(BRAIN) — Tour de France hero Greg LeMond announced that he has been diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia.
The 60-year-old said the form of leukemia is treatable and not life-threatening. He will begin treatment later this week in the U.S.
“I had been experiencing a few weeks of fatigue which prompted me to go in for a check-up which included some blood work. Following a series of tests and a bone marrow biopsy, which was completed last week, I received my formal diagnosis last Friday. My doctors at the University of Tennessee, with consultation from a team at the Mayo Clinic, have outlined a chemotherapy protocol which will begin this week.”
LeMond said there was a sense of relief from the quick diagnosis.
LeMond said he decided to pause his plans to be at the Tour de France in July. He will instead follow the race from his home and continue to work on his LeMond Bicycles brand. The company has several projects in the mix at present, and while LeMond receives treatment he will also support his colleagues.
“We have a great team at LeMond Bicycles who are being updated about my medical condition as we prepare this statement, and I am confident our work and plans for the near future will not be disrupted in any way,” he said.
“I will continue to participate in and support our plans for the summer months ahead. I had hoped to be in France in July for the Tour, but we are, now, working on an alternate plan so I can follow the Tour and engage with friends and teammates from our offices and farm in Tennessee. I will look forward to returning to the Tour next summer.
“I will keep everyone updated about my health and treatments in the months ahead but, for now, I believe I couldn’t be in better hands. I am excited about our plans ahead and I look forward to updating you all along the way.”
