By JAMES RAIA
www.byjamesraia.com

Jeannie Longo of France may be the best athlete in the world who gets the least recognition.

Now age 48, the reigning national road and time trial champion, recently signed a one-year, 2007 contract to race during international races with the Austrian-based Uniqa Team.

Longo has more than 900 career victories, the most of any cyclist in history. Her list of titles include: an Olympic gold medal, three Tour de France titles, 38 world records, 52 national titles and 13 world titles.

According to CyclingNews.com, Klaus Kabasser, the Uniqa team manager, commented: "It all happened very suddenly and surprisingly. Two weeks ago we received an e-mail in which Longo expressed her interest. She didn't have a team for international races."

Kabasser continued: "Like her colleagues, she will earn a small salary, nothing unusual. The only different thing is that she (Longo) will have a private sponsor, which she will present on her jersey."

Despite often competing against women less than half her age, Longo remains highly competitive.

"Jeannie is full in the swing of things," said Kabasser. "She is not as dominant as 10 years ago but can still finish a race in the top ten."

Longo will not ride the full season with her new team, rather only a few selected races, particularly time trials. She will make her team debut March 24 in Italy , and she's also expected to ride either the women's Ronde van Vlaanderen or the Fleche Wallonne.

Longo was born Oct. 31, 1958 in Annecy, France. Throughout her career, she's been known as a fierce, sometimes feisty, athlete.

Although well-known inside the sport of cycling, Longo is unheralded in the mainstream sportsworld. She's competed throughout the world in her more than two-decade career, including many victories in the United States.
Longo often trains during off-season months near a home she and her husband own in New Mexico.

With her new signing, Longo has suggested she'll attempt to qualify to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics. She's competed in every Olympics since 1984 and the 2008 event would be her Olympic seventh participation.

Longo began her long career as a downhill skier. After winning the French schools' ski championship and three university skiing championships, she switched her main athletic endeavors to cycling at the urging of her then coach (and now husband) Patrice Ciprelli.

Within a few months of taking up cycling as her main sporting endeavor, Longo, then 21, won the 1980 French Road Race Championship.

Longo has also distinguished herself academically. She has degrees in Mathematics (B.S.), an MBA, and a doctorate in Sports Management.

JEANNIE LONG'S RECENT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2006
* French Road Race Championships - 1st place
* French Time Trial Championships - 1st place

2005
* Chrono Champenois - 2nd place

2004
* Olympic Games Road Race - 10th place
* French Road Race Championships - 1st place

2003

* World Time Trial Championships - 6th place
* World Road Race Championships - 6th place

2002
* World Time Trial Championships - 7th place
* Chrono Champenois-Trophee European (cat. 2) - 3rd place

2001
* UCI Points List - 11th place
* World Championships
-- Time Trial - 1st place
-- Road Race - 3rd place
* Grande Boucle Féminine (cat. 1) - 9th place GC
* Women's Challenge (cat. 1) - 5th place GC, Mountains jersey, stage victory
* Montréal (Can) World Cup - 6th place
* Grand prix de Haute-Garonne - 6th place

1998
* UCI Points list - 10th place
* World Championships
-- Time Trial - 5th place
-- Road Race - 9th place
* French Road CCT - 3rd Place
* Trophee d'Or - 3rd place GC, stage victory
* French Track Pursuit Championships - 1st place
* French Road Race Championship - 1st place
* Women's Challenge (cat. 1) - 4th place GC
* Montreal (Can) World Cup - 2nd place
* Trois Jours de Vendee - stage victory
* Canberra Cycling Classic (Tour de Snowy) - 3rd place GC, stage victory
* Tour of Aquitaine - 3rd place GC, stage victory

1997
* UCI Points list - 7th place
* World Time Trial Championships - 1st place
* GP des Nations Time Trial - 1st place
* Trophee d'Or - 1st place GC, 2 stage victories
* Interreg-Dreilaender Damen Tour - 3rd place GC
* Tour du Canton de Conques - 1st place GC, 2 stage victories
* Vuelta a Majorca - 2nd place GC, stage victory
* Trois Jours de Vendee - 3rd place GC

Read more of James Raia's sports articles on his web site, www.byjamesraia.com