View source for Michel Pollentier

{{short description|Belgian cyclist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name = Michel Pollentier
| image = Michel Pollentier - Tour 1976.jpg
| caption = Pollentier at the [[1976 Tour de France]]
| full_name = Michel Pollentier
| nickname = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1951|2|13}}
| birth_place = [[Diksmuide]], Belgium
| height = 
| weight = 
| currentteam = Retired
| discipline = Road
| role = Rider
| ridertype = 
| amateuryears1 = 
| amateurteam1 = 
| proyears1 = 1973–1978
| proteam1 = {{UCI team code|Flandria|1973}}
| proyears2 = 1979–1980
| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|Splendor|1979}}
| proyears3 = 1981
| proteam3 = [[Vermeer Thijs]]
| proyears4 = 1982–1984
| proteam4 = {{UCI team code|Safir|1982}}
| majorwins = '''[[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]]'''
:'''[[Tour de France]]'''
::3 individual stages ([[1974 Tour de France|1974]], [[1975 Tour de France|1975]], [[1976 Tour de France|1976]])
:'''[[Giro d'Italia]]'''
::'''[[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|General classification]]''' ([[1977 Giro d'Italia|1977]])
::1 individual stage ([[1977 Giro d'Italia|1977]])
:'''[[Vuelta a España]]'''
::2 individual stages ([[1977 Vuelta a España|1977]], [[1984 Vuelta a España|1984]])
'''[[Race stage|Stage races]]'''
:[[Critérium du Dauphiné|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]] ([[1978 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|1978]])
:[[Tour de Suisse]] ([[1977 Tour de Suisse|1977]])
'''[[Classic cycle races|One-day races and Classics]]'''
:{{nowrap|[[Belgian National Road Race Championships|National Road Race Championships]] (1977, 1978)}}
:[[Tour of Flanders (men's race)|Tour of Flanders]] ([[1980 Tour of Flanders|1980]])
}}
'''Michel Pollentier''' (born 13 February 1951) is a Belgian former professional [[road bicycle racer]].

He became professional in 1973. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the [[1977 Giro d'Italia]].<ref name=g>{{cite web|url=http://giro.cyclingfever.com/rider.html?sporter_id=10776|title=Michel Pollentier – Rider Statistics Giro d'Italia – By: CyclingFever.com – The International Cycling Social Network|work=cyclingfever.com}}</ref> Pollentier is one of just three Belgian riders to win the Giro, the others being [[Eddy Merckx]] and [[Johan de Muynck]].

In the [[1978 Tour de France]], he was the Belgian national champion when he won the stage arriving in [[Alpe d'Huez]], took the yellow jersey and would have been involved in a battle with [[Joop Zoetemelk]] and eventual winner [[Bernard Hinault]] for the remainder of the race as the three were within +0:30 of one another. 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.<ref name=cheat>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/funny_old_game/1460017.stm|title=BBC SPORT – FUNNY OLD GAME – Nags on the fags and dodgy doping|work=BBC|date=27 July 2001}}</ref> 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 immediately.<ref name=cheat/>

The affair took away most of Pollentier's credibility in international cycling. Even though he won the 1980 edition of the [[Tour of Flanders (men's race)|Tour of Flanders]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wielerarchief.be/RONDE%20VAN%20VLAANDEREN.htm |title=RONDE VAN VLAANDEREN.HTM |access-date=26 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403144715/http://www.wielerarchief.be/RONDE%20VAN%20VLAANDEREN.htm |archive-date=3 April 2008  }}</ref> and he also came 3rd in the [[1982 Vuelta a España]] where he was the beneficiary of a doping incident when the initial winner was disqualified bringing him to 2nd overall.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Marino Lejarreta {{!}} CyclingHallofFame.com | url=http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/rider_bio.asp?rider_id=435 | access-date=2025-04-02 | website=www.cyclinghalloffame.com}}</ref> 1984 was his last professional season; he finished outside the top 10 [[1984 Vuelta a España|at the Vuelta]] and won the final grand tour stage of his career.

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 Belgian 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.'

