Stage races Pedro Delgado Robledo (pronounced [ˈpeðɾo ðelˈɣaðo roˈβleðo]; born 15 April 1960), also known as Perico ([peˈɾiko]), is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer.
The drug, which had been placed on the International Olympic Committee's list of banned substances in January of that year, had not yet been banned by the sport's governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale; as a consequence, Delgado was allowed to continue racing and was not charged with any doping offence.
During his first participation, when he was 23, he rose to second place in the overall classification after the 17th stage, before falling back later in the event.
After the 17th stage Delgado was second in the overall classification, 1m08s behind Laurent Fignon, another 23-year-old rider competing in the Tour for the first time.
However, Delgado drank a spoilt milk shake that caused him a stomach cramp during the next stage, ending in Morzine.
Roche later said:[6] "We were on French TV after the descent into Morzine [the last mountain stage, after which Delgado was still leader of the overall classification] and, off camera, he came up to me, hugged me, and said 'Bravo, you deserve the yellow jersey'.
His team director José Miguel Echevarri was informed hours after by the Tour organization without mention of the substance.
That night, Xavier Louy, director of the race, went to the hotel where Echavarri was and suggested to him that Delgado should withdraw.
However, the Director of the Tour de France, Jean-Pierre Courcol, said "I now know that the letter can replace the spirit of the law and that the regulations can be played with, in order to give the appearance of utter innocence.
Due to this he was very weak and suffered hypoglycemia in the second stage, a decisive team time-trial.
[16] After that second stage, he remained last in the overall classification, more than seven minutes behind the best-classified of the favourites, Laurent Fignon.