“He did things I can't even talk about publicly” – Greg LeMond reignites bitter Lance Armstrong feud with claims involving his family
Cycling
Greg LeMond has launched a fierce new attack on Lance Armstrong, alleging that his fellow American cycling legend targeted his business interests and even involved his family in their bitter, decades-long feud. The three-time Tour de France winner claims there are things Armstrong did that he still cannot discuss publicly, but has suggested he may eventually reveal more.
More than a decade after Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping, relations between the two Americans remain deeply hostile. In an extensive interview with Le Télégramme's Ravito programme, LeMond revisited the personal consequences of their dispute, while also attacking former US Postal boss Johan Bruyneel and rejecting comparisons between Armstrong and Tadej Pogacar.
At 65, LeMond remains deeply affected by his experiences with the man whose Tour de France dominance he publicly questioned long before the full extent of Armstrong's doping was exposed.
“He wanted to destroy me. He did things I can't even talk about publicly because they involve my family,” LeMond said. “He's a bad person. He was always saying negative things about me. It really affected me.”
Although LeMond did not elaborate on the alleged actions involving his family, he suggested that some had continued long after Armstrong's downfall. “One day I'll talk about it, because what he was doing seven or eight years ago was crazy,” he added.
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Their hostility stretches back to 2001, when LeMond publicly questioned Armstrong's association with Italian doctor Michele Ferrari, whose involvement in professional cycling had already attracted doping suspicions.
Armstrong was then in the middle of his extraordinary run of Tour de France victories, having returned from cancer to become one of the world's most celebrated sportsmen. LeMond, himself a Tour winner in 1986, 1989 and 1990, was among the most prominent former champions prepared to challenge his compatriot.
The fallout extended into LeMond's business interests. His bicycle brand had been produced and distributed by Trek since 1995, but the manufacturer's close commercial relationship with Armstrong became increasingly contentious as LeMond continued raising questions about doping.
In 2008, the relationship collapsed into legal action. LeMond alleged that Armstrong had used his influence to pressure Trek into silencing him and that the manufacturer had failed to adequately support his bicycle brand. Trek disputed those claims, arguing that LeMond's public criticism had damaged the business. The dispute was settled out of court in 2010, without a ruling establishing LeMond's allegations against Armstrong.
LeMond's criticism also extends to Armstrong's treatment of other riders. He recalled the contentious relationship between the Texan and Marco Pantani during the 2000 Tour de France, particularly their confrontation on Mont Ventoux.
“He's treated me terribly for a long time. I remember the day he threatened Marco Pantani on Mont Ventoux,” LeMond said. “I don't like the way he treats other riders. It makes me angry.”
Armstrong was eventually handed a lifetime ban in 2012 following the United States Anti-Doping Agency's investigation into the doping programme at US Postal and Discovery Channel. His seven Tour victories, won between 1999 and 2005, were stripped from the record books, and he publicly admitted using banned substances in January 2013.
LeMond reserved particularly blunt language for Armstrong and Bruyneel, who managed the teams behind those discredited successes. “He's a bad person. He and Johan Bruyneel are two arseholes,” he said, also accusing Armstrong of continuing to spread rumours about him.
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“He was incapable of winning the Tour” – LeMond rejects Pogacar comparisons
The emergence of Tadej Pogacar as the dominant figure in modern cycling has brought renewed comparisons with Armstrong's former supremacy at the Tour de France. LeMond, however, sees little justification for putting the two riders on the same footing.
“During this year's Tour de France, he wanted to compare Tadej and Armstrong,” LeMond said. “I've seen Armstrong's VO2 max. He was incapable of winning the Tour without enormous assistance, beyond just doping. Tadej, on the other hand, is an exceptional talent.”
LeMond's comments go further than Armstrong's established doping offences, although his assessment of the Texan's physiological capabilities does not, by itself, establish that additional forms of assistance were involved.
The former world champion has also questioned Armstrong's relationship with the UCI, alleging that payments to cycling's governing body were connected to preferential treatment.
Armstrong did make financial contributions to the UCI, but the Cycling Independent Reform Commission's 2015 investigation found no evidence that those payments were linked to covering up a positive test at the 2001 Tour de Suisse. The commission nevertheless criticised the governing body's decision to accept donations from a rider already facing doping suspicions.
LeMond's admiration for Pogacar stands in marked contrast to his assessment of Armstrong. The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles and established himself as one of the most successful riders of his generation, while LeMond's own three victories in 1986, 1989 and 1990 remain part of an increasingly distant era.
Armstrong's doping sanctions eventually brought an end to the years in which LeMond was among the sport's most prominent critics of his compatriot. But the latest interview has exposed how much of their personal dispute remains unresolved, with LeMond now raising the possibility of revealing alleged actions involving his family that, by his own account, date from years after Armstrong's lifetime ban.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Geez LeMond...let it go. You're a has been, albeit a former great one. But this is all water under the bridge and just undermines your legacy further.Mshark01-11-2026
- 'The Slovenian has collected four Tour de France titles' ... '[Kieran Wood's] ... reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis'. i would say that is pretty inaccurate accurate coverage, kieran wood ... too bad that AI's knowledge often lags several months behind ... but proof reading is certainly part of accurate coverage, isn't it? but fortunately does Kieran Wood place 'strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.' i would say the fifth tdf title is pretty new (and even verified) information, so feel free to update this article.Ketterechts01-11-2026
- You are wrong, they are already working on his new tt position. And yes, Trump does love you 😂👍🏼awp01-11-2026
- The Erola Jons incident was not isolated. She felt she could do that because that's how everyone treats Tadej. Remember when he said "If I say wait 2 mins do you show the middle finger and walk off angry?" about the supposed fan who did exactly that? There's nothing wrong with the nurses and doctors asking him to give autographs... but do the surgery first
Rafionain-Glas01-11-2026 - Perhaps he has what Mark Cavendish had, the Epstein-Barr Virus. It caused him severe and unexplained chronic fatigue. I hope he gets better.
parisbound0001-11-2026 - How can medical staff act like that? pretty disgraceful! the guys down and they're near seeing him off ;/
leedorney01-11-2026 - I think that this is exactly what Jonas needs at this point in his career. It's something that could revive his passion for winning, and he's physically more than capable of winning one of those races as well.
santiagobenites01-11-2026 - What a great race! Couldn't look away. Can't wait for the eurosRafionain-Glas01-11-2026
- I think other competitors also had great Tours, so it wasn't that Ferrand-Prévot necessarily failed in some way - it's more likely that the other top riders lifted their game and maybe also a bit of luck with no crashes, etc. It's the Tour de France after all. It's not meant to be easy to defend your title (the few exceptions like Pogacar prove the rule).Pogboom01-11-2026
- maybe we should put our cv at the end of each comment post ... same rights for all of us!Ketterechts01-11-2026
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