==Career achievements==
===Major results===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
;1971
: 1st Gent – Staden
: 10th [[Ronde van Vlaanderen U23|Ronde Van Vlaanderen Beloften]]
;1973
: 2nd [[Tour du Loir-et-Cher]]
: 3rd Overall [[1973 Tour de Romandie|Tour de Romandie]]
: 4th Overall [[Étoile des Espoirs]]
: 6th [[Ghent–Wevelgem U23|Kattekoers]]
: 9th [[1973 Paris–Tours|Paris–Tours]]
;1974
: 4th Overall [[Vuelta a Andalucía]]
: 4th [[Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen]]
: 7th [[Boucles de l'Aulne]]
: 7th Overall [[1974 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::1st Stage 21b ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 9th Overall [[Tour de Luxembourg]]
;1975
: 1st Stage 13 [[1975 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
: 1st Stage 6 [[1975 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
: 2nd Overall [[Tour of Belgium]]
: 2nd [[Brabantse Pijl (men's race)|Brabantse Pijl]]
: 2nd [[Trofeo Baracchi]]
: 4th [[Brussels Cycling Classic|Paris–Brussels]]
: 4th [[Druivenkoers Overijse]]
: 5th [[1975 Amstel Gold Race|Amstel Gold Race]]
: 6th [[Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne]]
: 8th Overall [[Vuelta a Andalucía]]
: 8th [[Gran Premio di Lugano]]
: 10th [[1975 Gent–Wevelgem|Gent–Wevelgem]]
;1976
: 1st [[File:Jersey red.svg|20px]] Overall [[Tour of Belgium]]
::1st Stage 3
: 1st [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall [[Escalada a Montjuïc]]
::1st Stage 1c ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 1st [[Giro del Piemonte]]
: 1st [[Stadsprijs Geraardsbergen]]
: 1st [[Trofeo Baracchi]] (with [[Freddy Maertens]])
: 2nd Overall [[1976 Tour de Suisse|Tour de Suisse]]
::1st Stages 2, 4a & 9b ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 4th Overall [[Tour of the Netherlands|Ronde van Nederland]]
: 7th Overall [[1976 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::1st Stage 16
: 8th [[Grand Prix de Wallonie]]
: 10th [[Züri-Metzgete]]
;1977
: 1st [[File:MaillotBélgica.PNG|20px]] [[Belgian National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 1st [[File:Jersey pink.svg|20px]] Overall [[1977 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
::1st Stage 21 ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 1st [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall [[1977 Tour de Suisse|Tour de Suisse]]
::1st Prologue, Stages 3a, 3b ([[Individual time trial|ITT]]) & 9b ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 1st [[Gouden Pijl|Gouden Pijl Emmen]]
: 2nd [[Grand Prix of Aargau Canton]]
: 3rd [[Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme]]
: 4th [[Grand Prix de Wallonie]]
: 5th [[1977 Tour of Flanders|Tour of Flanders]]
: 6th Overall [[1977 Vuelta a España|Vuelta a España]]
::1st Stage 4 ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 7th [[Trofeo Laigueglia]]
: 8th [[1977 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
;1978
: 1st [[File:MaillotBélgica.PNG|20px]] [[Belgian National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 1st [[File:Jersey yellow-bluebar.svg|20px]] Overall [[1978 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
:: 1st Stages 5 & 7b ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 1st [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall [[Escalada a Montjuïc]]
::1st Stages 1a ([[Individual time trial|ITT]]), 1b & 1c ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 1st [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px]] Overall [[Vuelta a Mallorca]]
::1st Stages 1a & 2a 
: 2nd [[1978 Tour of Flanders|Tour of Flanders]]
: 4th Overall [[Tour of Belgium]]
: 4th [[Omloop van het Houtland]]
: 5th Overall [[1978 Tirreno–Adriatico|Tirreno–Adriatico]]
: 5th [[1978 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
: 5th [[Critérium des As]]
: 6th [[Brabantse Pijl (men's race)|Brabantse Pijl]]
: 8th Overall [[1978 Tour de Suisse|Tour de Suisse]]
::1st Stages 4b ([[Individual time trial|ITT]]) & 9b ([[Individual time trial|ITT]])
: 10th [[1978 Giro di Lombardia|Giro di Lombardia]]
: 10th [[1978 Gent–Wevelgem|Gent–Wevelgem]]
;1979
: 1st GP du Tournaisis
: 3rd Overall [[1979 Vuelta a España|Vuelta a España]]
: 3rd [[1979 E3 Prijs Vlaanderen|E3 Prijs Vlaanderen]]
: 4th Overall [[Tour of Belgium]]
: 4th [[Brabantse Pijl (men's race)|Brabantse Pijl]]
: 5th [[1979 Omloop Het Volk|Omloop Het Volk]]
: 7th Overall [[1979 Tirreno–Adriatico|Tirreno–Adriatico]]
: 7th [[1979 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
;1980
: 1st [[1980 Tour of Flanders|Tour of Flanders]]
: 1st [[Brabantse Pijl (men's race)|Brabantse Pijl]]
: 2nd [[Le Samyn]]
: 5th Overall [[Tour of Belgium]]
: 5th [[Belgian National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 8th Overall [[1980 Tirreno–Adriatico|Tirreno–Adriatico]]
;1981
: 8th Overall [[Étoile de Bessèges]]
;1982
: 1st [[Omloop van het Houtland]]
: 2nd Overall [[1982 Vuelta a España|Vuelta a España]]
: 4th [[1982 Tour of Flanders|Tour of Flanders]]
: 6th [[1982 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1982 UCI Road World Championships|UCI Road World Championships]]
;1983
: 3rd Overall [[Classic Brugge-De Panne|Three Days of De Panne]]
: 7th [[1983 Tour of Flanders|Tour of Flanders]]
: 7th [[1983 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
;1984
: 1st Stage 6 [[1984 Vuelta a España|Vuelta a España]]
{{div col end}}

