Greg LeMond is an American cycling legend, having won three Tour de France races and two world championships. He also has been an anti-doping advocate and was one the earliest critics of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.

LeMond first publicly accused Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs in 2001, touching off a battle with Armstrong and his supporters that led to the dissolution of LeMond’s bicycle company in 2008. LeMond rebounded about five years later, starting another company.

On Friday, LeMond, 53, a longtime resident of Mound, Minn., will join with local company executives and Special Olympians to participate in the Greg LeMond CEO Ride for Kids, which will take place before the men’s race in the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium. LeMond is active in helping promote Special Olympics.

I talked with LeMond on Thursday about what he has been doing lately, as well as his fractured relationship with Armstrong.

BS: How much cycling do you do these days?

GL: I ride a couple of days a week, fairly high and intense. I travel so much. That’s the problem. If I’m home I ride four days a week. I ride pretty intensely for my health and fitness. I don’t ride a lot of long distance now. I usually ride for an hour, hour and a half. Sometimes, I go two hours.

BS: Do you miss the competitive part of cycling?

GL: When I think about, I do. I’d love to be in great shape to win the Tour de France, but I’m way past that. I enjoyed the strategy and how stimulating it was. I could probably jump in a race but it’d be too depressing.

BS: What led you to become involved in Special Olympics?

GL: In the past 30 years, I’ve done quite a few Special Olympics. I like the enthusiasm and purity. Special Olympics probably is the last remaining sport that is a pure sport for participating.

BS: Do you feel vindicated since Armstrong admitted he took performance-enhancing drugs?

GL: From 2000 on, I knew pretty much everything you know now (about Armstrong). It was hard to watch because it was defrauding people who donate to charity. I watched him denigrate and destroy people. I knew it could be a lightning rod (to speak out). I said basically I was disappointed he was seeing a doctor, a (well-known) doping doctor. There was a powerful group of people that colluded with him to destroy my name and reputation. That was hard. I earned my way in cycling. To be branded jealous — I had no jealousy. They threatened me with a $20 million lawsuit.

BS: Armstrong was lying and wrong yet you lost your company. How tough was that to deal with?

GL: It was a horrible experience. What I lost was my voice and even having an opinion with legal threats that would be financially damaging and wipe me out. Armstrong was the glue that pulled all this corruption together and he had people with millions and millions of dollars to destroy you. Any time you questioned it, it was like you were attacking cancer (which Armstrong had). It didn’t matter how I would respond. They would twist it how they wanted. My life has come back. I had a guy hunting me for years. It was (bicycle company) Trek on one side. Trek was hindering my other businesses, and it was Armstrong (on the other side).

BS: How often have you spoken with Armstrong since 2001, when you first accused him of doping?

GL: Since 2001, never. He’s reached out to talk to me. I have an interest but it’s an interest of curiosity. I might be open to it, but I’m not going to be used. It was all about money and making money, and destroying good people, honest people, who had nothing to gain by sharing their beliefs. I actually thought there was no future for me in cycling. That flipped dramatically when he was gone (from cycling).

BS: Do you feel now that people will listen when you mention someone is using PEDS?

GL: Yeah, I do. I have a different mind-set. It’s not totally black and white for me. Riders are under tremendous pressure and not given a choice. It’s a cultural thing. You could say you’re not going to take anything. The drugs themselves are so powerful. You could be a great rider and not get anywhere without doing drugs.

BS: How prevalent are drugs now?

GL: It’s significantly better. What I like seeing today with racing is there’s a tremendous amount of racers under 24 who are as good as riders over 30. I think Armstrong’s downfall had a positive impact. If you’re a young rider and see the damage he did to the sport, I hope you think about it. There always are people willing to cheat, which is why you have to watch it closely.

BS: How much pressure was there on you to take drugs?

GL: I had no pressure. I made it clear that’s not an option. It was my personal challenge to do well. I’d be fooling myself if I took drugs. I’d know I won but I won illegally.

BS: Way back, what was it about cycling that appealed to you?

GL: I was a skier. I grew up in Reno, Nevada. A ski coach told me bicycling would be a great way to get in shape. One winter, we had a severe drought and no snow. I was 14. I went to a bike shop with my dad and I was asked if I wanted to get into bike racing. I did a club bike race and finished second and then I won my next race. It was pure chance. I didn’t even know what the Tour de France was when I started racing. It’s a special sport because it has the efforts of running but the speed is surreal. It’s stimulating to the brain and senses. The tactics, strategy and dynamics to the race are something. The first race I won, I got a couple hundred dollars worth of prizes.

BS: How old were you when you realized you could become an elite, world-class rider?

GL: I won my first 11 races, and northern California, where I raced, is competitive. I was racing with 15- to 18-year-old riders. In my second year, I asked to race with Olympic-level riders and I ended up getting second place to a five-time Olympic cyclist. I think it was that year I realized I had a lot of talent. My third year, I went to Europe and raced in France. All the European riders were mythical on the U.S. race scene. I went there and realized I’m beating all these great riders in Europe.

BS: You’re only 53. How long is your bucket list?

GL: I have some business goals. I have a bike company with a strategy for the next 5-7 years. It’s a lofty one but realistic. My goal also is to enjoy life. When you’re young you’re driven and have about 20 years of that drive. I’m driven now, too, but there are other things in life. I’m fortunate I was a good cyclist. It led to a lot of charitable events. What I love about cycling is it unites people. It has been a uniter for a lot of charities to raise money.