The Italian, who will be sidelined for one month, remains optimistic and confident despite this setback.
“Some of you may have seen from my social media that I underwent a medical procedure last Friday.
The last twelve months have not been easy for me, with a persistent saddle sore causing me a lot of discomfort on the bike. It sounds obvious, but a saddle sore is a big problem when you spend a lot of your time on a bike.
With the support of the Soudal Quick-Step medical team, I underwent a procedure carried out by Dr Antonino Cassisi, who is a renowned expert in this field and has treated many other leading cyclists, with great success. Dr Cassisi has advised me that the procedure went well and that I will need four weeks off the bike to recover from the recovery.
I am hoping this is a permanent solution, and I can get back to enjoying racing and training with my teammates. It is disappointing to miss part of my season. I am hoping that I can maybe ride a few races at the end of the season.
I want to thank Cassisi and the Soudal Quick-Step medical team for their care and for everybody that has sent me kind messages and good wishes.
I hope to see you all on the road soon.”
Photo credit: ©David Ramos / Getty Images
Our road wolves
Fausto Masnada