===Grand Tour general classification results timeline===

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tour]]
! scope="col" | 1973
! scope="col" | 1974
! scope="col" | 1975
! scope="col" | 1976
! scope="col" | 1977
! scope="col" | 1978
! scope="col" | 1979
! scope="col" | 1980
! scope="col" | 1981
! scope="col" | 1982
! scope="col" | 1983
! scope="col" | 1984
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px|link=|alt=A yellow jersey]] [[List of Vuelta a España general classification winners|Vuelta a España]]
| [[1973 Vuelta a España|—]]
| [[1974 Vuelta a España|—]]
| [[1975 Vuelta a España|—]]
| [[1976 Vuelta a España|—]]
| style="background:#ddddff;"|[[1977 Vuelta a España|6]]
| [[1978 Vuelta a España|—]]
| style="background:#ddddff;"|[[1979 Vuelta a España|'''3''']]
| [[1980 Vuelta a España|26]]
| [[1981 Vuelta a España|—]]
| style="background:#ddddff;"|[[1982 Vuelta a España|'''2''']]
| [[1983 Vuelta a España|—]]
| [[1984 Vuelta a España|13]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey pink.svg|20px|link=|alt=A pink jersey]] [[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
| [[1973 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1974 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1975 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1976 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| bgcolor=pink|[[1977 Giro d'Italia|'''1''']]
| [[1978 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1979 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1980 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1981 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1982 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1983 Giro d'Italia|—]]
| [[1984 Giro d'Italia|—]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px|link=|alt=A yellow jersey]] [[General classification in the Tour de France|Tour de France]]
| [[1973 Tour de France|34]]
| style="background:#ddddff;"|[[1974 Tour de France|7]]
| [[1975 Tour de France|23]]
| style="background:#ddddff;"|[[1976 Tour de France|7]]
| [[1977 Tour de France|—]]
| [[1978 Tour de France|DSQ]]
| [[1979 Tour de France|DNF]]
| [[1980 Tour de France|DNF]]
| [[1981 Tour de France|DNF]]
| [[1982 Tour de France|—]]
| [[1983 Tour de France|—]]
| [[1984 Tour de France|—]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Legend
|-
! scope="row" | —
| Did not compete
|-
! scope="row" | [[Did not finish|DNF]]
| Did not finish
|-
! scope="row" | DSQ
| Disqualified
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of doping cases in cycling]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar%2FLayout%2FArticle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1154037039374&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064 |title=The Star |website=[[Toronto Star]] |access-date=28 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606171809/http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar%2FLayout%2FArticle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1154037039374&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064 |archive-date=6 June 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown  }}
* {{cycling Archives|3960}}
* [http://histo.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/coureur/4188.html Official Tour de France results for Michel Pollentier] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226111426/http://histo.letour.fr/HISTO/us/TDF/coureur/4188.html |date=26 February 2019 }}

{{maglia rosa}}
{{Tour of Flanders winners}}
{{Tour de Suisse winners}}
{{Belgian National Road Race Championships (men)}}
{{Belgian Sportsperson of the Year}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollentier, Michel}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Belgian male cyclists]]
[[Category:Belgian sportspeople in doping cases]]
[[Category:Belgian Tour de France stage winners]]
[[Category:Belgian Vuelta a España stage winners]]
[[Category:Doping cases in cycling]]
[[Category:Giro d'Italia winners]]
[[Category:People from Diksmuide]]
[[Category:Cyclists from West Flanders]]
[[Category:Tour de Suisse stage winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Belgian sportsmen]]