LeMond Might Bypass Tour de France

Greg LeMond, three-time winner of the Tour de France, might miss this year’s race because he is riding poorly, said Roger Legeay, the American cyclist’s longtime team manager.

LeMond, who will be 33 on Saturday, dropped out of the Route du Sud in southern France on Wednesday after having fallen behind by more than 40 minutes. He lost about two minutes in a 15-kilometer time trial and quit during an 89-kilometer road stage later in the day.

He also withdrew from the Tour of Italy in the next-to-last stage two weeks ago, trailing eventual winner Miguel Indurain of Spain by two hours.

LeMond was using both races to prepare for the Tour de France, which starts July 3.

“I have no reason to line up Greg on the Tour only for my pleasure or the sponsor’s one,” Legeay said Thursday. “It would be ridiculous to see him pulling out after five stages.”

Legeay, who joined LeMond on the newly formed team, Gan, this year, said he will decide by Monday.

LeMond dropped out of last year’s Tour during a rigorous stage in the Alps, and has yet to regain the form that led to victories in 1986, ’89 and ’90.