From Pelissier's bag, he explained. "That, that's cocaine for our eyes and chloroform for our gums. And pills? You want to see pills? In short, we run on dynamite."
Jacques Anquetil
A five-time tour winner, Anquetil was also known for the perfection of his own cocktail, which consisted of morphine (injected into the muscle) and amphetamines to counteract any sleepy side affects.
When asked if he took stimulants, Anquetil didn't mind providing a quote. "You would have to be an imbecile or a crook to imagine a professional cyclist who races for 235 days a year can hold the pace without stimulants." When he was asked later to clarify, he said this. "For 50 years bike racers have been taking stimulants. Obviously we can do without them in a race, but then we will pedal 15 miles an hour instead of 25. Since were are constantly asked to go faster and to make even greater efforts, we are obliged to take stimulants."
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Tom Simpson
In 1962, Tom Simpson became the first Brit to ever wear the yellow jersey. In the 1967 Tour during the historic 22 km climb up the Mont Ventoux, Simpson collapsed 3 km from the top. In his jersey pockets were three different empty vials and an array of pills.
To get the meds down, Simpson used a bottle of brandy. His autopsy showed extreme dehydration, lack of oxygen and over-exhaustion. He'd tricked his body into not knowing when to quit, and paid the ultimate price for a shot at victory.
Michel Pollentier
A champion of Belgium, after taking the yellow jersey in 1978 up Alpe d'Huez, Pollentier fooled doping controls with the use of tubes and a condom. The condom was filled with someone else's urine, which Pollentier held in his armpit and ran through a tube down into his shorts.
Pollentier was caught because of suspicion. Another rider earlier in the day had been caught by the same method.
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Jean Robic
Winner of the 1947 Tour de France, Robic was nicknamed the hobgoblin of Brittany moor for his slight stature. While a proficient climber, Robic's weakness was on the descent. To help get down mountains faster, Robic became famous for taking bottles from his team car just as he reached the peak of a climb. The bottles were all filled with lead or mercury, giving him the weight needed to descend with the best.
Unfortunately, Robic didn't know his own limits and eventually crashed, fracturing his skull.
And just like time, the list will go on.
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