At an employee meeting this morning, Trek president John Burke announced that Trek filed a lawsuit to sever the company’s ongoing relationship with three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond. This suit comes on a heels of commentary from LeMond, in which LeMond recently disclosed that Trek pressured him to issue a public apology to Lance Armstrong at Armstrong’s behest.
Trek began its business relationship with Greg LeMond in 1995. By 1999, the LeMond line was one of the fastest growing road bike brands and one of the top five largest road bike brands in the United States, with the LeMond brand growing to a $15 million business.
In 2001, LeMond criticized Lance Armstrong for his association with Italian trainer and physician Michele Ferrari, who advocates for the use of performance enhancing drugs. “When I heard he was working with Michele Ferrari I was devastated,” said LeMond of Armstrong’s Tour de France wins in 2001. “In the light of Lance’s relationship with Ferrari, I just don’t want to comment on this year’s Tour. This is not sour grapes. I’m disappointed in Lance, that’s all it is.”
A month later, LeMond issued a tearful public apology to Armstrong. In July 2004, however, LeMond again questioned Armstrong’s achievements, saying, “If Armstrong’s clean, it’s the greatest comeback. And if he’s not, then it’s the greatest fraud.” LeMond also said that Armstrong threatened to defame LeMond and that he was told to keep quiet to protect his business interests. Last September, LeMond said in an interview that his 2001 apology came after Trek came under pressure from Armstrong and threatened to end their relationship.
Last March, LeMond filed suit against Trek. In his 41 page complaint against Trek, LeMond claims that Trek tried to silence LeMond several times regarding his allegations of drug use by Armstrong. LeMond claims that Trek is failing to “exert best efforts regarding LeMond’s brand” in violation of their license agreement and that Trek may be “winding down” it’s promotion of LeMond bicycles to retaliate against LeMond’s commentary about doping in cycling. While Trek claims that that LeMond’s actions are hurting the Trek and LeMond brands, LeMond claims that he has seen no evidence of this. According to LeMond, Trek intentionally snubs LeMond by making no mention of his brand at dealer events and in promotional material.
Trek told retailers in a letter this morning that they will offer LeMond retailers a sales rebate promotion to help drive the sales of 2008 LeMond inventory.
One Response to “Trek Files Lawsuit To Severe Ties With Greg LeMond”
Leave a Reply
Wow. Is his name Greg “Denial” LeMond? When Mr LeMond criticizes Mr Armstrong,he’s just telling the truth. When LA criticizes him in return, Lance is trying to silence Greg’s courageous voice. And Trek, well, even LeMond’s lawyer is in on the act. Trek is trying to get rid of LeMond because Braveheart Greg is speaking out against drugs. Huh? So are half the officials in cycling, plus many of the cyclists, Lance Armstrong among them. Trek has said that what they object to is not his speeches about putting an end to doping in sports, but his critism of other pro cyclists, Armstrong and Landis among them. Mind you, LeMond had met these 2 men only once or twice, and had no personal knowledge of whether they used drugs to win or not. Has anyone noticed that Mr LeMond rode in a peloton that was rife with doping for all 3 of his winning Tours? And when LeMond won the Tour de France after coming back from that life threatening gunshot wound, what could we say about that? If LeMond won clean, it’s the greatest comeback. And if he wasn’t, then it’s the greatest fraud. So,as Mr LeMond is fond of pointing out, a lot of Lance’s fellow riders used, so Lance must be guilty too? Look in the mirror, Greg. How vocal would you be if there were blood samples stored away from your cycling days? Yeah, that’s right, you didn’t have to take any drug tests, did you? Too bad.