
Cycling legend Greg LeMond discusses his legacy as an American while receiving Congressional Gold Medal
LeMond became the first American to win the event in 1986, just a few years after he moved to Europe to pursue his dream of becoming a professional cyclist.
"The honor is more than I ever expected, and I accept it with deep gratitude and a profound sense of humility…" LeMond said. "Cycling was an unusual sport for a 14-year-old kid in 1976. In fact, I didn't know the sport existed until one day, a bicycle race passed my home. After winning my first race, I became passionately obsessed with cycling, and as an American, I believed if I worked hard enough, anything was possible."
During his time in Europe, LeMond said people simply called him "The American," a nickname he was "proud of."
"At one point, my parents even suggested I lean into it. 'Wear a cowboy hat and boots,' they told me. I didn't go quite that far, although I did grow up in Reno, Nevada, and rode horses before I rode a bike. I was just a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid, and for some reason, that resonated with people. I think many Europeans saw me as a reminder of what the U.S. has meant to Europe at critical times: As an ally, a liberator, and a friend."
LeMond then discussed what it meant to be an American overseas, especially in a sport that had been dominated by Europeans up until his arrival.
"Being an American, especially abroad, carries a legacy," LeMond said. "A legacy of sacrifice, of courage, and showing up when it matters most. So I am honored beyond words to receive this Congressional Gold Medal. I stand here knowing this honor isn't mine alone. It belongs to every teammate, every supporter, every family member, and all the Americans whose courage and sacrifice made my life and career possible. I am proud to be an American, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart."
LeMond suffered a hunting accident in 1987, causing him to miss the next two Tour de France's after his victory. But he returned in 1989 and took home back-to-back titles.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Saniyah Hall commits to USC, Trojans land 3rd No. 1 prospect in past 4 women's basketball recruiting classes
USC women's basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has received a commitment from another No. 1 prospect, the third top recruit to pledge to her program in the past four cycles, according to ESPN. Saniyah Hall, a 6-foot-2 forward who now plays for SPIRE Academy in Ohio, announced her commitment to USC Friday on ESPN's "NBA Today." "I would just say it felt like home," Hall said following her official visit to USC. "I loved all of my teammates. The girls there are so fun to be around. The coaches ... have high support, but [Gottlieb] is definitely there to just support me, and I've built a relationship with her — she's a great coach." Last week, Hall helped Team USA win gold at the U19 Women's World Cup. She earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.9 steals per games while shooting 52.6% from the field and 39.3% from 3. Hall has transferred back to her home state for her final season, but last year she played her junior season at Montverde Academy in Florida. Hall picked USC over North Carolina and UCLA. She's following in the footsteps of Trojans guards JuJu Watkins and Jazzy Davidson, who were rated by ESPN as No. 1 prospects in the 2023 and 2025 recruiting classes, respectively, before committing to USC. Although Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear in USC's second-round NCAA tournament game against Mississippi State, she swept the major National Player of the Year awards this year as a sophomore. Additionally, she collected first-team All-American honors for the second year in a row after averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. USC, which has made back-to-back Elite 8s as a 1-seed, is adding to Davidson to the fold for the 2025-26 season. She rounded out her Clackamas High School career as the 2024-25 Gatorade Oregon Girls Basketball Player of the Year, averaging 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.3 steals, 2.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game as a senior. While the Trojans will have to wait for Watkins to fully recover, their 2026-27 roster is shaping up to be spectacular, perhaps fit to end the program's four-plus-decade national title drought.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Bruins Who Signed With New Teams This Summer
Now that we are almost to August, several former Boston Bruins players have signed with new teams during this off-season. Due to this, let's take a look at a handful of former Bruins who have signed with new clubs this summer and how they performed during their time in Boston. After spending each of the last two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, former Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the San Jose Sharks in free agency this year. The 34-year-old defenseman will now be an incredibly important part of San Jose's defense as they continue their rebuild. In 23 games with the Bruins during the 2022-23 season, Orlov recorded four goals, 13 assists, and 17 points. He also had eight assists in seven playoff games for the Original Six club that year. Former Bruins winger James van Riemsdyk signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings this summer. The veteran forward will now provide the Red Wings with more forward depth and secondary offensive production. van Riemsdyk spent the 2023-24 season with the Bruins, where he had 11 goals, 27 assists, 38 points, and a plus-7 rating in 71 games. His time with the Bruins ended during the 2024 NHL off-season when he signed