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CNN Live At Daybreak
Three-Day, 270-Mile Bike Ride to Honor Victims of 9/11
Aired September 20, 2002 - 06:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: So it's kickstands up this morning for that three-day bike ride to honor the victims and survivors of September 11.
One of the big wheels of the event is three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond. And Greg joins us live from our New York bureau -- good morning.
GREG LEMOND, TOUR DE FRANCE CHAMPION: Good morning.
COSTELLO: You know John was talking during that last story that he found peace on a bike. Do a lot of the participants find that? Is that why they're doing it?
LEMOND: I think so. I'm on the board of World Team Sports, and we've organized several events. One ride was from Hanoi to Hochiminh City with Vietnam veterans, and it was -- it was one of my best experiences emotionally. And as an athlete used to competing, it was a different take on being on a bike.
And there's a bike -- bicycle riding is a very social sport, and people can talk but they also can be alone. And when you're out there riding that long, you get to think about a lot of things. It's my stress reliever now that I'm not racing. I get out and ride a bike and you know, it takes -- it lets me think and takes a lot of stress away.
COSTELLO: Yes, and I -- and I guess you know during a ride like this with so many other people you can be alone. And if you really need to talk, there's always someone to talk to.
LEMOND: Yes, I think this ride is really about bringing people together that have been affected by September 11, but not only September 11, we're riding for the Pentagon. I think if you look at all the Vietnam -- not Vietnam vets, all the veterans of all our past wars and what's going on now, there's a lot of people sacrificed their -- a lot for this country. And it's a way to celebrate people who have lost their lives and celebrate their life, but also to kind of wound -- heal the wounds that have taken place. And I -- there's a lot of families that lost family members in -- September 11,...
COSTELLO: Definitely.
LEMOND: ... they're riding on this ride...
COSTELLO: I want to get one thought in because I think it's great that they're riding from the World Trade Center to the Pentagon because we don't really hear about victims from the Pentagon and victims from the World Trade Center getting together to talk about this. And this bike ride is sorting -- sort of giving them the opportunity to do that, isn't it?
LEMOND: And there's victims from Oklahoma and other terrorist acts around the country. We have people from Israel. We have people from all around the country are riding with us, Australia, all around -- almost every state is represented on this ride, and most of these people have all been touched by terrorism and/or war. And so it's -- it is kind of a healing ride and it will be able -- people will be able to share their experiences and hopefully come away with this in a very positive -- a positive light and in a celebration type way of celebrating life itself.
COSTELLO: Well it sounds like it'll be a great ride.
Thank you, Greg LeMond, for joining us live from New York this morning. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 20, 2002 - 06:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: So it's kickstands up this morning for that three-day bike ride to honor the victims and survivors of September 11.
One of the big wheels of the event is three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond. And Greg joins us live from our New York bureau -- good morning.
GREG LEMOND, TOUR DE FRANCE CHAMPION: Good morning.
COSTELLO: You know John was talking during that last story that he found peace on a bike. Do a lot of the participants find that? Is that why they're doing it?
LEMOND: I think so. I'm on the board of World Team Sports, and we've organized several events. One ride was from Hanoi to Hochiminh City with Vietnam veterans, and it was -- it was one of my best experiences emotionally. And as an athlete used to competing, it was a different take on being on a bike.
And there's a bike -- bicycle riding is a very social sport, and people can talk but they also can be alone. And when you're out there riding that long, you get to think about a lot of things. It's my stress reliever now that I'm not racing. I get out and ride a bike and you know, it takes -- it lets me think and takes a lot of stress away.
COSTELLO: Yes, and I -- and I guess you know during a ride like this with so many other people you can be alone. And if you really need to talk, there's always someone to talk to.
LEMOND: Yes, I think this ride is really about bringing people together that have been affected by September 11, but not only September 11, we're riding for the Pentagon. I think if you look at all the Vietnam -- not Vietnam vets, all the veterans of all our past wars and what's going on now, there's a lot of people sacrificed their -- a lot for this country. And it's a way to celebrate people who have lost their lives and celebrate their life, but also to kind of wound -- heal the wounds that have taken place. And I -- there's a lot of families that lost family members in -- September 11,...
COSTELLO: Definitely.
LEMOND: ... they're riding on this ride...
COSTELLO: I want to get one thought in because I think it's great that they're riding from the World Trade Center to the Pentagon because we don't really hear about victims from the Pentagon and victims from the World Trade Center getting together to talk about this. And this bike ride is sorting -- sort of giving them the opportunity to do that, isn't it?
LEMOND: And there's victims from Oklahoma and other terrorist acts around the country. We have people from Israel. We have people from all around the country are riding with us, Australia, all around -- almost every state is represented on this ride, and most of these people have all been touched by terrorism and/or war. And so it's -- it is kind of a healing ride and it will be able -- people will be able to share their experiences and hopefully come away with this in a very positive -- a positive light and in a celebration type way of celebrating life itself.
COSTELLO: Well it sounds like it'll be a great ride.
Thank you, Greg LeMond, for joining us live from New York this morning. We appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
