Frankie, is that you?

... and for the first time, doesn't he have Andy's eyes!!

Thanks to Barbara for pointing this out - here is the fabled picture of Frankie with a beard, from his Twitter account.

When I read "Frankie has a beard" I thought oh no! He's letting himself go!! After all, no pro cyclists have beards, presumably it's not aerodynamic, apart from the obvious problem of being full of sweat and drool ("eeeeeeuw!") so by growing a beard, Frankie is kind of saying that he's given up  being a cyclist, for the time being.

Of course, ten minutes with the scissor and another five with a razor and it would all be gone, gone, gone....

...but I couldn't help thinking that he should be striving to present a good image, what with the ban and everything,  and whether he was hoping to get a short-term contract with another team, or was going to wait for the new Trek team next year, surely he would still be out on the bike every day?

Who knows.

Maybe he's taken time out for a couple of months, on the grounds that as soon as he is back on a team, he will be working like a dog to prove himself again, so he might as well relax and take a complete break while he can?

Again, who knows.

But I have to say, I don't agree with comments about "the sad, sad look in his eyes".  I think he actually looks quietly happy. He looks as though he is concentrating on something, like driving, and that is very nearly a small smile, there.

What do you think?