This thread is a sequel from the "Where will History place ..." thread.
So many lies have been told surrounded Simpson's death that I think it was time for a point of order.
Tom Simpson was a courageous rider who, on a bike, could push the limits of pain very far.
He already showed it in Paris-Roubaix 1960. He made 50 minute long solo before fatigue took him with 5 km to go, leaving Pino Cerami win the classic at age 37 at a record average speed (cobbles were rarer at that time). Simpson made a name for himself because it was the first race that was broadcast live on TV with a mobile cam on motorbikes.
One year later he won the Tour of Flanders beating the very fast Nino Defilippis in the sprint. What wasn't said on a tv program by Canvas was that Defilippis was deceived about where the finish line truly lay, since the finish banner was blown away by the wind.
However, in 1965, he showed he had some great sprinting skills by beating Rudi Altig to become World Champion in San Sebastian.
And one year earlier he would outsprint Poulidor in Milan Sanremo. Poulidor attacked on the Capo Berta, instigating a four man breakaway but only Tom could follow him on the Poggio. Poulidor was for once second and not third !
But Simpson's most impressive wins were Bordeaux-Paris 1963 with "La grande manière" said L'Équipe (6 minutes ahead of the second) - He was also the strongest in 1965 but decided to favour Anquetil's win and get his wallet full - and the Tour of Lombardy in 1965 with the rainbow jersey on, 3 minutes ahead of Gerben Karstens. He attacked in the Schignano with 40km to go. Motta was the last who could follow him while the year before, Simpson was the last who accompanied Motta in the Intelvi with 25km to go.
In the off season 65/66, he spent some holidays in the Alps with Jan Janssen and team mate Ferdinand Bracke among others and got a ski accident. He could only be back in 1967 at Paris-Nice, which he won with the help of young team mate Merckx. But his spring classics session was very disappointing and he decided to sign a fruitful contract with Gimondi's Salvarani. He could have been a luxury team mate for the latter. But there was a clause in the contract which said he should finish the Tour of France.
What happened on July 13 1967 is this?
Simpson had been ill for a few days. It was exceptionally hot. He hadn't drunk alcohol like has been said too often. His team mate Colin Lewis said he actually took little sips from a bottle of Cognac that he handed to him and then threw it away because he knew he shouldn't drink from it.
He was very close to the top, collapsed a first time but was put back on his bike by his mechanic. This episode is quite known so I won't come back to it.
He then collapsed a second and last time a hundred meters further.
It wasn't an exceptional case, argued Geminiani in Mes quatre vérités. Other riders were marked by pain and got over it.
What killed Simpson were the bad treatment that he received after the collapse. Dr Dumas - official Tour doctor who according to Aimar was no doctor but a kinesist - put him on the stones and did not auscultate him. If he had he would have known it was a heart collapse and hence required different treatment than those he gave, argued Pr Decourt from the "faculté de médecine de Paris" according to Geminiani. The Professor studied thoroughly the Simpson case.
He realized Dumas made 3 mistakes:
- The head was higher than the heart. It should have been the other way round in order for the blood to irrigate the brains.
- He should have injected adrenalin to start the machine again.
- Simpson should have been laid STILL, while he was moved around to be taken by the heli but a corpse arrived at the hospital.
Pr Decourt also added that nobody normally dies from heart collapse. And nobody dies of amphetamines.
The first autopsy said Simpson died of a heart attack due to the extreme effort and the heath. But amphetamines were found in his blood. A bargain !
That could have masked the irresponsability of all those who badly treated him.
The evidence that Simpson did not die of amphetamine is clear from the fact that Simpson subscribed to a life-insurance at the benefit of his wife, to the Lord's Bank.
His widow naturally wanted to get after his death but the insurance agents were reluctant to it because there was a clause that says it doesn't hold in case of suicide and excess of amphetamine is considered suicide.
Mrs Simpson was forced to have another autopsy that would prove he died of heart collapse (4 lines in the newspapers at the bottom of the page). Of course, she eventually was entitled to her life-insurance and won every trial against the newspapers who claimed her husband died of doping.
I hate those lies that hurt you so bad, and that hurt cycling so bad.
It's high time we stopped with the black legend of Tom Simpson and realized he was just a courageous rider who could suffer very hard on his bike, period. May he now rest in peace !
