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GUESTS: JAIMIE FULLER & BETSY ANDREU
Dope
- (verb) To ingest banned substance(s), or engage in medical practice(s) designed to artificially enhance athletic performance. Activity engaged in by many professional athletes, including professional bicycle racers. See also: UCI, Lance Armstrong, Dr. Michele Ferrari.
Doping in professional cycling affects not only the riders, but their families and the sponsor companies that provide the money that makes the sport possible in the first place. This week, The Outspoken Cyclist serves up interviews with two folks who fall into this second category:
- Jamie Fuller is the CEO of Skins International, a maker of performance-enhancing compression garments. Skins is heavily invested in sponsorship of a number of endurance sports, including cycling. The company has also taken great care to protect its brand and image from ethical tarnish. In the wake of the recent Lance Armstrong/UCI scandal, Skins has filed a $2M lawsuit against the UCI. Hear the full story from Jamie Fuller himself in the first half of today’s show.
- Betsy Andreu is married to former U.S. Postal racer Frankie Andreu. She’s also the person who witnessed the Lance Armstrong “hospital room” conversation where he admitted to using PEDs. As a result of going public with this accusation, Betsy was vilified and intimidated for many years. Now that others have come forward, she’s been vindicated, and she talks with Diane this week about how this ordeal has affected her and her family, and her perspective on where the sport needs to go from here.