LeMond Announces Retirement

Greg LeMond, who twice won the Tour de France despite a near-fatal accidental shooting during a wild turkey hunt in 1987, retired Saturday because of a rare muscle disorder.

LeMond, 33, the only non-European to win cycling’s most prestigious event, said he can no longer compete as an elite rider because he is suffering from a disease known as mitochondrial myopathy, a chronic disorder that affects muscle production.

“I went from a world-class athlete to a recreational cyclist in a very short time,” said LeMond, speaking at a Century City news conference in conjunction with a U.S. Cycling Federation fund-raiser.

After winning his third Tour de France in 1990 (his previous victories had been in 1986 and 1989), LeMond, of Wayzata, Minn., finished seventh in the 1991 Tour, the first time he failed to make the top three. He withdrew after 20 stages in 1992 and did not start the 23-day, 2,000-mile race in 1993. He quit after seven stages this year amid speculation that his career was over.

Although LeMond knew something was wrong the last four years, he could not pinpoint the problem. He thought it was age, allergies or weight.

“So many thought it was my age, or thought I was too heavy,” LeMond said. “I started believing that too.”

But after undergoing extensive medical examinations of his cardiovascular, hormonal, kidney, immune and nutritional systems, a muscle biopsy taken last summer diagnosed the condition.

Rochelle Taube, LeMond’s physician, said the disorder usually afflicts children and the elderly, adding it is the first known case diagnosed in a healthy person.

Taube said the disorder was first identified about 20 years ago, but there is little research on its symptoms or effects. The disease can be contracted by heredity or environmental conditions.

Taube said doctors are examining a possible link to LeMond’s shotgun shooting accident. About 40 pellets remain in his body.

Although there is no known cure for the disorder, LeMond is expected to lead a normal life.