LeMond signs new carbon contract, considers new $30m Geelong manufacturing plant
Three time Tour de France winner Greg Lemond has reportedly signed a USD $44 million deal with Australia’s Deakin University to produce its carbon products.
In tandem with the news, LeMond is also said to be considering investing in a $30 million manufacturing plant based in Geelong in Australia’s south east.
Speaking to the Geelong Advertiser, Lemond said of the partnership: “I was in the discovery mode of trying to make and manufacture carbon fibre bikes faster and cheaper,” he said. “There’s two places with world-class leadership in this field and Deakin’s work, I would say, is far more complete. Their goal is to bring low-cost carbon fibre to the market with lower CO2 emissions and they’ve achieved that.”
LeMond will be the beneficiary of a new technology created by Belgian Carbon Nexus doctorate student Maxime Maghe and general manager Steve Atkiss of the UK.
Several new jobs are promised as part of the link up with local skills sought to fill the vacancies. Around five jobs will be created at the Waurn Ponds facility to manage early production.
LeMond was the first to ride a carbon fibre bicycle to victory in the Tour de France.
Back in August of 2016 LeMond also signed a deal to licence the U.S. Department of Energy’s ORNL carbon fibre technology. Later in January of 2017 LeMond encountered complications with the firing of its CEO, resulting in a lawsuit.