Frankie Andreu, right, with Lance Armstrong in the 1993 Tour de France. Andreu says he took drugs to help Armstrong win the race in 1999.(Jacky Naegelen/Reuters)
Be sure to read Juliet Macur's front page story in today's New York Times:
2 Ex-Teammates of Cycling Star Admit Drug Use
This significant story does not identify the second Armstrong teammate, but that can only be a matter of time. Members of U.S. Postal during Armstrong's first Tour de France victory in 1999 included Andreu, George Hincapie, Pascal Derame, Christian Vande Velde, Kevin Livingston and Tyler Hamilton (check here for information about U.S. Postal in the '99 Tour).
Macur quotes Andreu as saying: “There are two levels of guys. You got the guys that cheat and guys that are just trying to survive.”
Macur writes: "The other rider who said he used EPO spoke on condition of anonymity because he said he did not want to jeopardize his job in cycling."
“The environment was certainly one of, to be accepted, you had to use doping products,” Andreu said. “There was very high pressure to be one of the cool kids.”
At the time, three-time Tour de France champion Greg Lemond had nothing but kind words for Armstrong: "He's been through even harder times than me and he's back a better rider. I can't understand it."
Are we beginng to understand it?
As Macur says in her story, "Armstrong once said that cycling had no secrets and that hard work was the key to winning. Recent events and disclosures, however, demonstrate that cycling does, indeed, have secrets. "
And we are beginning to learn some of the sports' murkier secrets. Keep tuned.
I hope to hear from my fellow Cranks and our readers, too.
1 comment:
Good article,people tend to forgive those whom voluntarily come clean-especially if it is in the dim and distant past!
He may not have much to lose and wants to vote GUILTY for his fellow competitors believing that most of them have, or are, doping.
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