Following news reports that he admitted to the use of EPO early in his career, former U.S. Postal team, rider Frankie Andreu released the following statement explaining his reasons for his admission.
Turning the sport around.
As hard as it is, sometimes putting something on the line is the only way to help. My confession of taking EPO when I was younger is not meant to drag anyone down but to raise awareness of the problems that existed and still exist. I don't have to tell you this because in the last few years some big profile names have brought this to all of our attention.
I took EPO to help myself, not to help anyone else. The article mentions a specific date but I never mentioned the time frame of my mistakes. It doesn't matter the reason why or when, it's wrong! To say there isn't a problem in cycling would just kid yourself, there is a problem it seems in many sports now. At least cycling is taking the steps to try and correct itself and make it a better a sport. It took cycling a long time to take this stance.
When I took EPO, the peloton was flying. I was surviving. I didn't live in the doping world very long but that short time felt forever. The sport is trying to make things right and perhaps it's time the riders also try to make things right. They don't have to speak about anything, they just have to race clean as many in the peloton now do.
Are my remarks going to make the sport better? Are my remarks going to clean up the sport? Probably not. I've been out of the sport for six years and I'm sure things have changed a lot. If anything I hope that my words help other riders, especially young riders, to not get caught up in doping.
We need to make some steps to make things better. If DNA sampling and testing is required then that is the way we should move. I understand the invasion of privacy and no other sport requires this, but if you put the truth out on the table then perhaps something good will come from it.
Frankie Andreu
man is it getting messy. FUCK IT...he is till one of my heros....
3 comments:
yea. doesnt surprise me
Agree, all the pros do/did it.
And Frankie yelled at me during a race in the mid 90s to pull through.
AND I was the bad guy for not doing it.
geeeeezzzzz.
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