Former Gent-Wevelgem winner Philippe Gaumont is reportedly in a very serious condition after collapsing at his home on Tuesday. According to La Voix du Nord, the ex professional suffered a heart attack and is currently in a coma in the hospital at Arras.
Gaumont turned professional in 1994 and competed with the Castorama and Gan teams prior to moving to Cofidis . His results include bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics, where he was part of the French team time trial squad. Twice national individual pursuit champion, he won Gent Wevelgem in 1997.
Although Gaumont had strong results, his career was overshadowed by several doping episodes. He tested positive twice in 1996 but was able to race with Cofidis the following season. In 1998 he was twice positive for Nadralone but was not suspended. He was again positive in 1999, with the amphetamine traces detected in his system leading to the Tour de Ffance organisers saying he was not welcome.
In 2004 he was interrogated by French police in relation to the Cofidis affair, and admitted long term usage of products such as EPO. He implicated his team-mates in doping, leading to criticism and a categorical denial of that by David Millar.
The Scot was later given a two year suspension after an EPO syringe was discovered in his home by French police.
Gaumont retired from the sport and wrote a tell-all book called Prisonnier du Dopage (Prisoner of Doping). He was due to speak on Wednesday at an inquiry into doping conducted by the Senate.
He has been running a brasserie in Lens called O Déjeuner, where he employs 33 others.
Although he has a wife and three children, Gaumount recently said that he hadn’t left the wild ways behind him completely.
“I’ll never be on the right path. When I party, I do it completely,” he told 20minutes.fr in mid February. “If I want to kiss a girl, I’ll kiss a girl. The excesses are not finished. Besides, I’ve a big party this weekend for my 40th birthday.”