OlympicTalk · May 14, 2018
Pollen causes greatest mountain biker in history to retire
France’s Julien Absalon, the most decorated mountain biker in history and the only one with two Olympic titles, is retiring at age 37 in large part due to a pollen allergy, according to L’Equipe.
“I’ve been suffering from allergies to pollen in the south of France for the past three years, mostly at the start of the season,” Absalon said, according to an Agence France-Presse translation. “The doctor told me it would only get worse.”
Regarding taking medication to combat the allergy, possibly requesting a therapeutic use exemption for otherwise prohibited substances, Absalon said, “I don’t like to take too many medicines,” according to the report.