LeMond’s Season Is Probably Finished : Cycling: But the weakened three-time Tour de France winner insists he will be back competing as soon as he is healthy.

Greg LeMond, who did not start the Tour de France because of a depressed immune system, says his competitive cycling season is probably finished.

“You miss three or four good weeks of training in the middle of the season (and) you’re done,” he said from his home in Edina, Minn. “It’s over.”

LeMond, however, rejected speculation that his career also was in jeopardy.

“It’s not in my head,” he said. “It’s not my age (32). When you’re unhealthy, there’s nothing you can do. Nothing ever goes right.”

LeMond, winner of three Tours, said he was fine until May, when a mild case of chronic fatigue weakened him. With two days left in the three-week Tour of Italy, he dropped out. A week later, he dropped out of a minor stage race in southern France, then was pulled from the Tour de France.

As the Tour finishes its first week, LeMond is building up for August’s World Road Championships in Oslo. He had hoped to be strong enough to do well there, but now has doubts.

“It has been almost four weeks and I don’t feel any better,” he said. “It’s going to take a little more rest. I could train two days in a row and I’m just shot for the third day.”

The recent symptoms, which he overcame in 1990 in winning his last Tour, have given him time to reflect. LeMond said that a shooting accident in April of 1987 left him with more problems than he had thought.

“When I got shot, I tried to brush it over as not that big of an obstacle,” he said. “I don’t think I even realized the extent I was injured and the extent that I had gone down to such a low level.”

He also missed most of the 1988 season because of injuries and illness, and then returned with a Tour victory in ’89. Instead of steadily rising, however, LeMond’s career has been up and down like a yo-yo.

This year has been the most difficult. He was unable to train properly over the winter because his bicycle company, Greg LeMond Enterprises, had to be restructured.

During the reorganization, LeMond fired his father, Bob, as company president. The two have spoken only once since.

“I think my dad has taken a lot of this stuff real personal,” LeMond said. “It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him, it’s just that I felt I needed to separate myself from my dad just so that we could get back to a normal father-son relationship.”

LeMond, who is hoping for a reconciliation, praised his father’s work in cycling throughout his career.

LeMond said allegations that his family stole money from the business were untrue.

“My dad would never steal money,” he said. “My dad is probably one of the most honest persons you’ll meet. I’ve lived my whole career as an honest, straight rider, and that’s the same (for) my dad.”

LeMond is uncertain about the company’s future, but said all debts will be paid. He said the company owes about $100,000, which is slowly being paid with the sale of bikes still on the market.