Twenty days after spraining his ankle through a crash on the opening day of this year’s Tour de France, Andrey Amador (Team Movistar) is still in the race battling through the injury. The young Costa Rican even went on the attack during yesterday’s stage seventeen, spending the day in the breakaway.
Movistar team doctor Jesus Hoyos told Biciciclismo, "It did not take a doctor to see he needed a miracle to stay in the race." After diagnosing his sprained ankle, the doctor said the usual advice is to spend "ten to fifteen days completely still."
Hoyos said the only explanation for Amador’s continuance in the race is that "these athletes are special people."
The medical team has been treating Amador with ice and anti-inflammatories, which seems to have helped subdue the pain. The 24 year old went on to finish an impressive eleventh on yesterdays stage.
"These last two days I suffered a lot, especially yesterday," said Amador. "I almost quit."
"The easiest [thing to do] would be to go home, but I want to finish the Tour for my team and my country."
Amador is the first person from Costa Rica to partake in the Tour de France and is said to be a national hero back home. His biggest test will now come in the Alps as the next to days will see a tough race, with the favourites fighting for overall victory.
"The ankle is holding up at least and has not gotten worse. Now comes two very complicated days and it will be the key to see if I can get to Paris. If I see that I am unable, I will give up because I go with a clear conscience having given it my best."
The team doctor continued his praise of the brave cyclist, "If he can finish the Tour, it will be one of the most extreme things that I have seen in my many years in cycling. Not because of the severity of the injury, but it’s so difficult to endure the world's toughest race," said Hoyos.