It's breathtakingly egotistic and mean-spirited (the message is, essentially, "I am a great man as well as a great cyclist; Greg LeMond is a soulless robot"). But I guess those are the qualities that make champions!
We never compromised in our approach to life. We were the rebellious element rather than yes-men. We were always alive: we were never robots. We were crazy, but had a certain dignity about us. ... I can be fairly precise about when the change came: the turning point was the final day of the 1989 Tour de France. ... The craftsmen were defeated by mass-production. Handmade goods were overwhelmed by factory-made stuff. Individuals were submerged in the anonymous mass. The people's heroes were strangled and the glory of the Giants of the Road trickled away.
But, in my view, what he says here exactly sums up the changes that occurred in the world - particularly mirrored in cycle racing, at that time.
Whether you see it as for good or ill, the Americans arriving in European races, together with a changing world, took us from a slightly mystical culture, of mysterious soigneurs, secretive frame-builders and ritualistic team culture into a world of pulse meters, tri-bars, scientific measuring and riders who wanted a say in team briefings. AND - they wanted their wife there as well (totally not allowed in the old team culture).
Personally - I loved the old times!
