Sec. 2. FINDINGS

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## SEC. 2 FINDINGS The Congress finds the following: ####

(1)Gregory James “Greg” LeMond was born in Lakewood, California, on June 26, 1961. ####

(2)Greg began cycling at the age of 14, winning an astonishing 11 straight races to begin his career. ####

(3)Greg took home a full suite of medals at the 1979 Junior World Championships, including gold, silver, and bronze, emerging victorious in the road race and placing in both team and track pursuit events. ####

(4)At age 18, Greg became the youngest cyclist in the history of the sport to be selected for the United States Men’s Olympic team. ####

(5)Greg emerged victorious in the 1980 Circuit de la Sarthe, becoming the first American in history and the youngest rider ever to win a major pro-am cycling event on the European continent. ####

(6)At age 19, Greg signed his first professional contract. ####

(7)In 1982, Greg made the first of several remarkable recoveries, returning from a broken collarbone to win the silver medal at the world championships in Great Britain. ####

(8)The Tour de France, the world’s preeminent cycling competition, was first held over a century ago, in 1903. ####

(9)The Tour de France takes place over 23 days, covering an extraordinary 2,200 miles, winding through multiple mountain ranges, spanning multiple nations, and is viewed as comparable to running a marathon every day for three consecutive weeks. ####

(10)Greg first competed in the Tour de France in 1984, finishing third, and finishing second the following year, in both years deputizing himself to his teammates, sacrificing a chance to win himself to boost his teammates toward victory. ####

(11)Greg emerged victorious in the 1986 Tour de France, ascending the fabled Alpe D’Huez, defeating the field by more than 3 full minutes, becoming the first American and the first non-European to win cycling’s most prestigious race. ####

(12)In 1987, while recovering from a broken wrist and collarbone, Greg was tragically shot during a turkey hunting accident, leaving him in intensive care, requiring the removal of over 40 shotgun pellets from his abdomen, was deemed unlikely to ever ride a bicycle again, and likely survived only due to the abnormal strength of his cardiovascular system. ####

(13)Greg mounted the greatest comeback in the history of American sports, taking home an astonishing victory at the 1989 Tour de France, following multiple surgeries, life-threatening gunshot wounds, tendon repair, and an appendectomy, winning by 8 seconds in the closest finish in the history of the Tour de France. ####

(14)Greg would win a third Tour de France victory in 1990. ####

(15)Greg is the only American to win the Tour de France. ####

(16)Greg has vocally spoken out to champion healthy sport amongst athletes of all ages and competition levels. ####

(17)Greg and his wife, Kathy, are active in numerous nonprofit causes, including healthy sport, assisting victims of sexual abuse and various childhood illnesses. ####

(18)Cycling offers young people a healthy, active, outdoor hobby. ####

(19)Greg completed his professional career having won 2 World Championships, 3 Tour de France championships, and 22 titles overall. ####

(20)More than any other cyclist, Greg personified the “breakaway” culture of American cycling in the 1970s and 80s, viewed universally as the epitome of a young person on a bicycle, attempting to accomplish feats no other American had achieved. ####

(21)Greg has not only reached the pinnacle of international sport, but has devoted his time and resources to assisting his fellow athletes. ####

(22)Greg has demonstrated the commitment to excellence, generosity, community, and tenacity that makes him an example for all to follow.