Frankie Andreu

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Frankie Andreu


image_caption =
fullname = Frankie Andreu
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1966|9|26
country = USA
height = height|m=1.88cite web| url=http://www.frankieandreu.com/histories/resume.html| title=Résumé| publisher=frankieandreu.com]
weight = convert|78|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
currentteam =
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype =
amateuryears =
amateurteams =
proyears = 1989
1989–1990
1991–1996
1997
1998–2000
proteams = Wheaties - Schwinn
7 Eleven
Motorola
Cofidis
U.S. Postal Service cycling team
majorwins =
updated = August 29, 2008

Frankie Andreu (born September 26, 1966) is a former professional cyclist whose career highlights include riding as team captain of the U.S. Postal Service cycling team along with Lance Armstrong in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Biography

Cycling career

Frankie Andreu was born September 26, 1966 in Dearborn, Michigan. He began his cycling career in track cycling, winning the individual pursuit during the 1984 Junior National Track Cycling Championships in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. In 1985, he placed first in the Madison during the National Track Cycling Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. and second in the points race and team pursuit. In 1988, Andreu qualified to represent the United States Cycling Team in Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea where he placed eighth in the points race.

Andreu moved from track cycling to road cycling after signing to the 7-Eleven Pro Cycling Team in 1989 when he finished his first professional stage race, the Giro d'Italia. His highest finish in the Tour de France was second during the 18th stage of the 1993 race where he was teammates with a young Lance Armstrong on the Motorola Pro Cycling Team. Andreu finished fourth in the road race during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. [cite web| url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/archives/jul96/ogmrr1.html| title=Men's Olympic Road Race| publisher=cyclingnews.com| date=July 1996]

He is best remembered by the professional cycling community for his role as a "super domestique," particularly for sacrificing personal gain for the benefit of other teammates during many races.

Drug use

In an interview with the "New York Times" in September 2006, Andreu admitted that he had taken EPO to help prepare for the 1999 Tour de France, when he was riding for the US Postal team which assisted Lance Armstrong to his first Tour victory. [cite web| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/sports/othersports/12cycling.html| title=2 Ex-Teammates of Cycling Star Admit Drug Use| publisher=New York Times| date=September 12, 2006] Andreu said he was introduced to performance enhancing drugs in 1995 while he was riding for Motorola, where Lance Armstrong was also a rider. Another former Motorola rider, Steven Swart, admitted to taking EPO while on that team in "L.A. Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong". [cite web| url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/sep06/sep12news2| title= Former US Postal riders admit EPO use| publisher=Cyclingnews.com| date=September 12, 2006]

Armstrong testimony

In 2006, Andreu and his wife Betsy testified that Lance Armstrong told cancer doctors in their presence in 1996 he had doped with EPO (Erythropoietin), growth hormone and steroids. The Andreus' testimony was intended to remain sealed in court documents and is among thousands of pages of documents related to litigation between Armstrong and a Texas-based company that was attempting to withhold a $5-million bonus. Armstrong swore under oath it didn't happen. Frankie Andreu never offered information to media sources on the topic until court documents were released. He then stood by his testimony when giving interviews. [ [http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/10088.0.html VeloNews | Papers charge Armstrong admitted doping | The Journal of Competitive Cycling ] ] A settlement was reached in February 2006 before the three-person arbitration panel made a ruling. As part of the settlement, SCA Promotions paid Armstrong and Tailwind Sports $7.5 million, to cover the $5-million bonus plus interest and lawyers' fees. In a statement, Armstrong said, "It's over. We won. They lost. I was yet again completely vindicated." In actuality, however, the panel produced no findings of fact. Armstrong's statement also suggested that Betsy Andreu may have been confused by possible mention of his post-operative treatment which included steroids and EPO that are routinely taken to counteract wasting and red-blood-cell destroying effects of intensive chemotherapy. [ [http://velonews.com/news/fea/10091.0.html VeloNews | Armstrong issues statement | The Journal of Competitive Cycling ] ]

Post racing career

Andreu has served as a bicycle race commentator for Universal Sports on the Versus television network since retiring from professional cycling in 2001 and remains active in domestic pro racing, often lending his voice and knowledge announcing for professional races.

Andreu was fired as Team Director for the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team on July 25 2006. Although the team owner, Sean Tucker, refused to give a reason for the firing, it coincided with the controversy surrounding Andreu at the time.cite web| url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/2007/interviews/?id=frankie_andreu_sep07| title=An interview with Frankie Andreu: The future is bright| publisher=cyclingnews.com| date=September 1, 2007] Andreu has stated that he had everything to lose, including his job, by standing by his testimony, but felt that he should not be forced to deny his version of events. [cite web| url=http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/10586.0.html| title=Andreu fired from Toyota-United| author=Charles Pelkey| publisher=VeloNews| date=July 26, 2006]

In 2007, Andreu became the director of Rock Racing, but resigned in January 2008 stating differences "with business strategies and the direction the team is headed". [cite web| url=http://www.velonews.com/article/70437| title=Andreu leaves Rock Racing| author=Charles Pelkey| date=January 3, 2008| date=Velo News] When Andreu started out with Rock Racing, he described in a Cycling News interview how attitudes in cycling had changed, and that it was no longer acceptable to use drugs. A year later, it was clear that there were differences between him and the owner of Rock & Republic jeans, Michael Ball. Andreu was unhappy that his role as a director was beig undermined, in some instances he was not being consulted when riders were being signed. Many of the riders including Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Botero, Oscar Sevilla and Mario Cipollini were involved in or linked to drugs investigations in cycling. This raised eyebrows, especially when aligned with Ball's "win or you're fired" mentality. [cite web| url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/jan08/jan06news| title=Rifts in Rock Racing over controversial big-name signings| author=Mark Zalewski| publisher=cyclingnews.com| date=January 6, 2008]

Andreu is working with the American women's cycling team, Proman, in 2008. The team hoped to draw attention to women's cycle racing with Andreu's leadership. [cite web| url=http://www.bike-zone.com/news.php?id=news/2008/jun08/jun05news| title=First Edition Cycling News: Andreu, BMC to support women's Proman squad for Philly| publisher=cyclingnews.com| date=June 5, 2008]

ee also

* List of doping cases in cycling
*List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References

External links

*Official|http://www.frankieandreu.com/
*cyclingwebsite|228