Tour de France champion to speak at Santa Clara
By Ryan Donough
Three-time Tour De France Champion Greg LeMond will be discussing doping in professional cycling with San Francisco Chronicle writer Gwen Knapp in an open forum this Sunday at 6 p.m. in the Leavey Center.
LeMond has a wealth of experience as a cyclist and as an outspoken activist against doping.
Director of Campus Ethics Programs David DeCosse helped organize the event and thinks it will be a great opportunity for college students to talk with a man who has accomplished so much in his life and maintains such a high level of integrity.
"I'm hoping that this event will be of special interest to our student-athletes," DeCosse said. "But I think LeMond's achievement is really reflective of the excellence I hope our students are shooting for whatever they are doing in life."
LeMond won his three Tour De France titles in 1986, 1989 and 1990. He did not compete in the two tours prior to his '89 win because of a shotgun wound in his lower back that he sustained during a hunting accident. In addition, he had two surgeries to repair unrelated injuries, but recovered to win his next two tours.
He has received several awards, including the ABC Wide World of Sports Athlete of The Year on two different occasions. LeMond also received the prestigious Pernod Trophy, which is given annually to the best cyclist in the world. In 1996, LeMond was inducted into the cycling hall of fame.
The event is being co-sponsored by the Markuula Center for Applied Ethics, the Santa Clara Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports and the Commonwealth Club of Silicon Valley. The forum is free and open to the public.
According to DeCosse, the event will follow the Commonweatlh Club format in which LeMond will speak for the first 10 or 15 minutes on how cycling should deal with the doping issue.
The presentation will be followed by a discussion between Knapp and LeMond on a wide range of topics pertaining to doping in cycling for the next 15 minutes. Finally, index cards will be handed out to the crowd and they will be able to write questions that Knapp will select and LeMond will respond to.
According to DeCosse, Knapp is an expert on doping in cycling and is very knowledgeable on the subject.
"I chatted with her on the phone the other day, and man, she really is on top of this stuff," DeCosse said. "I mean she is no shrinking violet, so I'm sure she will ask the questions that need to be asked."
LeMond is most recently known for his role in the Floyd Landis case. Landis was the 2006 Tour De France winner until his accomplishment came under scrutiny when his "A" urine sample came back with abnormally high levels of testosterone. Landis initially disputed the test results.
However, LeMond testified after the first test that he had spoken with Landis in the summer of 2006 and believed that his "B" urine test would test positive for heightened levels of testosterone.
The controversy was intensified by a threatening phone call that Landis' business manager had made to LeMond the night before the testimony was given while Landis was present.
The manager subsequently apologized and was fired by Landis.
LeMond said that in his conversation with Landis, he had asked him to come clean for his own sake and the sake of the sport. Landis did not; however, the tests convinced the United States Anti-Doping Agency that he had won his 2006 Tour De France illegally and he was stripped of his title.
According to DeCosse, his integrity and passion is what makes LeMond such a great speaker on the subject of doping and steroids.
"I think he has been very consistent and outspoken of doping in cycling for a really long time," DeCosse said.
More than anything, DeCosse hopes that this forum will shed some light on the future of cycling and how it will deal with the doping issue.
"What ought it (cycling) do to really clean up so it can really restore itself to where there isn't any doubt?" DeCosse asked. "That's what we would like the event to be about."
Contact Ryan Donough at (408) 551-1918 or rdonough@scu.edu.