The Last Rider

The story of Greg LeMond has been written about many times before. How he broke into the European cycling scene, overthrowing the king of cycling (Bernard Hinault), before being almost fatally shot and then painfully clawing his way back to the very top.

However these have tended to be one-dimensional accounts that fail to capture the humanity behind the moving images. This is where "The Last Rider" really scores. We get to hear from LeMond and his wife, obviously, but also friends, competitors and bosses. These interviews add real dimension to LeMond's struggle and place it nicely in the context of European racing at that time.

Still what really centred the film for me was how it revealed the wonderful relationship between LeMond and his wife. They are real childhood sweethearts and she has supported him through all of the highs and the lows (of which there were many). This is the core of his success since for all of his physical gifts LeMond would have achieved much, much less without her.

This is essentially the biography of the only American ever to win the Tour de France, Greg LeMond. He overcame psychological and physical trauma to claim cycling's greatest achievement in the late 1980s. His story is intertwined with other great cyclists, especially Hinault, Delgado and Pignon so we learn a lot about the fierce rivalry that existed in the pelaton at that time and of course, at all times.

Greg LeMond was a sporty kid but discovered cycling later than most when he was preparing for a season of snow-skiing. He immediately loved being on the bike and was a natural at road racing, soon winning event after event. His passion soon had him looking towards the great European riders and races, however he was married to his highschool sweetheart in California. For her it was a no-brainer and she accompanied her husband to pursue his dreams in the big roadraces in Spain, Italy and France. His rise was meteoric but the egos of others were not easily overcome, especially as Greg LeMond was carrying the burden of a dark childhood secret. His ambitions were dealt a further, seemingly fatal blow in a family hunting accident, but again, with the unwavering support of his wife, Kathy, he battled on.

Greg is now a mature man, wisely reflecting on his career, and Kathy also contributes beautifully to the telling of his incredible story. Of course, for cycling fans this well-constructed documentary is a must-see, but it also opens up some of the mysteries of the big cycling events for those not familiar. They are taken along for the rollercoaster ride that is LeMond's story, one which couldn't be anymore gripping if it were fiction. And The Last Rider is mercifully free of US patriotism and jingoism, so it is highly recommended as a human story for anyone to marvel at. Although simply told, it is so wonderfully full of real tragedy and triumph, heroes, heroines and villains, that it atones for the Armstrong years to come.

I love this story and the presentation except for one major major major major flaw. For those not familiar with bicycle competitions, significant parts of the story do not make sense.

There is a major element of the movie that focuses on how one rider sacrifices for another writer. What does that mean? How does the sacrifice occur? Does the sacrificing rider do something to impede others so his teammate can win? What are you talking about? Explain it to the audience and don't assume that your audience only consists of bicycle enthusiasts.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

The Last Rider is a powerful and inspiring true story that truly touched my heart and I believe will touch many others as well. This life story is brought to the screen with captivating and impressive storytelling,

This documentary is about Greg LeMond, a famous cyclist who won the Tour de France three times; he is the first and currently, last American to do so. It reveals his life story, starting from when cycling was simply a sport he did to keep fit for skiing in the winter. The story progresses as he wins his first Tour de France in 1986. He gets shot in 1987, which puts his career and life in jeopardy. The documentary focuses mostly on his struggle to get back into cycling and winning the Tour in 1989 and 1990 after his near death -- showcasing one of the greatest comebacks in sports' history. The story is truly motivational and has many good messages.

What makes The Last Rider so captivating due is the amount of actual footage they used. The footage came mostly from news broadcasts or LeMond's personal collection -- all from different events that took place, with perhaps a bit of stock footage. A lot of the footage has never been shown to the public before. Another thing that impressed me is the amount of interviews that are used. There are interviews with Greg and Cathy LeMond as well as a few other people that were impactful in LeMond's life such as Laurent Fignon. The film can be very confusing at tims due to the use of a lot of cycling terms, which are not explained.

The film's message is to never give up and keep trying, because you never know what might happen and the race isn't over till you cross the finish line. It does contain a lot of more difficult topics that aren't necessarily appropriate for younger audiences.

I give The Last Rider 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. By Avalon N., KIDS FIRST!