The American who conquered the Tour — three victories and the comeback after being shot.
Gregory James LeMond was born in Lakewood, California in 1961. He won three Tour de France titles. In April 1987 he was accidentally shot by his brother-in-law during a turkey hunt — 35 shotgun pellets in his back, diaphragm, kidneys and heart lining. He nearly died. He returned to professional cycling and won the Tour de France in 1989 — one of the greatest sporting comebacks in history. He won the 1989 Tour by the closest ever margin: 8 seconds after a final stage time trial. He was the first non-European Tour champion and the most important figure in cycling's global expansion.
Best Known For
Tour de France 3x (1986,1989,1990)
Honours & Achievements
Career Honours
- Tour de France 3x (1986,1989,1990)
- World Champion 2x
Career Journey
Timeline
1961
👶 Born in Lakewood, California
1994
🏁 Retired from professional sport
🏆 Tour de France 3x (1986,1989,1990)
🏆 World Champion 2x