McIlvain's Taped Conversation With Lemond

Pp 156-157 L.A. Officiel. Taped phone conversation between Stephanie
McIlvain and Greg LeMond, recorded September 21, 2004. Stephanie McIlvain
is the Oakley sunglasses representative responsible for handling Lance
Armstrong, and an alleged witness to Lance Armstrong's alleged confession of
the use of E.P.O., HGH, steroids, testosterone, etc. to unidentified doctors
on October 28, 1996.



"I Heard Him."



Greg LeMond: "Fine, me, I.I know that I heard from a source on the fringes
of the group (those inside the room where Armstrong allegedly listed the
substances he had used on October 28, 1996 while undergoing chemotherapy at
the University of Indiana Hospital,) about what happened at the hospital.
And Betsy (Andreu) and I, we spoke a little, but I..I don't want to ask of
you anything that you aren't ready to do, you know, but if there is a trial,
would you be ready to testify?"



Stehpanie McIlvain: "If I am called to testify, I will."



Greg LeMond: "OK"



Stephanie McIlvain: "Because I don't want to lie. You know, I was in that
room, I heard him."



Later in the same conversation with Stephanie McIlvain, Greg LeMond related
how he had been forced to make a statement of support for Armstrong in 2001,
(after his comments critical of L.A. in the wake of the Ferrari relationship
revelation,) to which she had the following reaction:



S.M.: "That's really ridiculous. To think that some could have that much
power over people makes me scared."



G.LM.: "And me, you know, I kept that to myself for three years, right to
the release of the book (L.A. Confidential.) All of a sudden, John Burke and
Trek called me and said, 'you had better keep quiet.' So I told them, 'go
screw yourselves, if I feel like it, if they ask me.I won't go there on my
own, and hash this out in public, but if they ask me about the book..' And
that is what happened with Le Monde. That was..I think it was David Walsh
who gave them my number, and I agreed to speak with them, and to tell them
about the threats he made me, which are in the book. ( L.A. Confidential.)



After having been forced to retract this statement (his
criticism of L.A. for working with Michele Ferrari,) Greg LeMond was
discouraged and totally deflated. But that didn't last. Soon, the
discouragement gave way to defiance, and above all a determination to not
let him be intimidated in the future. He explained to Stephanie McIlvain:
"As far as I am concerned, starting last year, I confronted John Burke and
stated clearly: "I won't let you tell me what to do any more. I don't care
if that destroys our relationship, and if my bike business is ruined." That's
what I did this summer. And you know, I am ready for a fight. At any rate
it is hard on the nerves. But you know, I'm not that worried about.my
bicycle company, it will survive, one way or the other. What scares me is
to think that you've got Lance, Trek and Thom Weisel who all want one thing,
which is to **** you."



Later in the recorded conversation, Greg LeMond tried to
imagined what would happen if Armstrong fell into disgrace. "Any way, if
this ever really exploded, from one day to the next he lost face in public,
if he stopped getting the adulation that he needs at all costs, that would
be a really difficult time for him."



"It Kills Me."



In the course of this recording, Greg LeMond mentions again the possibility
that he would need Stephanie McIlvain in the future to validated the story
of what happened at the hospital.



"If I am asked to testify, " she says, "I don't have a problem because I
already told Jim, I told him I wouldn't lie." The 'Jim," to whom she refers
is Jim Jannard, the founder and President of Oakley, the company she works
for.



Stephanie McIlvain picks up the conversation: "He told me, 'you
know, there are ways we get around the problem,' and I replied, I don't
care, Jim, I won't lie, I couldn't live with this on my conscience." You
see, I also know some stuff, like Lance and I were very close, you know.
But, OK, I am not going to lie about this, seeing that everybody knows about
it. There are a lot of people in the loop, you know. And what makes me
furious in this business, is the number of people to whom he gave false
hopes. And I really think that is the most disgusting thing one can do.when
you are a handicapped kid, and you admire someone who has been through the
same ordeal to find hope and courage.and for him, to do that to these poor
people who admire him, and who believe in all honesty, that if he does that,
it's because he is superman, well that."



Greg Le Mond: " I agree, I was."



Stephanie McIlvain: ".That kills me."