Cycling: John Degenkolb (Giant-Alpecin) finally celebrated his first win of the season today at the Arctic Race of Norway. In an emotional press conference, he expressed how special this success is for him after his accident at the beginning of the year.
It's hard to believe and seems like it's been forever: But just 7 months ago it wasn't clear whether John Degenkolb would even be able to do professional cycling again. He almost lost a finger in the horrible training accident in Spain in January and fought long and hard to make his comeback.
The strong performance at the Arctic Race of Norway with two second places and one victory underlines his good form. But there might have been more if the technology hadn't thwarted his plans: “It was a great week, except for the technical issues I had on the first two days, which cost me the win both times. But me and the team were in very good shape and the win today is great.”
Degenkolb took the opportunity to once again underline the importance of this success: “After what happened earlier this year this is more than just a win at a HC race and feels like a win at a monument to be honest. When you experience an accident like we did at the beginning of the year, you know how quickly it can all be over. I was in a situation where you didn't know if I would ever get on my bike again. It was a tough way back but we all made it. Four of the guys from the accident are here in Norway, which makes me proud. We were lucky, but it also shows our fighting spirit. We sacrificed a lot to get back to where we are now.”
With a view to the Road World Championships in Doha in October, it was of course important for the 27-year-old to gain self-confidence. The role that Degenkolb will play in the course tailored for sprinters is still unclear, however "But for me it doesn't make a big difference," Dege clarified.
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