Leif Hoste returned directly to the dark period he went through after the end of his career.
Leif Hoste breaks the silence. The end of a high-level sporting career sometimes leaves invisible injuries, much more difficult to treat than those of the body. The former Belgian runner is the tragic illustration of this. Triple Belgian time trial champion and double participant in the Tour de France (2007 and 2008), Hoste hung up his time in 2012, after a career abruptly ended by a back injury.
At 48, he recently spoke candidly about the descent into hell that followed his retirement. Disappointments in sport, divorce and a complete loss of bearings gradually caused his life to shift towards a severe dependence on alcohol. “Drinking gave me a form of peace and control. Before I knew it, I was dead drunk.”he confides in the columns of The latest news.
“Every defeat makes the headlines”
The consequences were dramatic. On at least ten occasions, Leif Hoste found himself hospitalized with a blood alcohol level greater than 4.5 g per liter. Despite repeated warnings from doctors, the addiction took over. “My brain was telling me this was the only way to feel normal again… Three bottles of vodka a day. A normal person doesn’t survive this. It’s physically destructive”he admits today.
With hindsight, the former cyclist especially points out the lack of psychological support for athletes, before and after their career. “We live under constant pressure, each defeat makes the headlines. It’s impossible to manage healthily”he laments. Through this testimony, Hoste wishes to break a still stubborn taboo in high-level sport: “Even if I never drink again, I will still be addicted. I have to accept it. It’s the only way for me to continue living. »
