Professional Cycling For the Fans - Riddle Me This - When Did Greg LeMond become a jerk?

What is it with internet forums and people calling each other jerks? It's Cowardly.



Ok I won't use the j word because that involves opinion, and value judgement. However, Lemond has always been somewhat abrasive and difficult to deal with, (with the confrontations with Hinault being only one example)


he's lost his mind



I think there is something to this. I believe it was an interview with Lemond in Mens Journal, (might have been Outside) that went through a bunch of quirky things in Lemond's post racing career. I think he may actually have some real mental health issues. He certainly comes across as paranoid, if not actually suffering from Paranoia.

And FWIW, I actually kinda like the guy.

Greg is a jerk. Greg's and his parade of supporters are the real classless schmucks.

Fixed

Richard

So the general consensus is that Greg Lemond is


Jealous
A jerk
Probably was on drugs himself
Greedy
Bitter
A fool
Classless
A whiner


I reckon he is great. Anyone who can upset all you fanboy asshats as much as Lemond can deserves respect IMO. If ever I am lucky enough to meet the guy I'm going to shake his hand and buy him a beer. Actually, better make that a water, I heard he was off the piss.

If you meet him on the bike don't pedal too fast or he will demand a sample.

Richard


So the general consensus is that Greg Lemond is


Jealous
A jerk
Probably was on drugs himself
Greedy
Bitter
A fool
Classless
A whiner


I reckon he is great. Anyone who can upset all you fanboy asshats as much as Lemond can deserves respect IMO. If ever I am lucky enough to meet the guy I'm going to shake his hand and buy him a beer. Actually, better make that a water, I heard he was off the piss.

So the general consensus is that Greg Lemond is


Jealous
A jerk
Probably was on drugs himself
Greedy
Bitter
A fool
Classless
A whiner


I reckon he is great. Anyone who can upset all you fanboy asshats as much as Lemond can deserves respect IMO. If ever I am lucky enough to meet the guy I'm going to shake his hand and buy him a beer. Actually, better make that a water, I heard he was off the piss.

Well don't get all offended if he asks you to pee in a jar, because the burden of proof is on YOU. And tell Greg we said hi!

Le Monde is apparently reserving space for a whole series of articles by their near-namesake:

http://www.lemonde.fr/sports/article/2009/07/24/n-oublions-pas-les-morts-du-peloton-par-greg-lemond_1222312_3242.html

"Let us not forget those in the peloton who have died"

Brief summary:

He meets Pantani at a lunch for past winners in 2003. (As an aside, he mentions the Pirate asked to meet him, having looked up to him early in his career);

Later, he learns of Pantani's death with great sadness and tells how he's only one among many over the course of the last 15 years. Doesn't understand the lack of empathy within cycling for those who have died;

Quotes Ivan Fanini, who on Pantani's death, says many racers won't live past 50 because of "what they've had to take to "satisfy the requirements of competition.";

Lemond finds it despicable that then UCI president Hein Vebruggen criticizes Fanini, calling his comments stupid and saying he should leave the sport if he feels that way; supporting Vebruggen's statement is "the winner of the 2003 Tour."

He concludes by asking us to remember those who have died, especially with Ventoux coming up tomorrow and what transpired there.

Fixed

Richard


I never said that. Edit your own posts.

I don't know Greg Lemon personally but I think he has given up a lot to be outspoken. He could have played the game and been a hero, but perhaps he thinks at what cost? A lot of what has happened in the sport vis a vis drugs and testing is because of Lemond and not in spite of him.

Lots of cyclists have died because of doping. I know he is driven to be an anti doping spokesman. It ain't a pretty job and not one for the weak of heart. It must be like being a Jehovah's witness. You get a lot of anger and doors slammed in your face.

I don't know Greg Lemon personally but I think he has given up a lot to be outspoken. He could have played the game and been a hero, but perhaps he thinks at what cost? A lot of what has happened in the sport vis a vis drugs and testing is because of Lemond and not in spite of him.

Lots of cyclists have died because of doping. I know he is driven to be an anti doping spokesman. It ain't a pretty job and not one for the weak of heart. It must be like being a Jehovah's witness. You get a lot of anger and doors slammed in your face.


I don't think anyone criticizes LeMond for his strance on doping nor his concern for riders. It's the way he goes about it, like he's leading a witch hunt. This nonsense of the "burden of proof is on you" i.e. "you're a doper because I say so" is inexcusable. And he has become a LA parasite to say the least.

I have tried to like LeMond for years now and he makes it impossible.

I don't think anyone criticizes LeMond for his strance on doping nor his concern for riders. It's the way he goes about it, like he's leading a witch hunt. This nonsense of the "burden of proof is on you" i.e. "you're a doper because I say so" is inexcusable. And he has become a LA parasite to say the least.

I have tried to like LeMond for years now and he makes it impossible.

