[-dustin]

NEW YORK (AP) - Two of Lance Armstrong's former teammates said they used a performance-enhancing drug when they were getting ready for the 1999 Tour de France, according to a newspaper report.

Frankie Andreu, a 39-year-old former team captain, and another teammate who requested anonymity because he still works in cycling, told The New York Times they used EPO in preparation for the 1999 race, when Armstrong won the first of his seven titles in cycling's biggest race.

"There are two levels of guys," Andreu said in a story published on the newspaper's Web site Monday night. "You got the guys that cheat and guys that are just trying to survive."

Andreu said he took EPO for a few races and is admitting the use now because he's worried doping is having a negative effect on the sport.

Neither of the teammates ever had a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. Both said they never saw Armstrong take any banned substances.

Armstrong, who overcame testicular cancer to win the Tour a record seven consecutive times, faced constant doping allegations toward the end of his career. He has repeatedly denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Floyd Landis, a former Armstrong teammate, won the Tour de France this year before it was announced that he tested positive for elevated testosterone and synthetic testosterone after one of the Tour stages. Landis has denied using any performance-enhancing drugs.

 

[-dustin]

nevermind....i see sanjuro posted a freakin' long article over in the lounge.

 

[sanjuro]

Yeah, I was cruising the Times site yesterday. I doubt a lot of non roadies know who Andreu is, but the spotlight focuses more on the main main...

 

[JRogers]

I find it interesting that Andreu is distancing these admissions from Armstrong's actions, but he testified that Armstrong admitted to him that he a variety of illegal stuff

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5508863

Odd, that's all.

 

[SuspectDevice]

Andreu's wife sounds kooked. I wish a lot more people would have some balls and come forward...

 

[sanjuro]

I believe Andreu is on his way out of professional cycling. He got fired from his Director Sportif job earlier this year, and I bet when he gets the freezeout from the peleton next year, he will lose his OLN reporter's job.

 

[-dustin]

i don't understand the point of his announcement.

"my former teammate has been harassed for 7 years...i'm hardly in the sport anymore...ol' Floyd was caught...hot damn, i think i'm going to come out and admit to EPO usage, too."

 

[sanjuro]

I believe Andreu is on his way out of professional cycling. He got fired from his Director Sportif job earlier this year, and I bet when he gets the freezeout from the peleton next year, he will lose his OLN reporter's job.

The freezeout begins...

Former Team Wants Andreu Investigated
By JULIET MACUR

The Discovery Channel pro cycling team said in a statement yesterday that it was “considering all legal options” against the former team captain Frankie Andreu, in the wake of Andreu’s confession that he used the endurance-boosting drug EPO in preparation for the 1999 Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong, the leader of the team, which was formerly sponsored by the United States Postal Service, won that Tour. It was the first of his record seven consecutive Tour victories.

The statement said team management would investigate Andreu, and that USA Cycling, the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the International Cycling Union should do the same. The team has had a zero-tolerance policy regarding riders using performance-enhancing drugs, the statement said.

Andreu and another teammate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of jeopardizing his job in cycling, said they had felt pressure to dope so they could make the team for the 1999 Tour.

Andreu, who retired as a rider in 2000, was traveling yesterday and could not be reached for comment.

“We are saddened and disappointed by this recent revelation,” the team’s statement said. “Any suggestion that any form of doping has ever been encouraged or tolerated on this team is patently false.”

In an interview with The New York Times on Wednesday, Armstrong said that former teammates confessing that they had doped — as well as other former teammates being caught for doping — should not taint his reputation or the reputation of the United States Postal Service team. Armstrong has repeatedly insisted he never took performing enhancing drugs. Three of Armstrong’s former lieutenants, including this year’s Tour winner, Floyd Landis, have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs or methods after they left his team. Landis may be charged with an official doping violation as early as today.

“We’ve never had an athlete test positive,” Armstrong said of his former team’s 10 years in competition. “I think that is a strong statement.”

Officials from USA Cycling and the cycling union said they were not sure if they would investigate Andreu. Travis Tygart, general counsel for USADA, said he could not comment on any specific case.