So many lies have been told surrounded Simpson's death that I think it was time for a point of order.
Tom Simpson was a courageous rider who, on a bike, could push the limits of pain very far.
He already showed it in Paris-Roubaix 1960. He made 50 minute long solo before fatigue took him with 5 km to go, leaving Pino Cerami win the classic at age 37 at a record average speed (cobbles were rarer at that time). Simpson made a name for himself because it was the first race that was broadcast live on TV with a mobile cam on motorbikes.
One year later he won the Tour of Flanders beating the very fast Nino Defilippis in the sprint. What wasn't said on a tv program by Canvas was that Defilippis was deceived about where the finish line truly lay, since the finish banner was blown away by the wind.
However, in 1965, he showed he had some great sprinting skills by beating Rudi Altig to become World Champion in San Sebastian.
And one year earlier he would outsprint Poulidor in Milan Sanremo. Poulidor attacked on the Capo Berta, instigating a four man breakaway but only Tom could follow him on the Poggio. Poulidor was for once second and not third !
But Simpson's most impressive wins were Bordeaux-Paris 1963 with "La grande manière" said L'Équipe (6 minutes ahead of the second) - He was also the strongest in 1965 but decided to favour Anquetil's win and get his wallet full - and the Tour of Lombardy in 1965 with the rainbow jersey on, 3 minutes ahead of Gerben Karstens. He attacked in the Schignano with 40km to go. Motta was the last who could follow him while the year before, Simpson was the last who accompanied Motta in the Intelvi with 25km to go.
In the off season 65/66, he spent some holidays in the Alps with Jan Janssen and team mate Ferdinand Bracke among others and got a ski accident. He could only be back in 1967 at Paris-Nice, which he won with the help of young team mate Merckx. But his spring classics session was very disappointing and he decided to sign a fruitful contract with Gimondi's Salvarani. He could have been a luxury team mate for the latter. But there was a clause in the contract which said he should finish the Tour of France.
What happened on July 13 1967 is this?
Simpson had been ill for a few days. It was exceptionally hot. He hadn't drunk alcohol like has been said too often. His team mate Colin Lewis said he actually took little sips from a bottle of Cognac that he handed to him and then threw it away because he knew he shouldn't drink from it.
He was very close to the top, collapsed a first time but was put back on his bike by his mechanic. This episode is quite known so I won't come back to it.
He then collapsed a second and last time a hundred meters further.
It wasn't an exceptional case, argued Geminiani in Mes quatre vérités. Other riders were marked by pain and got over it.
What killed Simpson were the bad treatment that he received after the collapse. Dr Dumas - official Tour doctor who according to Aimar was no doctor but a kinesist - put him on the stones and did not auscultate him. If he had he would have known it was a heart collapse and hence required different treatment than those he gave, argued Pr Decourt from the "faculté de médecine de Paris" according to Geminiani. The Professor studied thoroughly the Simpson case.
He realized Dumas made 3 mistakes:
- The head was higher than the heart. It should have been the other way round in order for the blood to irrigate the brains.
- He should have injected adrenalin to start the machine again.
- Simpson should have been laid STILL, while he was moved around to be taken by the heli but a corpse arrived at the hospital.
Pr Decourt also added that nobody normally dies from heart collapse. And nobody dies of amphetamines.
The first autopsy said Simpson died of a heart attack due to the extreme effort and the heath. But amphetamines were found in his blood. A bargain !
That could have masked the irresponsability of all those who badly treated him.
The evidence that Simpson did not die of amphetamine is clear from the fact that Simpson subscribed to a life-insurance at the benefit of his wife, to the Lord's Bank.
His widow naturally wanted to get after his death but the insurance agents were reluctant to it because there was a clause that says it doesn't hold in case of suicide and excess of amphetamine is considered suicide.
Mrs Simpson was forced to have another autopsy that would prove he died of heart collapse (4 lines in the newspapers at the bottom of the page). Of course, she eventually was entitled to her life-insurance and won every trial against the newspapers who claimed her husband died of doping.
I hate those lies that hurt you so bad, and that hurt cycling so bad.
It's high time we stopped with the black legend of Tom Simpson and realized he was just a courageous rider who could suffer very hard on his bike, period. May he now rest in peace !
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