Before Lance Armstrong, there was Greg LeMond. As the first, and now the only American to win the Tour de France, LeMond looks back at the 1986 Tour during which friend, teammate, and mentor Bernard Hinault—reigning Tour champion and vicious competitor known as “The Badger”—‘promised’ to help LeMond to his first victory. But in a sport that purports teamwork, we see it’s really every man for himself. Hinault has his say, too, along with others involved in the tension, rivalry, physical demand, and (last but not least) the many agendas and politics that make up the Tour. Well-chosen footage complements the candid comments to provide a penetrating look at a sport that never really was innocent.
-Brian Gordon
This film is co-presented by:
CAST & CREDITS
Directed by John Dower
John Dower’s Greg LeMond film is the latest of several sporting feature documentaries and continues on from Bradley Wiggins: A Year In Yellow, which earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Director. Other directorial credits include: Once In A Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (2006) and Thrilla in Manila (2008), which was in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, earned BAFTA and Emmy nominations, and won Grierson and Peabody Awards.
