Tour again in 1989 and 1990. He is very honest about his feelings regarding what followed after 1990: "I also dreamt of winning five Tours, which logically I should have. I truly believe without EPO I would have won in 1991 and 1992.”

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It was a success story like no other in men's professional cycling in the USA, and gave way for a generation that saw Lance Armstrong hit the spotlight. However for Lemond, who then became a commentator in the sport, it was never easy to be talking about rider whom he knew of wrongdoings.

“I just had to get into that position. It really blew my mind that the Armstrong era was even worse than the late 90's." This was equally as hard when he became a commentator for the sport: "I loved it, but it was hard to be enthusiastic for certain people who I had inside info on. It was painful.”

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