Keagan Girdlestone still has some way to go in his recovery but even in his sick bed, above, he was overcrome seeing his Dimension Data team win the opening stage in the Tour de France and take the yellow jersey via Mark Cavendish.
A young pro cyclist who crashed in a race last month and who was mistaken reported dead by the media was in tears yesterday watching Dimension Data stable mate Mark Cavendish win the opening stage of the Tour de France.
Keagan Girdlestone rides for the team’s U23 squad and was overcome to see the Briton taking the stage – and to be able to watch him do it on TV after his brush with death.
The young South African is still recovering and was pictured in his sick bed in an imaged tweeted by the squad and suggests he is well and truly on the mend.
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Four weeks ago Twitter and Facebook – and some of the cycling media - were filled with posts and reports stating the 19-year-old had died in a crash at the Coppa della Pace U23 race in Italy when in fact he had been taken to hospital, albeit gravely ill.
Having had a brush with death, Keagan Girdlestone of Dimension Data's development squad was overcome seeing the WorldTour outfit take such a huge win with Mark Cavendish on the Tour de France (Photo: Sirotti)
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His family were forced to take to Facebook and Twitter urging people to dismiss reports of his death and to pray for his recovery as he was undergoing what has happily turned out to be life-saving surgery.
He finished 4th in the junior time trial at the World Road Championships in the US last September.
Last month the teenager was riding for his Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka Continental level team in the UCI 2.2 ranked event when he hit the back of his team car on a descent.
He was travelling at considerable speed at the time in attempting to regain contact with the group just ahead, having just fallen.
His high-speed chase went badly wrong and he crashed again, this time into his team car.
The race was cancelled as a result and Girdlestone was taken to hospital in Rimini.
Our young rider in hospital, @Keagan_vtc, with tears in his eyes watching @MarkCavendish wins stage 1 of @LeTour! pic.twitter.com/yLKhIVvTCH
— Team Dimension Data (@TeamDiData) July 2, 2016
In his pro team kit; hopefully we'll see him back in the bunch soon and winning races.
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