VN Pod, ep. 162: Greg LeMond's medal of honor; Lea Davison's Olympic dreams




VeloNews Podcasts show

Summary: On this week's episode of The VeloNews Podcast, we have to very special guests. First up is author Daniel DeVisé, whose seminal book on Greg LeMond "The Comeback: Greg LeMond, the True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France" has led to an important piece of news. The U.S. Congress is going to vote on whether to award LeMond the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest awards given to a civilian. As it turns out the lawmaker who proposed the medal, CA Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA 5th District, got the idea after reading DeVisé's book. We ask DeVisé about the award, why Thompson believes LeMond deserves it, and whether or not the U.S. government will actually approve the award. Next up is Lea Davison, the veteran of U.S. cross-country mountain bike racing. Davison's career has seen incredible highs, as well as a few crushing lows, and she discusses them all in great detail. Plus, she discusses how a professional women's cyclists overall value has shifted during her pro career. Davison is hoping to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, and she discusses the long pathway she will be on to try and achieve this goal, which would cap off an already impressive career.