LeMond (left) and his primary challenger in 1986; teammate Bernard Hinault

In 1986 Greg LeMond became the first American and first non-European to win the Tour De France. He did it with a dramatic final stage rally to claim the victory over his teammate (and 1985 Tour winner) Bernard Hinault.

It was a watershed event for cycling and put the Tour De France on the sporting map for countless Americans who previously had little or no knowledge of or interest in it. LeMond's victory was all the more impressive due to his having to beat back constant challenges by his own teammate, Hinault, who simply refused to support LeMond's bid in spite of public assertions that he would.