"Oh, THAT Tour!"

Paul Jesson of Christchurch was the first New Zealand cyclist to win a stage on a "Grand Tour" - Stage 10 of La Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) in May, 1980. Two weeks later, just before he was to ride the Tour de France for a second time, the 25-year-old suffered a horrific crash, requiring amputation of his left leg at the knee. In 1998 he won two gold medals at the Paralympic world championships in Colorado Springs. At the Athens Paralympic Games in 2004 he won a a bronze medal in the combined road race and individual time trial. This is a story of human spirit conquering the worst that life can dish out. The Paul Jesson Story.