The Last Rider * The Comeback of the Century: How Greg LeMond Won the Tour de France Against All Odds

The incredible story of the greatest cycling race in history, the 1989 Tour de France, and how American Greg LeMond faced down betrayal, childhood sexual abuse and death completing one of the most inspiring comebacks in history.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Avalon N. comments, “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.” See her full review and interviews together with David E. below.

The Last Rider
By Avalon N., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

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.