Cycling news - Sir Dave Brailsford recovering from cancer surgery
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 13/09/2019 at 07:58 GMT
Sir Dave Brailsford has revealed he underwent surgery for prostate cancer after being diagnosed with the illness just before this year’s Tour de France.
CASTRES, FRANCE - JULY 16: Dave Brailsford of United Kingdom Team Manager of Team INEOS / Press / Media / Interview / during the 106th Tour de France 2019 - Team INEOS - Training / Rest Day / TDF / #TDF2019 / @LeTour / on July 16, 2019 in Castres, France.
Image credit: Getty Images
The Team Ineos boss confirmed he had surgery on a tumour after blood tests indicated the 55-year-old may have the cancer.
Brailsford, who oversaw Team GB's transformation into a cycling force at the Olympics, underwent a five-hour long open surgery last month.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2019/05/27/2598039-53859490-2560-1440.jpg)
Geraint Thomas, Chris Froome, Dave Brailsford
Image credit: Getty Images
He is set to discover the full results of that surgery on Saturday, and Brailsford - whose team have won seven of the past eight Tour de France titles - admitted to The Times he had a “ridiculous” attitude regarding check-ups.
However, he claims the diagnosis – which he received a week before the Tour de France, in which his rider Egan Bernal went on to win – has helped him rethink his work-life balance.
Brailsford said: "There's bound to be fear. It's the great unknown. I think I'm resilient, tough, I can put up with a lot but in hospital one day I was overwhelmed, to be honest.
"One day I woke up asleep on my desk, literally crashed out on it. I'm thinking 'this is just a hassle. I'm too busy'. Luckily I have a brilliant doctor who put his foot down.
My attitude had been ridiculous, really, looking back. That was the first time I was stopped in my tracks.
"I could easily have got into a hole, gone into myself which is normally what I do. I set myself a game plan. I talk to athletes about choosing your attitude. Now it was up to me.
It's easy to think 'why is it happening to me?' I've worked hard on my health so you can get bitter, angry, frustrated. I had to learn to accept it. Talking about it among the team was a massive help.
"Luckily four or five days in, someone sent me the perfect text: 'This is not a test of personality or motivation or how fast you can go. You need to heal. The only thing that can help that is time'."
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement