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Andreu fired from Toyota-United

Published: Jul. 26, 2006

Frankie Andreu, co-director of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team has been fired, purportedly for missing a trip to Nevada's Tour de Nez in late June.

Andreu, who just completed a month-long reporting assignment at the Tour de France for the Outdoor Life Network, said he learned of his dismissal soon after returning to his home in Michigan.

“On July 25th, 2006, the day after I returned home from the Tour de France, I was informed that my contract was being terminated by the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team," Andreu said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday. "I was very surprised and disappointed to be told to leave especially after all the hard work of putting together this first year team. I know the team will continue their winning ways because it’s a great group of riders. I wish them success.”

Contacted by VeloNews.com, Andreu said that team owner Sean Tucker told him that the dismissal was based on his failure to attend the three-day Nevada stage race, which runs from June 24-26.

"I had written Sean an e-mail telling him 'look, I just spent a week-and-a-half up in Philly, I'm going to be home for one day, then supposed to go to Tour de Nez - which will be a total of five days - and then, after being home for two days, I go to France for a month,'" Andreu said. "I just said I need to spend time with my family. It would have been really tough on our kids had I not stayed home that week."

Andreu recalls that Tucker suggested that he "work it out with Harm" Jansen, his co-director. Jansen was on vacation, but Andreu contacted staff and riders prior to the Tour de Nez and "everyone seemed good with it."

Andreu said he had operated under the assumption that the decision not to attend had been accepted by Tucker when he left for France at the end of June.

"One race out of the entire NRC calendar and that's the result," Andreu said. "I sure didn't expect it, especially after working as hard as I did putting this team together. I've just never heard of something like that."

Asked if his firing had anything to do with a recent spate of publicity surrounding deposition testimony in Lance Armstrong's lawsuit against a Texas-based insurance firm, Andreu said he wasn't certain.

"I don't know," Andreu said. "That didn't come up, but it's been out there for a month now. I just don't know. You'll have to ask Sean."

In a statement issued mid-day on Wednesday, Tucker said that his decision was based on apparent conflicting obligations and responsibilities.

"Frankie has contributed greatly to this team's success and helped with the team’s early development. Unfortunately, due to other obligations and commitments, Frankie was not able to fulfill his contractual obligations,” said Tucker.

“This left us no choice but to terminate our relationship. We do wish him only the best as he pursues other interest," Tucker added. "Harm Jansen will continue as Team Director for Toyota-United, and we are fully confident that Toyota-United will continue to be successful throughout the rest of the season."

Both Andreu and his wife Betsy had testified that they heard Armstrong confirm to doctors that he had used performance-enhancing substances prior to his 1996 cancer diagnosis.

Details of the deposition testimony became public in June when National Public Radio and the French newspapers L'Equipe and LeMonde summarized the so-called "Indiana hospital incident," when Armstrong allegedly told doctors that he had used human growth hormone, testosterone and EPO in the years leading up to his illness. Armstrong and others purportedly in the room at the same time have offered conflicting descriptions of the incident.

Andreu said his immediate goal is to "try and figure out what I'm going to do for the rest of the year."

"I had already turned down quite a few things - television, speaking engagement and race announcing - because of the commitments I had with the team," Andreu said. "I don't have any immediate plans right now, though."