Greg Lemond S Complete Book Of Bicycling

For both the beginner and specialist, this book covers equipment, techniques, and training.

Provides advice on equipment and skills, including tips on how to prevent injury and convert a mountain bike into a road bike

“Greg LeMond was Lance Armstrong before Lance Armstrong . . . the story of a true hero . . . This is a must read if you believe in miracles.”―John Feinstein, New York Times–bestselling author In July 1986, Greg LeMond stunned the sporting world by becoming the first American to win the Tour de France, the world’s pre-eminent bicycle race, defeating French cycling legend Bernard Hinault. Nine months later, LeMond lay in a hospital bed, his life in peril after a hunting accident, his career as a bicycle racer seemingly over. And yet, barely two years after this crisis, LeMond mounted a comeback almost without parallel in professional sports. In summer 1989, he again won the Tour—arguably the world’s most grueling athletic contest—by the almost impossibly narrow margin of 8 seconds over another French legend, Laurent Fignon. It remains the closest Tour de France in history. “[A] blend of chaos, kindness and cruelty typifies the scenes that journalist de Visé brings to life in this sympathetic-verging-on-reverential retelling of LeMond’s trailblazing career (first American to enter the tour, first to win it) . . . As an author in quest of his protagonist’s motivation, [de Visé] subjects it to extreme torque.”—The Washington Post “A great book . . . Well written and thoroughly researched . . . Engrossing and hard to put down. If you’re a Greg LeMond fan, The Comeback is a must read because it’s a detailed accounting of his career and―more importantly―his life and person off the bike. It’s also an important reminder that American cycling did not begin and end with Lance Armstrong.”—PEZ

"Distributed in the United States and Canada by Ingram Publisher Services"--T.p. verso.

In 1986, I was the first American to win the Tour de France. In 1987, my life was nearly ended in a hunting accident. I was 15 minutes from death. But I came back to life and went on to win the Tour twice more, in 1989 and 1990. This is my story.' Greg LeMond, three times winner of the Tour de France, twice winner of the World Championship, was the finest cyclist of his generation and one of the all-time greats. In his quest for speed and perfect performance, he showed extraordinary determination. Yet few thought he could come back from the shooting that left him so close to death - least of all his own team. They could not have been more wrong. Two years later, with his body still full of birdshot, LeMond won the Tour again -in the most closely contested race of the event's history. Yet LeMond was more than merely a supreme athlete: he was a great innovator - the first cyclist to negotiate a million-dollar contract, to employ a scientific approach to training, and to exploit aerodynamic bike design. As an American individualist coming to a European tradition, he often stirred things up. If his candour and occasional combativeness did not always endear him to officials and team managers, they made him a firm favourite with fans. But LeMond's triumphs came at a cost. The hard years on the road took their toll on his family; he fell out with his father and had to sack him as his business manager. He fell out of love, too, with the sport that had been his life's passion, and his strength began to fail, he faced disillusion and depression. The greatest challenge of his career was to survive these defeats and forge a life after pro cycling. On a bike, LeMond was almost superhuman; but the story he has to tell - of battling adversity and finding the will to go on - is simply and inspiringly a human one.

Learn how to make the wheels turn in this informative guide that provides solid instruction on choosing the best bicycle and the differences between road, touring, racing, and cross bikes.

Describes and explains everything about buying, riding, and maintaining a bike.

Describes the training, competitions, and triumphs of the first American to win the Tour de France bicycle race.