Franck Vandenbroucke is set to join the Italian Cinelli-OPD squad for the 2009 season, according to a statement from the team issued this week.
Vandenbroucke was once the darling of the Belgain cycling scene, thanks to his wins in races such as Ghent-Wevelgem, Paris-Nice, Het Volk and Liege-Bastogne-Liege in the late nineties.
Vandenbroucke's career took a dive in the early 2000s when he was implicated in several doping investigations. He was arrested in January 2007 as a result of allegations that he bought doping products from sports supplement company Performance.
In June 2007, Vandenbroucke hit the headlines again when he attempted to commit suicide. Earlier this year he seemed to bounce back and signed with Mitsubishi-Jartazi, but was soon in the headlines for the wrong reasons when he was arrested by Belgian police in connection with purchase of cocaine. Mitsubishi subsequently dropped Vandenbroucke, and he has been without a team since.
Photo: Cinelli-OPD
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
-
Adrie van der Poel reveals banter exchanged with Mathieu before CX World Championships
Van der Poel senior says that his sons cyclo-cross season has been ‘perfect’ preparation for a strong start to the cobbled classics
-
'They come to my country and kill kids': UCI's decision to allow Russian riders at World Championships draws passionate reaction
There has been a mixed response to the UCI's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian riders the opportunity to return to the international stage.
