'Cycling Legend' on 'The Last Word'

SACH Central

A 'Cycling Legend' is going to be interviewed by Matt Cooper on The Last Word on Today FM. It's on @the Last Word on Sport' between 6 & 7. He hasn't, as yet, said who this 'legend' is. Is it Greg Lemond? Worth a listen anyhow

ROK ON

More than likely - he is in Limerick this w/e for a charity cycle to Doonbeg sponsored by some local businesses. Greg is also fighting cancer, just like his arch nemesis.

SACH Central

ROK ON wrote: »

Greg is also fighting cancer

Wasn't aware of that. How serious?/what's the prognosis?

ROK ON

SACH Central wrote: »

Wasn't aware of that. How serious?/what's the prognosis?

Sorry - I did not mean it in that way. He has a cancer hospice charity.
One of the main hospices in the mid West region appears to have hooked up with him, and the whole thing is backed by BDO Simpson Xavier. Not sure how they got him, but he did it last year also.
There is a 100km and 200km cycle. But only 200 take part.

Cant help thinking that it could be a much biger event with a tiny bit of marketing - but I guess this eveent is about sponsorship first and the bike ride second.

Captain Havoc

Here he comes.

dalkener

SACH Central wrote: »

Wasn't aware of that. How serious?/what's the prognosis?

http://www.flahute.com/tag/greg-lemond/

Not a good prognosis for Fignon, interesting comments regarding doping & cancer.

The cycling legend is just about to come on TodayFM now!!

Planet X

Sounds like he's had a few.........

blorg

ROK ON wrote: »

More than likely - he is in Limerick this w/e for a charity cycle to Doonbeg sponsored by some local businesses. Greg is also fighting cancer, just like his arch nemesis.

The Badger?

ROK ON

blorg wrote: »

The Badger?

Fair enough, but LA is surely his current nemesis.

SACH Central

Planet X wrote: »

Sounds like he's had a few.........

He was quite incoherent alright in places. It's his birthday? Maybe he's celebrating.

blorg

ROK ON wrote: »

Fair enough, but LA is surely his current nemesis.

Don't get me started on LA.

ROK ON

SACH Central wrote: »

He was quite incoherent alright in places. It's his birthday? Maybe he's celebrating.

I think thats just the way he speaks. Have seen a lot of interviews of him. When I was a kid, he was my favourite cyclist after Kelly. He always sounds sorta stoned/ or stuttering.

ROK ON

The part when asked how quickly could he cycle 100km was pure theatre. Cooper really didnt get it that it was a joke for a few seconds.

SACH Central

ROK ON wrote: »

The part when asked how quickly could he cycle 100km was pure theatre. Cooper really didnt get it that it was a joke for a few seconds.

Wouldn't go down as one of the greatest sports interviews ever.

I was hoping more for a, Michael Parkinson V Ali, type interview

Funkyzeit

Posted before but great interview here if you have a spare hour:

http://www.competitorradio.com/details.php?show=21

petethedrummer

Planet X wrote: »

Sounds like he's had a few.........

people always say this.... he just sounds incoherent to me. or like his mind jumps from topic to topic as he speaks.

Is he actually an alcoholic or not?

dancesOnPedals

petethedrummer wrote: »

people always say this.... he just sounds incoherent to me. or like his mind jumps from topic to topic as he speaks.

Is he actually an alcoholic or not?

He always mumbled. Drink has no problems with him as far as I know, but "recreational" drugs didn't suit him for a while.

See Irish Times Article

Bunnyhopper

There's an mp3 of the show online now. Lemond doesn't appear until quite close to the end of it though.

http://audio.todayfm.com/audio/20090626180010.mp3

niceonetom

Befuddlement is Greg's middle name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2lpYnmJOss

^If you think that the snob has unfairly edited this to make it look like Lemond is more rambling than he really is you can check out the full video here. A fantastic athlete, but a terrible public speaker...

Zipp101

Greg's last line is classic!

SACH Central

dancesOnPedals wrote: »

See Irish Times Article

Take a look at the first photo. He has really piled on the beef in the last few years.

sy

Chirpy, cheeky, innovative and above all an awesome talent in his day. LeMond moved cycling forward more than any other cyclist in the latter part of 20th Century. He really stunned the Europeans when he arrived on the scene but he had the charisma that Lance never had and they accepted him more willingly. Only for that serious accident in 1986 he would IMO have won 5 in a row as I think Steven in 87 and Pedro in 88 might have been in trouble. (No disrespect to Roche) He rode the spring classics agressively but will never forgive him for beating Kelly in the 89 Worlds!
Seemingly on the day (I was watching live and almost had heart attack!) when Kelly caught the bunch after the climb (another of his great descents) LeMond went over to him and said"Looks like its your day Sean!" Kelly hadn't enough time to recover in my opinion. Some say he only had a 13 sprocket on and spun out, as the hill at the end was so difficult nobody expected a sprint finish. Never spoke to the great man but its the one question I would love to ask him but not sure if I have the B**** to do so! LeMond started the sprint from 400m! and I think thats what won it for him on the day, he was just too stong.( Sadly Thierry Claveryrolat a great climber, who won the polka dot jersey in 1990 Tour, and in the finishing group that day, comitted suicide a few years later. I remember him so well as he always spent most of the climbs out of the saddle)
LeMond was a great climber, very good in the Time Trials and packed a great kick in a small bunch. His one big weakness was that he tended to put on weight and was a little lazy! He arrived for the Nissan Classic one year, rode the first stage and then packed it in. Probably liked his french wine too much but then so do I!

Captain Havoc

WoW, what a great piece of footage