Gaumont, a bronze medallist at the 1992 Olympics in the team time trial, and winner of the 1997 Gent-Wevelgem, had been comatised since suffering a heart attack in April.

His career had been overshadowed by doping issues, with positive tests for nandrolone on four occasions in the late 1990s, and a failed test for amphetamines in 1999 leading to Tour de France organisers telling him he was not welcome in the race.