Frank Fiore is likely the only person ever to yank Greg LeMond from a bicycle race.

LeMond was the first American to win bicycle racing’s greatest challenge — the month-long Tour de France. He did so in 1986. 1989, and in 1990.

A column about LeMond in Thursday’s Bulletin jogged a few memories.

Back in 1976 on July 4, the Manteca Bicycle Club was staging a United States Cycling Federation sanctioned criterium — a closed street loop circuit for road racers.

The race was organized by Frank and Janet Fiore as well as Sam and Pam Farrow.

Frank noted “he had the honor” of kicking a 14-year-old kid by the name of Greg LeMond out of the race as the youth race was restricted to youngsters that resided within the Manteca Unified School District.

Frank raced that day in the Category 3 race with LeMond’s father Bob who ended up crashing and breaking his arm.

As it turned out, the crash happened in front of the house of a young Jon Anderson who would go on to own Anderson’s Bicycles in Manteca, found the Manteca BMX team, and was the driving force behind establishing the Spreckels Park BMX track.

Sam Farrow, who was the longtime owner of Farrow’s Bicycles on Main Street in the building where the Hong Kong Restaurant is located, took the young LeMond to the aerial fireworks display while his father was being treated at Manteca Hospital now known as Doctors Hospital.

The LeMonds were from Carson Valley in Nevada and part of the Reno Wheelman.

The LeMond family sent a letter afterwards to the race organizers asking is they could forward it “or let the Manteca Chamber of Commerce know that Bob is fine and we really appreciated their help with the race.”

Frank is an owner of Center Appliances in Manteca and is still rolling up the miles on his road bicycle.

Janet is one of the key volunteers that helped reopen East Union Cemetery and has helped it move forward.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com