Greg LeMond rides the Hood River Gran Fondo to raise awareness for 1in6 charity

Sept. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- SEATTLE –– Greg LeMond, the first American Tour de France winner and three-time overall winner, will ride the September 24 Echelon Gran Fondo in Hood River, OR. LeMond rode last weekend’s Echelon Gran Fondo in Palo Alto, Calif. and will again ride this weekend in support of 1in6, a charity to help men who have had unwanted or abusive sexual experiences in childhood live healthier, happier lives. As a founding board member, LeMond has worked tirelessly in his post-athletic career to bring awareness to 1in6 and help those affected by abuse find solace.

“We had a great ride in Palo Alto last weekend and I expect that the Hood River community will turn out in strong numbers to ride this fantastic course,” LeMond said. “My engagement with the Echelon Gran Fondo organization is rooted in connecting with cyclists, hearing their stories, and helping create positive change. There’s no better setting to accomplish this than from the saddle of a bike.”

LeMond is riding the Hood River Echelon Gran Fondo as master of ceremonies and special guest. Riders can choose from 30, 80, or 100-mile distances, running through the Columbia River Gorge, around glacier-covered Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, and through endless miles of fruit orchards.

Unique to the Hood River edition of the Echelon Gran Fondo series, riders can opt to join a 30 or 45-mile randonneur-style ride. Randonneur course participants will begin with the road riders, heading out along the Columbia River Gorge as one large group but near mile 10, randonneur riders will take a detour through dirt roads and trails. All rides finish in Hood River where the cyclists will be greeted by cheerleaders, great food, and pacific northwest microbrews.

The Hood River Echelon Gran Fondo will showcase LeMond Fitness products like the Revolution bicycle trainer and Power Pilot data capture device. LeMond Fitness will have a booth with product in the sponsor expo for riders and fans to demo.

LeMond Fitness products help athletes and individuals of all fitness abilities attain their health and wellness goals. LeMond Fitness is the training tools sponsor of Tour de France riders like Dave Zabriskie and Christian Van de Velde and cyclocross stars Jeremy Powers, Zach McDonald, and Chris Jones of the Rapha-Focus Cyclocross Team.

To donate or join LeMond’s 1in6 team, visit:
https://ssl.charityweb.net/echelongranfondo/palo_alto/gre...

To learn more about Echelon Gran Fondo, visit:
http://www.echelongranfondo.org

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About LeMond Fitness
In 1986, Greg LeMond became the first American to win the Tour de France and he is among the few riders to repeat that feat three times. LeMond founded the company in 2002 after growing tired of indoor cycling equipment and trainers that bear little resemblance to the feel of riding in the great outdoors. Designed like great road bikes, all LeMond Fitness exercise and training bikes offer user-friendly adjustments and innovative training programs that allow users to maximize their goals. LeMond Fitness is the official bike trainer sponsor of Team Garmin-Cervelo, the Fidea professional cyclocross team, world champion triathlete Michellie Jones, and more. Visit LeMondfitness.com