Can Anyone Shed Light On This Andy Hampsten Pic

[Fivethumbs]

I came across this Andy Hampsten pic from the 1985 Giro. Why is Andy racing for 7 Eleven but riding his Team Levis Raleigh?

[BdaGhisallo]

As far as I recall, he was on the Levis team in '85 but was allowed to ride with 7-11 for the Giro. In '86 he rode for La Vie Claire and joined 7-11 for real for the '87 season and rode for Jim Och's team through the '94 season. He rode for Banesto in '95 and USPostal in '96.

[Black Dog]

Did he not win a stage in that very same giro?

[peanutgallery]

That pic was after he won a short mountain stage. Big day

[wallymann]

Did he not win a stage in that very same giro?

yes, he did! stage 20. he started 1985 on the levis-raleigh team, but neel/och struck a deal to loan him to the slurpee squad because of his climbing acumen. i think levis staff were amenable to give a talent like andy a chance on the world stage, something levis just couldnt do. andy signed for la-vie-claire in the 86 season where he won the tour de suisse and came 4th in the TdF.

interestingly LvC loaned andy *back* to Levis for the 86 Coors Classic where he partnered with phil anderson (also on loan, from panasonic)!

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/interviews/andylevis.jpg

[tv_vt]

Andy was a 'contract rider' for 7-11 for that race. He had turned pro two weeks earlier. Andy won the stage up to Gran Paradiso. There's a great interview he gave with some Italian journalists after that win. They were in disbelief that he had turned pro two weeks earlier, and here he is winning a Grand Tour stage. This is the race and stage that the Hampsten Cycles frame Gran Paradiso is named after. The Giro was always good for Andy.

And Ron Kiefel won a stage in that race, too. Unheard of - a neophyte US team winning two stages in their first-ever Grand Tour.

[Fivethumbs]

That's cool. I don't think you would see something like that these days without objection from the team bike sponsor. Remember when Tom Boone did not have a Specialized that fit? They made a custom aluminum bike rather that let him ride his old Merckx.

[chiasticon]

Remember when Tom Boone did not have a Specialized that fit? They made a custom aluminum bike rather that let him ride his old Merckx.isn't that where the legend of him racing a Pegoretti in the tour started?

[choke]

There's a great interview he gave with some Italian journalists after that win. They were in disbelief that he had turned pro two weeks earlier, and here he is winning a Grand Tour stage.That video is great...and it appears that it's not on youtube any longer.

Interviewer: How many years have you been a pro?
Andy: Two weeks.
Interviewer (in Italian into the mic): This is his second year....
Andy (in Italian): No, two weeks.
Interviewer: Ah, two weeks huh. Two weeks?
Andy: Two weeks.

[9tubes]

That video is great...and it appears that it's not on youtube any longer.

Interviewer: How many years have you been a pro?
Andy: Two weeks.
Interviewer (in Italian into the mic): This is his second year....
Andy (in Italian): No, two weeks.
Interviewer: Ah, two weeks huh. Two weeks?
Andy: Two weeks.

I remember the interviewer's expression of disbelief said it all. After a pause to collect himself from shock, the interviewer then replied as if the clouds of realization were forming in his mind about the future: "You are very clever in the mountains."