Adrien Costa riding again less than three months after leg amputation
Former rider back in the saddle weeks after mountaineering accident
They say it is hard to keep a good man down and, less than three months after losing part of his right leg following a mountaineering accident, Adrien Costa is back on the bike and the climbing wall.
Photos published on Instagram by his former Hagens Berman Axeon teammate Chris Blevins show the 21-year-old out training on his bike and using a climbing wall, all-the-while showing off his new prosthetic leg.
"I’ve always been impressed by this guy, but in the past couple months I’ve found a new level of admiration. @costadrien you’re a slayer," Blevins captioned the two photos.
Costa had to have his leg amputated in August of this year after a boulder fell on his leg while he was out hiking. Hagens Berman Axeon set up a crowdfunding page for Costa in the wake of the accident in order to raise money to help in his rehabilitation and get a new prosthetic.
The cycling community came out in force to support Costa, with several current and former professionals donating to the fund, and the original target was upped several times. Money has still been coming in of late and the current total stands at more than $128,000.
Costa was taking a break from his cycling career at the time of the accident. Following the death of his friend and teammate Chad Young at the 2017 Tour of the Gila, Costa announced that he would take the remainder of the season off to evaluate his future.
That initial sabbatical would become indefinite when he announced at the start of this season that he was still not ready to make his comeback and would sit out the entire 2018 campaign.
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Costa was a hugely promising talent when he chose to take some time out of cycling as a double silver medallist in the junior time trial at the World Championships and a podium finisher at the Tour de l'Avenir.
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