VIDEO. He managed to climb the Col de l’Espigoulier (Bouches-du-Rhône) despite his COPD. Philippe Poncet now holds the record for the hour on the track.
The world record holder for the hour on the track is sick. At 55, Philippe Poncet tried the impossible: to become a record holder despite his lung disease. Indeed, since his youngest age, this Savoyard has suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). On the occasion of the congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), which took place from September 26 to 30 in Amsterdam (Netherlands), the cyclist conveyed a message of hope to the attention of all sick.
Late diagnosis
Philippe Poncet suffers from stage COPD “even if you can’t see it,” he jokes. It must be said that with his record, it is difficult to guess the chronic disease from which he is reached: he obtained the world record for the hour in Hyères (Var) in 2014 – with a speed of 23.890 km / h – and the 200m sprint on the track last June.
“I was sick practically at birth, because I had a pulmonary deficiency,” says Philippe Poncet to Why actor. Then the COPD progressed because I lived near a factory that polluted a lot, and because I smoked without knowing that I shouldn’t. I am at stage 4 for a number of reasons. “
The Savoyard has been sick for a long time. His diagnosis was only made 9 years ago – when he was 47 years old. Despite the shock, the former sportsman decides to get back in the saddle.
The explanations of Philippe Poncet, cyclist:
” This is not the end “
To reach his record, Philippe Poncet surrounded himself with big names in cycling: Christian Seznec and Daniel Morelon. “We work on what is existing, so we have to go to the bottom of the bottom for everything that is available. Today, we have reached 95% of the dead spaces, which allows me to achieve a second wind and to overcome everything, ”he explains.
Hard work which allowed this patient to literally reach the heights. And the message he wants to convey is a message of hope. “When you’re diagnosed, it’s not the end. It’s very hard, you have to explain to the doctor that a patient must have information very quickly, because it is an anxiety-inducing disease. We are suffocating 24 hours a day. “
The explanations of Philippe Poncet, cyclist:
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