Press Release
Posted:
Washington, D.C. – Today Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) joined the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, former U.S. Representative Tom Graves, Stephen Whisnant, and esteemed guests to formally award cycling legend Greg LeMond with the Congressional Gold Medal. Watch Rep. Thompson’s remarks here.
“Greg LeMond represents the best of American sportsmanship. One of our greatest athletes, Greg is the only American man to win the Tour de France – a feat he accomplished three times. Throughout his career, Greg repeatedly exemplified the principles of healthy competition, honesty, and selflessness, putting team success ahead of his own.
“More than any other cyclist in our history, Greg was the epitome of the ‘Breaking Away’ culture – a young kid, on a bike, trying to do things no American had ever done.
“In retirement, Greg has dedicated his life to serving and supporting children, veterans, medical research and other causes through his charitable work,” said Thompson. “I was honored to join the ceremony today to finally present Greg with this well-deserved recognition.”
“Cycling changed my life for the better and I’m a firm believer that this sport has the potential to help everyone be healthier and more active, too,” said LeMond. “I didn't ever expect recognition when I started racing, I just really had a blast. That’s why I am truly humbled to be recognized by the U.S. Congress. I look at the list of previous medal winners and I can’t help but think that I'm in really, really good company.”
Greg LeMond is the only American to ever win the Tour de France. After his first win, he faced an uphill battle recovering from a near-fatal accident and later went on to win the Tour two more times. His 8-second victory over Laurent Fignon in the 1989 Tour is considered among the most thrilling moments in cycling history. Mr. LeMond was an early advocate against doping in the sport and he remains a giant in the cycling community to this day.
In his retirement, Mr. LeMond has dedicated himself to giving back to his community. He and his wife, Kathy LeMond, support research into various childhood illnesses He is also a founding board member of 1in6, a nonprofit organization that helps men who were victims of childhood sexual abuse.
Representative Mike Thompson, Co-Chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus, was inspired to pursue this award for Greg LeMond after reading about his incredible resiliency in Daniel De Visé’s biography, “The Comeback.” Thompson went on to lead the bipartisan effort in the U.S. House to pass the Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act.
The Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest civilian awards in our nation and seeks to honor those who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field for generations to come.
These medals are only awarded through Acts of Congress. Legislation must be introduced in both the House and Senate and those bills must be co-sponsored by two thirds of the membership of their respective chamber before being considered for a vote.
Greg LeMond is the first cyclist and only the tenth individual athlete to receive this prestigious medal. Others include Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jesse Owens, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer.
You can click here to read Thompson’s bill honoring Mr. LeMond and outlining his long and celebrated career as a cyclist and activist. Click here to download photos from today’s ceremony and here to watch footage of the event.