Michel Pollentier
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Michel Pollentier (born February 13, 1951 in Diksmuide, West-Vlaanderen) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He became professional in 1973. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1977 Giro d'Italia.
In the 1978 Tour de France, he was the Belgian national champion when he won the stage arriving in Alpe d'Huez and took the yellow jersey. However, he was accused of foul play in the succeeding doping test, having used what was described politely as a pear-shaped tube (in fact a condom) of different urine held under the armpit and connected by a plastic tube to give the impression of urinating. Pollentier was uncovered after another rider at the test had trouble operating his own system of tubes and aroused the suspicion of the doctor, who then demanded Pollentier lift his jersey to show if he too was cheating.
He was put out of the Tour that was later won by Bernard Hinault.
The affair took away most of Pollentier's credibility in international cycling. Even though he managed to win 1980s edition of the Ronde van Vlaanderen and he also came 2nd in the 1982 Vuelta a España. 1984 was his last professional season. The urine-"pear" story heavily overshadows the career of this otherwise skillful cyclist. After his cycling career, Pollentier became a car tyre garage owner and founded a cycling school.
In "Seigneurs et Forcats du Velo" by Olivier Dazat, Pollentier is quoted as saying that he and another named Belgiân cycling champion of the era had trouble after their careers because of drugs they had taken while racing. Dazat quotes him as saying: "I've never hesitated to confess that I spent three weeks under the surveillance of Dr Dejonckheere at the St-Joseph clinic at Ostend and that after treatment... I stayed under his control for another two years. Why hide it? It's impossible to come out of a situation like that without the help of a doctor.'
Pollentier, a man whose gentleness off the bike was the opposite of his ugly, crab-like position on it, was said to have lost much of his savings by trusting them to an unqualified adviser.[citation needed]
[edit] References
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Felice Gimondi |
Winner of the Giro d'Italia 1977 |
Succeeded by Johan de Muynck |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Ivo Van Damme |
Belgian Sportsman of the Year 1977 |
Succeeded by Raymond Ceulemans |
