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Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday morning.
LeMond became the first American to win the event in 1986, just a few years after he moved to Europe to pursue his dream of becoming a professional cyclist.
“The honor is more than I ever expected, and I accept it with deep gratitude and a profound sense of humility…” LeMond said. “Cycling was an unusual sport for a 14-year-old kid in 1976. In fact, I didn’t know the sport existed until one day, a bicycle race passed my home. After winning my first race, I became passionately obsessed with cycling, and as an American, I believed if I worked hard enough, anything was possible.”
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Greg LeMond celebrates winning the 1989 Tour de France. (Graham Watson/Getty Images)
During his time in Europe, LeMond said people simply called him “The American,” a nickname he was “proud of.”
“At one point, my parents even suggested I lean into it. ‘Wear a cowboy hat and boots,’ they told me. I didn’t go quite that far, although I did grow up in Reno, Nevada, and rode horses before I rode a bike. I was just a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid, and for some reason, that resonated with people. I think many Europeans saw me as a reminder of what the U.S. has meant to Europe at critical times: As an ally, a liberator, and a friend.”
LeMond then discussed what it meant to be an American overseas, especially in a sport that had been dominated by Europeans up until his arrival.
Greg LeMond is helped by his massage therapist at L’Alpe d’Huez during the 17th stage of the 76th Tour de France on July 19, 1989. (AFP via Getty Images)
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“Being an American, especially abroad, carries a legacy,” LeMond said. “A legacy of sacrifice, of courage, and showing up when it matters most. So I am honored beyond words to receive this Congressional Gold Medal. I stand here knowing this honor isn’t mine alone. It belongs to every teammate, every supporter, every family member, and all the Americans whose courage and sacrifice made my life and career possible. I am proud to be an American, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
Five-time winner Bernard Hinault of France, left, congratulates Tour de France winner Greg LeMond in Paris on July 27, 1986. (AP Photo/Pierre Gleizes, File)
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LeMond suffered a hunting accident in 1987, causing him to miss the next two Tour de France’s after his victory. But he returned in 1989 and took home back-to-back titles.
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