Audio By Carbonatix
An American in Paris, pedaling ahead of a peloton and coming back from
a life-threatening ailment to win the Tour de France. Who else? Has to
be Lance Armstrong, right? Pas si vite. (That means “Not so fast.”)
Actually, before Lance there was Greg LeMond — the first American to
win cycling’s Holy Grail. LeMond was the first to don the yellow
jersey in 1986 as he rode triumphantly by the Champs Élysées back
when Armstrong practically rode with training wheels.
LeMond broke barriers Armstrong never encountered, won three total
tours — two after he came back from a gun-shot injury he received
while hunting that almost killed him — and did everything without the
specter of performance-enhancing substances lingering over his head
(accusations still follow Armstrong). He was the first to use clipless
pedals, cycling eyewear, modern high-tech helmets, and aero bars —
all in an attempt to create more speed. Fitting then that the
Wolfsonian Museum (1001 Washington Ave. Miami Beach) invited LeMond to
talk about that which he knows best as part of the Speed Limits
exhibit on Friday. The “Greg LeMond: Breaking Speed Limits” night
starts with a screening of Vive Le Tour, a French short about the
tour. Then LeMond will talk about how he redefined cycling speed
limits. Tickets cost $10 but are free for Wolfsonian members. Call
305-535-2644, or visit wolfsonian.org.
Fri., Jan. 21, 2011