Interesting point;
In other words, you are saying he has become the Senator Joseph McCarthy of the cycling world.

What it is that makes Lemond a jerk is this... Armstrong and his fans. What makes Armstrong a real a**hole is this. His arrogance, lies, and deception.

What it is that makes Lemond a jerk is this... Armstrong and his fans. What makes Armstrong a real a**hole is this. His arrogance, lies, and deception.

Does anyone know you've stopped taking your meds?

Lemond makes Lemond look like a jerk. No I'm not a raving armstrong fan.


What it is that makes Lemond a jerk is this... Armstrong and his fans. What makes Armstrong a real a**hole is this. His arrogance, lies, and deception.

The secret behind Greg LeMond's powerful public speaking technique. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgTh61OxoC0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbikesnobnyc.blogspot.com%2F&feature=player_embedded) :lol:

What it is that makes Lemond a jerk is this... Armstrong and his fans. What makes Armstrong a real a**hole is this. His arrogance, lies, and deception.

Are you really Greg Lemond?

You didn't say that to anyone's face either :p

It's Cowardly.

What it is that makes Lemond a jerk is this... Armstrong and his fans. What makes Armstrong a real a**hole is this. His arrogance, lies, and deception.

Armstrong and his fans, Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,Armstrong and his fans,

How about bellweatherman and his hate??

Lemond is reviled by more than Armstrong and his fans.

People want to keep the status quo.

Greg Lemond is a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, hopeless, heartless, fat-***, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey ****.

Greg Lemond is a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, hopeless, heartless, fat-***, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey ****.

Why?

What do you think of Hamilton, Basso, Ullrich, Vinny, Rassmussen et al?

You do know it is not 2005. It is indeed 2009.

Richard


What it is that makes Lemond a jerk is this... Armstrong and his fans. What makes Armstrong a real a**hole is this. His arrogance, lies, and deception.

Greg Lemond is a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, hopeless, heartless, fat-***, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey ****.

did you just plagiarize clark griswold ;)?

ed rader

I LOVE what Lemond has been doing.... I figure the lead leeching into his blood may be affecting him somewhat mentally, but his ideas about baseline testing and working performances out by the number have a lot of validity. He honestly may be having trouble articulating.... he's never been a great public speaker....even when was racing he'd get flustered in front of the cameras.

There was in interview with a ProTour rider who said that he was in a Tour and Lemond had the flu. Most would have bailed on it being that sick. He rode the stage with the runs. He said the stench was incredible as he passed by with bodily fluids all over his legs, with the rest of the squad literally surrounding him. He said that is what showed him what a champion really was.

Eccolo si.

Ooooooooo ...

Did I win some socks or some chit like that?

Greg Lemond is a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, hopeless, heartless, fat-***, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey ****.

You forgot ugly, lazy and disrespectful.

^^^:lol:^^^

When Will Greg LeMond Shut Up? (http://pelotonjim.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/will-greg-lemond-shut-up/)

The big mess around LeMond is that the shrill accusations aren't doing to anti-doping movement any good.

Bottom line is that we've got to get to a point where we're willing to accept that a rider is clean, UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE. You know, the old American, "innocent until proven guilty". Yeah, there's room in this concept for investigation of the suspicious, but investigations are normally done quietly without making accusations - until there's enough evidence to go public.

The LeMond-ish style of shrill, constant, loud, paranoid accusation will only cause the listener to turn off to the message, possibly missing whatever truth is contained therein. A constant loud litany of, "<insert name here> is a doper" repeated over and over, especially with an attitude of anger only makes the speaker look like a complete freaking idiot. And certainly turns me off - to the point on this forum that I've added about six names to my blocked list (which previously stood at zero), because I realized long ago that these folks only have one thing to say.

Message received, now talk about something else already. And try doing it politely - as is courtroom politely.

I think he needs to get out of the 80's. Athletes of all ages and sports are becoming bigger stronger and faster as the years go by. That is why world records continue to be broken, older athletes continue to compete.

Science is indeed helping the athlete but not necessarily with drugs but by learning what the body needs to recover, to energize and to sustain.

Personally, I very happy to have had at tour so far with zero positive drug tests....we don't seem to hear about that in the news during the tour, but lord have mercy should one rider test positive. Then, because of one the whole 2009 tour will be tainted when only said rider should be. This has been a very entertaining tour I think.

