 He later sold the story of his drug use to a newspaper, admitting he had taken Palfium during the climb of the Perjuret, a painkiller that could have affected his reflexes and judgment.In 1961, "Miroir du Cyclisme" republished an article originally written for "Libre Santé" by Rivière's friend and dietician, Clarisse Brobecker.She confirmed the theory that Rivière was so numbed by painkillers that he either hadn't attempted to pull on the brakes or had been unable to.