I pray that Frank makes it. His career is an example of the tragedy the doping has brought to the sport of cycling.
I raced with Frank once in his career, during his single season as an Amateur. I sat next to him in a garden shed getting ready for a race in West Flanders. I told several American riders with me that they were sitting in the presence of a young man with a good shot at a Tour De France victory. They looked around the cramped shed at all of the Belgians. I pointed out Vandenbroucke.
"We will try and stay with him". They said.
"Good Luck"! Was my reply. I was going to try to stay with him too. I knew I would probably fail.
The race started and I rode in the front. The pace was high and about 5 riders sliped off of the front and gained 30 seconds. I saw Frank next to me before the only hill in the course, and I got on his wheel.
He made his move about a 50 meters into the hill, which was short, and not very steep. When he stood up to go, I stayed with him for about 50 meters. I remember watching his cadence, turning in a gear 2 cogs higher than mine as he rode that hill. I remember his pale calves, large for a guy just moved up from the Juniors. He was packing a lot of muscle mass. He accelerated and caught the front group which stayed away and he went on to win the race.
VanDenBruoucke Winning The 1999 Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Michael Boogard, I feel your pain.
There were dark rumors swirling around Frank even then, it must have been in the spring of 1993.
"It was Deca-Durabolin". Said one Belgian teammate of mine.
"No, it was something else". Said my team manager. "And he had been on a year suspension with the Juniors".
After that one season, or perhaps just half a season as an amateur, Frank went on to the pros. Right away he won races.
Once he won a pro race in Antwerp in which he rode the last 20 km dangling several hundred yards off of the front of the charging peloton. The rode like madmen behind him and could not catch him. After the race, the press asked him how he managed to hold them off.
I remember his quote was something to the effect of:
"Easy, I just looked at my heart monitor and kept my heart rate at 230 beats per minute for the last 20 km".
After 220 km of racing against European pros. At 60 kph. Ouch.
Later he was busted with Amphetamines in the trunk of his car.
He was caught with EPO in his possession. He claimed it was for his dog.
Imagine what he could have been.
Should we pity him or despise him?
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