The place to learn some inside scoop about the Tour de France on Saturday was inside the noisy former seaplane hangar that hosted the 2007 Group Health Seattle International Bicycle Expo.
Cycling commentator and former pro Frankie Andreu (left) — himself a veteran on nine Tour pelotons — said the 2006 Tour de France was one of the “most amazing” he'd ever seen, because he never knew what was going to happen next.
That uncertainty continues to this day, as Andreu says he can't guess what the future holds for Tour winner Floyd Landis, who prepares to answer doping charges at an administrative hearing in May.
Wait and see
Andreu noted that Landis and his defense team have pointed to “a lot of inaccuracies” at the French lab that analyzed the urine samples that led to the doping accusations. But, “we've only heard from one side,” he said. He wants to wait to hear from the other side — the anti-doping agency and its witnesses — before he decides about the case.
While Andreu remains neutral on the subject of Landis, fellow Versus network cycling commentators Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen have blasted the lab that analyzed the samples and maintain there are too many questions to prove Landis guilty. (See Liggett's comments.)
As for the 2007 Tour de France, which he will once again work as part of the Versus coverage team, Andreu said, “The US has a very strong contingent of riders.” He said cyclists Freddie Rodriguez, Levi Leipheimer, Bobby Julich, George Hincapie, Chris Horner and David Zabriskie could be stand-outs in the race.
Follow link to more pics from 2007 Seattle bike expo; also see “What a show at the 2007 Seattle bike expo”
Andreu gave a colorful behind-the-scenes view of the Tour de France, talking about everything from Lance Armstrong's bodyguards to the uproar of the press room where languages collide as commentators from around the world shout out play-by-play as their favorite teams do well.
A professional cyclist for 12 years, Andreu made headlines last fall when he “came clean” about blood doping once in 1999. He said he'd been asked repeatedly about the doping issue, and he didn't think it was right to comment without divulging his own use. The reaction at the time was mixed.
“It's been a bumpy road. I believe what I did was the right thing to do,” he concluded.
Riding
As a former pro, how much does Andreu ride these days?
Since he makes his home in Detroit, not much in the wintertime, he said. He's on the trainer for 45 minutes to an hour three times a week, but during the summer takes three or four rides a week of up to about two hours.
If you're in the Seattle area on Sunday, keep your eyes open out on the road as Andreu said he's going for a ride in the morning.
The bike expo, presented annually by the Cascade Bicycle Club, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Magnuson Park's Hangar 27. Here's the link for directions. There are more than 150 exhibitors, including frame and bike makers, tour groups, upcoming Northwest bike ride displays, and food.
There's bicycling parking right outside the entrance, and you can bring your bike inside for a professional fitting if you wish.
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