PARIS - Greg Lemond had two shotgun pellets in the lining of his heart during the 1990 Tour de France. There are lots of injuries or illnesses that athletes have overcome in competition, but having two shotgun pellets lodged in the lining of your heart is pretty unique.
Lemond was the defending Tour champion in 1987 when his brother-in-law accidentally shot him in the back while turkey hunting. He missed the next two tours while recovering, making it back in time for the 1989 event.
Hoping for nothing more than a top-20 finish, Lemond found himself in contention in 1989, entering the final time trial in second place, just 50 seconds behind the leader. Lemond then rode the fastest time trial in Tour de France history, coming from behind to claim his second yellow jersey.
As the defending champion in 1990, Lemond got off to a terrible start, ending up 10 minutes behind the leader after the first stage. The rest of the Tour saw him slowly chipping away at the lead, cutting seconds and minutes off the pace as the riders went through the mountain stages. Entering the final time trial, Lemond was only 5 seconds off the lead, a deficit he easily made up for his second straight win and third overall.
In winning the 1990 Tour, Lemond achieved the relatively rare accomplishment of winning the Tour de France without actually winning a stage. After becoming the first non-European winner in 1986, he also became the first non-European to win three titles, and only the sixth man overall to claim a three-peat.
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