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THE LAST RIDER DOCUMENTARY*
Friday, June 23, 2023 @ 8:00 am - Thursday, June 29, 2023 @ 5:00 pm
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The heroic true story of American cyclist Greg LeMond, considered to be one of the greatest cyclists of all time, who defied the odds for one of the most triumphant comeback stories in sporting history.
The first, and only, American to win the Tour de France, LeMond came back from the brink of death to beat his famed rivals in the historic and nail-biting race at the 1989 Tour de France.
Directed by Alex Holmes and featuring exclusive interviews with LeMond and his wife Kathy as well as, never before seen footage, The Last Rider is an exhilarating portrait of one of the greatest athletes of our time.
SYNOPSIS:
1986: Greg LeMond stands on top of the podium in front of the Champs Elysees as the first ever American winner of the Tour de France. He had realized his lifelong dream, but it had been a hard-won victory. No one knew at the time about the betrayal by his mentor, Bernard Hinault, and his team, the haunting memories of his childhood trauma, and the toll this victory would take.
For LeMond what should have been a moment of triumph was the start of a slide into deep depression. And in a bizarre twist of fate months after his Tour victory, LeMond was shot by his brother-in-law in a horrific hunting accident. Having lost half his blood volume and with shotgun pellets embedded in almost every major organ, LeMond’s life was hanging by a thread.
However, that is not where the story ends. With the unwavering support of his wife Kathy, coupled with LeMond’s courage and resilience to finish his cycling career on his own terms, he came back from the precipice of death to reclaim his dream, as wildcard pick in 1989, racing against two-time French winner, the arrogant Laurent Fignon, and the charismatic year’s favorite, Spanish rider Pedro Delgado.
What transpired over the next three weeks turns out to be the most ferocious, the most exciting and the most dramatic finish not only in cycling but in the history of competitive sports.
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