9-time Tour de France cyclist Frankie Andreu. August 1, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)9-time Tour de France cyclist Frankie Andreu. August 1, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews)
Sarnia

Former Tour de France Rider Sees Cycling Gaining Momentum

A nine-time Tour de France cyclist took part in a training ride leading up to Sunday's third annual Bluewater International Granfondo.

Frankie Andreu completed the 3,000 km French race all nine times, and he competed in the Olympics twice over his 12-year career. He placed 4th in the road race event at the 1996 games in Atlanta.

The Dearborn, Michigan native says he's noticed an increased interest in the sport, both recreationally and competitively, since he retired in 2001.

"15 years ago I'd go out for a ride, I'd barely see anybody on the roads. Now I see a lot of people riding and I think they've discovered what a great way it is to go exploring," says Andreu. "It's also a good convenient way to be able to stay healthy. I'm not a runner, and the runners are going to take offence to this, I've never seen a runner smile. Cyclists are always smiling, so hop on a bike and you'll enjoy it."

Andreu was a teammate of Lance Armstrong and testified that the now infamous cyclist used performance-enhancing drugs.

Andreu, who admitted to doping himself while preparing for the 1999 Tour de France, says he hopes the sport has moved past the performance-enhancing drugs (PED) era.

"I think the sport will for at least a little while longer feel a hangover from Lance Armstrong and everything that era did, but it's definitely gotten better," he says. "There's still riders that were racing when Lance raced that are still racing today, and so maybe another five years and all that old school will be gone. I'm not saying that they have that same mentality because the press, the media, the fans, the managers, riders, nobody wants to put up with that and they don't."

Around 900 cyclists are expected to take part in the Granfondo that starts at Sarnia's Mike Weir Park at 7am.

Andreu says that number stacks up very well compared to the other Granfondos he's attended.

9-time Tour de France cyclist Frankie Andreu speaking to a crowd of cyclists at Blackwell Plaza. August 1, 2018. (Photo by Colin Gowdy, BlackburnNews) Frankie Andreu speaking to a crowd of cyclists at Blackwell Plaza.

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