a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. After being a solid depth defenseman for the Bruins in each of the last two seasons, Parker Wotherspoon signed a two-year, $2 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins this off-season. When looking at the Penguins' defensive depth, he should have a spot on their bottom pairing and penalty kill next season. In 96 games over two seasons with the Bruins, Wotherspoon recorded one goal, 14 assists, 15 points, 159 hits, and a minus-4 rating. Overall, he was not the flashiest of players while with the Bruins but worked well in a small role. Former Bruins forward Justin Brazeau also joined the Penguins this off-season, signing a two-year, $3 million contract with the Metropolitan Division club. This was after he recorded 11 goals, 22 points, and a minus-9 rating in 76 games last season split between the Bruins and the Minnesota Wild. In 76 games over two seasons as a member of the Bruins, Brazeau had 15 goals, 27 points, 132 hits, and a minus-2 rating. His time with the Bruins ended when he was traded to the Wild in exchange for Jakub Lauko and Marat Khusnutdinov before this year's deadline. After cementing himself as an NHL player this season with the Bruins, Koepke signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets this off-season. He should now be a solid part of the Jets' bottom six, just like he was while with the Bruins. In 73 games this past season with the Bruins, Koepke set new career highs with 10 goals, seven assists, 17 points, and 177 hits. Former Bruins goalie Dan Vladar moved on from the Calgary Flames this off-season, as he signed a two-year, $6.7 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. He will now look to provide the Flyers with more stability between the pipes, which is a massive need for them. Vladar was selected by the Bruins with the 75th overall pick of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. In five games with the Bruins during the 2020-21 season, he had a 2-2-1 record, a .886 save percentage, and a 3.40 goals-against average. His time with the Bruins ended when he was traded to the Flames during the 2021 NHL off-season. Former Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly landed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Hurricanes this off-season. He should now serve as a bottom-pairing or seventh defenseman for the Metropolitan Division club. Reilly played three seasons with the Bruins from 2020-21 to 2022-23, where he posted four goals, 22 assists, 26 points, and a plus-6 rating. His tenure in Boston ended when he was bought out during the 2023 off-season. Former Bruins top prospect signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers this summer. This was after he spent all of this season in the AHL with the Ontario Reign, recording 16 goals and 45 points in 72 games. Studnicka was selected by the Bruins with the 53rd overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. The Bruins' hope was that he would become a key forward for them, but he was never able to become a regular in their lineup. In 38 games over four seasons as a Bruin, he had one goal, seven points, and a minus-7 rating. Longtime Providence Bruins goalie Brandon Bussi also signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Panthers this off-season. He is expected to play with Florida's AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. Bussi appeared in 33 games this past season for Providence, where he had a 23-10-5 record, a .913 save percentage, and a 2.67 goals-against average. 3 Bruins Who Need A Bounce-Back Season The Boston Bruins will be looking to prove their critics wrong during the 2025-26 season. There are naturally many who feel that they will not be a playoff team because of how poorly this past campaign went for them. Yet, now that the Bruins have made multiple additions to their roster this summer, it will be fascinating to see if they can turn things back around next season. Photo Credit: © Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kyle Stowers homers, Otto Lopez hits tiebreaking double as Marlins beat Brewers 5-1
MILWAUKEE (AP) — All-Star Kyle Stowers hit his 23rd homer and Otto Lopez capped off a three-hit day with a tiebreaking double in the seventh inning to lead the Miami Marlins to a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. Lopez's double against Rick Mears cleared the bases, although he only got credit for two RBIs because the third run scored on a fielding error by center fielder Blake Perkins. Aaron Ashby (1-1), who allowed the leadoff batter to reach on an infield single, took the loss. Jackson Chourio hit his 17th homer for the Brewers, extending his hitting streak to a career-best 18 games. He's batting .367 (26 for 71) with four homers and 16 RBIs over that stretch. Miami's Cal Quantrill struck out four while allowing three hits without a walk over five innings. Josh Simpson (1-0) worked a scoreless sixth. Brewers starter Freddy Peralta also went five innings and allowed one run. Stowers sent Peralta's 2-2 changeup over the wall in center in the third. Key moment With one on and one out in the seventh and the game tied at 1, Brewers manager Pat Murphy replaced the left-hander Ashby with right-hander Mears, who walked the next two batters and then gave up Lopez's double. Key stat Christian Yelich's ninth-inning walk extended his on-base streak to 30 games, tying a career high for the Brewers veteran. Up next Brewers left-hander Jose Quintana (7-3, 3.49 ERA) faces Marlins right-hander Janson Junk (4-2, 3.09) on Saturday. Junk, who made five appearances for the Brewers last season, will be facing Milwaukee for the first time in his career. ___ AP MLB: Andrew Wagner, The Associated Press