I was/am still, maybe, a fan of GL but it really seems like he has mental health issues. He won 3 tours, the WC and has made a lot of money. Pro's are doping that is a fact, but how is that affecting him personally? I mean, why would you run all over the world acting crazy? His "talk" at the British Sports Journo conference was sad, almost like he has dementia. His "Brand" still has potential to make money but he would have to step away from the microphone and be a role model by example and not act like he is leading the Spanish Inquisition. Pun intended.

vjp

I was/am still, maybe, a fan of GL but it really seems like he has mental health issues. He won 3 tours, the WC and has made a lot of money. Pro's are doping that is a fact, but how is that affecting him personally? I mean, why would you run all over the world acting crazy? His "talk" at the British Sports Journo conference was sad, almost like he has dementia. His "Brand" still has potential to make money but he would have to step away from the microphone and be a role model by example and not act like he is leading the Spanish Inquisition. Pun intended.

vjp

I wouldn't go so far as to say he has mental health issues. At least not in a clinical sense. Fact is that most people have some degree of mental misadjustment or psychopathology and it manifests itself differently in all people. Often it is brought on by environmental pressures.

However, I've noticed that during the TDF Lemond often makes sweeping unrealistic statements that cannot be proven. I think that when he watches those guys fly up the big mountains the way they do during the tour it makes him furious. Since he has some good reason to believe that it is PED enhanced performance. When he is in this kind of mindset he can be a bit absurd.

Still, I think that there is no reason to hate Lemond any more than Armstrong.

Actually, the words "classless", "jerk", etc, are far too nice of a way to describe Armstrong. The real die-hard Armstrong fans just hate on Lemond because they can't stand the thought of him being correct. You got to have a villain for every hero. And the hero worshippers have found their villain. The real a**hole is Armstrong. Period.

Very succinct. Very true.

We'll wait till the Trek/LeMond festivities begin.

Not going to look to good for Lance.

I'm enjoying the spin the Lance fans are putting on the issues.

This myth that LeMond was bitter and that's why he originally spoke out. LeMond was called by David Walsh asking for a comment on the Lance/Ferrari association..

He said something to the effect that either it was the greatest comeback in the history of sports, or if true, the greatest fraud.

A Lance fan said that GL has attacked every winner after him as being dirty. I don't recall him going after Sastre, and every winner after GL with that exception has either been shown to be a doper, or had a major cloud over his head.

LeMond has been correct in pointing out that the controls are ineffective.

I'm not going to go on, but for the people who think LA is clean, there are going to be a lot of revelations in the future. LeMond is right on the money, but unfortunately, the propaganda has been very effective against him.

FL even mentioned in the Orange Coast Magazine that Lance is a doper.

http://www.orangecoastmagazine.com/article.aspx?id=156

“Do you think he did it?”
I don’t hear that question at my local bike shop because most cycling devotees prefer to believe that doping isn’t prevalent in professional bike racing. Sure, maybe baseball and certainly football, but only addled, borderline cycling pros desperate to save their careers would ever dream of doping. So I don’t tell them that Floyd once offhandedly told me over burritos at a Chipotle near his home, “Just so you know, Marty, Lance doped.” Or that Floyd said it casually, as if it was common insider knowledge

Here's the thing that you don't seem to get:

There are a bunch of us. Those that cheer for Lance, that don't hate Greg or his message. We hate the way he's going about trying to effect change. It's counter productive.

Well, except for his latest article. I do, in fact, dislike that he publishes a paper column calling into question a pending champions status without a single concrete fact and declaring that the burden of proof is on that athlete to prove his innocence. When every logical and reasonable individual knows that it's impossible to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt a negative . That in itself is illogical. And his only basis for his claim? Alberto climbed too fast for Greg to believe. Guess what Greg, guys continue to work at finding ways to go faster, and faster. Otherwise the 4 minute mile would have never been run. If only he would do something good for the sport, instead of continuing to vent his frustration, making himself a ***** to the media who love nothing more than inflamatory pieces.

edit: (What is an appropriate term for, someone who takes money in exchange for seedy activities, that the nannyforum won't sensor?)

Fred, Fred.....

You've gone a little off the deep...

well, I'll say you've gone too far when you compare GL to Joe Mc Carthy? Please.. Calm down a little.

As for contador. Coming from the institutionalized doping program of his former team and director, very few inside the sport think contador is clean..

No one on that former team under that DS were opting out of the program.. It just wasn't done. If you want to believe that a pure climber is also one of the top time trialists you go on....

Lemond is a complete jerk. He was my hero in the 80's when I began racing, and particularly his comeback after his accident. His 1989 season was nothing short of magical. Since those early racing days I have gone on to become a litigator and represented a party in a lawsuit brought by Lemond. I have to say that much of the awe and admiration I had for that man went right out the window during that lawsuit, as he was exposed to be an opportunistic, greedy fool.

However, I can separate the personality from the message here.

Tim Herman?

Ok I won't use the j word because that involves opinion, and value judgement. However, Lemond has always been somewhat abrasive and difficult to deal with, (with the confrontations with Hinault being only one example).

It would kind of be like Bruyneel telling Contador to wait for Armstrong so he could win. LeMond was going to win in '85 if he wasn't held back minutes for Hinault.




And FWIW, I actually kinda like the guy.

If you like him than you should get your facts straight before using inaccurate statements to help you come to unfounded conclusions.