Anatomy of a Photo: Greg LeMan

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• @Marko
  ++1

  @Oli Brooke-White
  I think you may have a point, mate.

  @Jarvis

  @Marcus

  LeMond = Awesome and has a more impressive, well-rounded track record. Turning the Tour into a pharmalogical study does not make you a better rider. LeMond started from basically zero and revolutionized the sport. The only dark spot is the unfortunate fact that he started the "Tour Specialization" fad.

• Exactly! He has the stripes, but he isn't overdoing it. Hell, now they'll put a yellow computer on their bike to match the jersey, plus yellow shades, bike, everything. Leman is sharp & classy.

  And he's using a violet colored computer as well, not a green, polka dot or yellow.

  Class.

  Question: can we identify the original dawning of the Rainbow Turd? To a rider? To a specific race day?

• @Steampunk @Cyclops A++1

• @Ron
  blame Cipo (if you dare!) for instigating matching knicks which led onto the rainbow turd being worn by others first, but none better than him.

  @frank
  At the risk of perpetuating this unwinnable argument, 1 World Champs, 7 Tours, two Classics (Fleche and San Sebastian? plus a lot of high placings in others), plus plenty of Dauphines, etc., beats LeMelvis' 2 World Champs, 3 Tours and an admittedly more rounded (but hardly world beating) Classics palmares.

  The drugs stuff for Armstrong is unproven (but possibly likely) - at this stage we know there are suspicions and the fact that almost everyone he beat really was a pharmacological experiment. As for LeMond, he wasn't exactly racing against, and beating, cleanskins. But no way he was a doper right? Because he says so and seems nice? That line worked for Tyler for a while too. LeMond's era was around about the time when the US track cycling team was (legally) blood doping, so who knows what was going on?

• @Marcus

  @frank

  @Jarvis
  So anyways, back to that awesome photo...

• @frank
  You mean Crocodile Dundee picked one up after he saw your father.

• @Steampunk
  Besides, Frank's dad didn't use a Bowie knife for that fine pelt. He ran the beast down and slayed it with his reading glasses. He used the knife to tailor the vest--for That Perfect Look.

  Oh, and the zebra skin? That's no ordinary white zebra with black stripes. That's the far more rare black zebra with white stripes. Discerning fellow. I can see where Frank gets his eye for details.

• @Cyclops
  Fuck, yeah. That's how you climb.

• Back to the photo:

  Despite all my years following procycling, I have never seen that photo before.
  I bought Drop-ins, or at least Specialized's version of them. I bought Oakley Razor Blades and a Giro Air Attack because of Lemond in '89. I even "dream built" a bike with the "Z" colour scheme - I think 50% of bikes sold in the UK back then were sold with that or a similar paintjob.

  There is also something to be said about him not having a helmet on that brings a "carefree" feeling to the photo. But for all that I wouldn't have the rules any other way and I would never ride without a helmet.

  And to digress again briefly, I have avoided Oakley for 10 years, will never buy a Trek and am unlikely to ever buy any Giro product again all because of CotHO. I was a diehard Oakley and Giro fan before he came along.

  @Marcus
  US blood doping happened at a time when Lemond was a European Pro. So no involvement in that. But I'll still contend that Armstrong didn't have much opposition. There was only ever Ullrich who was interested in winning through those years.

• Jarvis:

  There is also something to be said about him not having a helmet on that brings a "carefree" feeling to the photo. But for all that I wouldn't have the rules any other way and I would never ride without a helmet.

  If you mean The Rules as opposed to just rules in general, I don't believe they prescribe helmet wearing.