The official Gilles Delion thread

[thehog]

There was no thread for Monsieur Delion, so here it is.

Stars that Fade - to enter the Black Hole

Gilles Delion called his Aki-Gipiemme directeur-sportif yesterday (May 2) to tell him of his decision to retire. "My life has always been the bike," he later told L'Equipe. "I can't ride any longer, and that depresses me." The career of the six foot one and a half inch blond from Chambery reached its peak in 1990 when he outsprinted team- mate Pascal Richard to win the Giro di Lombardia, having finished 15th in his first Tour de France earlier in the year, taking the white jersey. Things fell into disarray the next season. "My problems began at the begining of the 1991 season when I was hit by mononucleosis," he said. "It forced a break and I could never get things together again. I had a few hits here and there (a win after a lone break in the Classique des Alpes in 1992; the Brussels--Valkenberg stage of the 1992 Tour de France and the GP de Rennes in 1994) but it's been five years since I've been able to make regular efforts. Today, I've no longer the strength to attempt them. I haven't raced since the Criterium International a month ago.

I haven't ridden at all for a week and for a fortnight before that was only able to manage an hour and a half a day without suffering major fatigue. The decison to retire hasn't been difficult to make, since I didn't have any choice; it's the reality which is difficult to accept." In February Delion had seen a glimmer of hope when he got into the lead group in the Tour du Haut-Var and felt good on the climbs. "It was the first and last time this year. In Paris--Nice I was already at the bottom of a hole."

Delion gave up his university studies to turn pro aged 22 in August 1988 for Paul Koechli's Swiss Weinmann team (later Helvetia). He was later a member of the Castorama (1993--94) and Chazal (1995) teams before making a late signing for Aki at the beginning of the 1996 season. Apart from his Lombardy, Tour stage and Classique des Alpes wins, Delion had a stage win the 1990 Criterium International, two stage wins in the Mi-Aout Bretonne 1993, won the GP d'Ouverture 1994 and was 2nd in Lombardy in 1989 and 3rd in Milan--San Remo in 1990.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/results/archives/may96/hooy.html

 

[Maxiton]

Chapeau, Hog.

 

[thehog]

Re:

Chapeau, Hog.

Anyone who reads this thread has credibility... apparently

 

[Maxiton]

Re: Re:

Chapeau, Hog.

Anyone who reads this thread has credibility... apparently

Well, if we didn't have it before, we have it now.

 

[Stingray34]

I'm not sure what an entry on Gilles Delion is doing in the clinic except as an example of a major talent whose career was derailed due to his refusal to dope, just like Van Hooyedonk.

I didn't know he suffered Mono, and it's a possibility Delion never recovered from it. The excellent American journalist Samuel Abt described Delion as 'coltish' in his account of the 1990 Tour de France. He was an excellent rider, and I remember him beating a Conconi-enhanced Stephen Roche on the Valkenburg stage of the 92 Tour.

I've always regarded Delion as a victim of the EPO v1.0 era of the Nineties. Am I mistaken?

What's he doing now?

 

[Maxiton]

I'm not sure what an entry on Gilles Delion is doing in the clinic except as an example of a major talent whose career was derailed due to his refusal to dope, just like Van Hooyedonk.

I didn't know he suffered Mono, and it's a possibility Delion never recovered from it. The excellent American journalist Samuel Abt described Delion as 'coltish' in his account of the 1990 Tour de France. He was an excellent rider, and I remember him beating a Conconi-enhanced Stephen Roche on the Valkenburg stage of the 92 Tour.

I've always regarded Delion as a victim of the EPO v1.0 era of the Nineties. Am I mistaken?

What's he doing now?

The reason why it's in the Clinic is because the Clinic is the only place where you can discuss doping. Since doping is so much a part of pro cycling, so much a part of its truth, even when your career was derailed arguably because you refused to do it, the Clinic is the only true cycling forum.

 

[thehog]

I'm not sure what an entry on Gilles Delion is doing in the clinic except as an example of a major talent whose career was derailed due to his refusal to dope, just like Van Hooyedonk.

I didn't know he suffered Mono, and it's a possibility Delion never recovered from it. The excellent American journalist Samuel Abt described Delion as 'coltish' in his account of the 1990 Tour de France. He was an excellent rider, and I remember him beating a Conconi-enhanced Stephen Roche on the Valkenburg stage of the 92 Tour.

I've always regarded Delion as a victim of the EPO v1.0 era of the Nineties. Am I mistaken?

What's he doing now?

I believe the rule of thumb, if you used EPO you become very fat in retirement, if you went drug free you remain super svelte!

Delion, the latter.

 

[Echoes]

When do we have a thread about Edwig Van Hooydonck, Frans Maassen (as a rider), Luc Roosen, Sammy Moreels, Peter De Clercq or Jim Van de Laer?

Delion was a great rider but well, he works for Bouygues now.

 

[Maxiton]

I believe the rule of thumb, if you used EPO you become very fat in retirement, if you went drug free you remain super svelte!

Delion, the latter.

Looks like he took all the money he saved from not buying EPO and bought a watch

 

[Stingray34]

I'm not sure what an entry on Gilles Delion is doing in the clinic except as an example of a major talent whose career was derailed due to his refusal to dope, just like Van Hooyedonk.

I didn't know he suffered Mono, and it's a possibility Delion never recovered from it. The excellent American journalist Samuel Abt described Delion as 'coltish' in his account of the 1990 Tour de France. He was an excellent rider, and I remember him beating a Conconi-enhanced Stephen Roche on the Valkenburg stage of the 92 Tour.

I've always regarded Delion as a victim of the EPO v1.0 era of the Nineties. Am I mistaken?

What's he doing now?

I believe the rule of thumb, if you used EPO you become very fat in retirement, if you went drug free you remain super svelte!

Delion, the latter.

I'm not sure how recent that pic is, but Delion looks almost old enough to keep goal for Arsenal.

 

[thehog]

I'm not sure what an entry on Gilles Delion is doing in the clinic except as an example of a major talent whose career was derailed due to his refusal to dope, just like Van Hooyedonk.

I didn't know he suffered Mono, and it's a possibility Delion never recovered from it. The excellent American journalist Samuel Abt described Delion as 'coltish' in his account of the 1990 Tour de France. He was an excellent rider, and I remember him beating a Conconi-enhanced Stephen Roche on the Valkenburg stage of the 92 Tour.

I've always regarded Delion as a victim of the EPO v1.0 era of the Nineties. Am I mistaken?

What's he doing now?

I believe the rule of thumb, if you used EPO you become very fat in retirement, if you went drug free you remain super svelte!

Delion, the latter.

I'm not sure how recent that pic is, but Delion looks almost old enough to keep goal for Arsenal.

LOL! No one could be that old!

Giles is still rocking a full head of hair and he is not a grey as Lance. You see, being clean pays, later in life

 

[jens_attacks]

the size of the hand compared to head doesn't look good. popeye?

 

[Maxiton]

Re:

the size of the hand compared to head doesn't look good. popeye?

Could it be Delion doped after all?

 

[red_flanders]

Foreshortening, the new doping.