KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — At 7 p.m. audiences will have a chance to watch a documentary about an East Tennessee transplant and biking legend who won the Tour de France three times, and who overcame a life-threatening shooting and many other obstacles to have a successful cycling career.
The documentary is named "The Last Rider" and is about Greg LeMond's career and life. It premiers at the Regal Pinnacle in Turkey Creek, and audiences there on Wednesday will also have a chance to participate in a question-and-answer session with LeMond.
The film's name is a reference to an observation from his former coach, who said LeMond was the last clean rider before scandals about erythropoietin and other performance-enhancing drugs swept through the sport.
The film was directed by Alex Holmes and is from Roadside Attractions, and includes interviews and footage from the LeMond archives. The film is more than a retelling of his career and explores the experiences and obstacles that shaped him.
He was the victim of a life-threatening shooting while turkey hunting in California in 1987, the year after winning his first Tour jersey. It also addresses that he is a survivor of child sexual abuse, which burdened him during much of his career until he confronted it in his 40s.
LeMond was the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986 and is the only American to officially win it still. Texan Lance Armstrong won seven times from 1999-2005, seemingly rising to unparalleled heights as a cyclist, until the racing world learned he'd been doping and stripped the honors from him.
The film touches on the doping reports that affected the sport.
In May 2022, LeMond announced that he was being treated for leukemia. He said he knew something was wrong because he felt incredibly fatigued all the time.
He began taking a "miracle" treatment drug last year that showed positive effects within six months. There's a chance he could be cancer free with the drug in three to four years, he said.
Right now, he said he feels great. He also said he and his wife have enjoyed living in East Tennessee since moving around seven years ago.
