Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM) has made it through the opening step in her plight to make it back to the 'pointy end of races' after last week's surgery to treat iliac artery endofibrosis.
The Australian, who proved her capabilities as a Grand Tour contender when she claimed the all important Blockhaus stage and third overall at the 2024 Giro d'Italia, is now focussing on the recovery process.
It is, however, a road that will be slowly travelled, in the initial stages at least, with the rider who just last month was racing La Vuelta Feminina posting on Instagram earlier this week: "A few days post surgery now. I still can’t do much, but I can walk at snails pace and do a lil’ boogie."
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Plus, now Bradbury can see a path back, with the rider having explained on social media ahead of the surgery that it had been "a tough period of racing while searching for answers". Her Canyon-SRAM team this week elaborated on what the 24-year-old rider had been grappling with.
“Her symptoms included a heavy leg, a lack of strength, and a foot that would go numb," said team doctor Carola Lamm in a media release.
"Now, we need to ensure the wounds heal well and that we avoid excessive scar tissue formation around the surgical area. It’s also important that she returns to normal day-to-day function as quickly as possible.”
The team added that the path of the rest of the season will depend on the progress of Bradbury's recovery, with encouraging early signs but "it remains to early to determine when she will be able to return to riding, structured training and ultimately racing".
There are many riders in the women's peloton that have had Iliac artery surgery and made successful returns, right from Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, to fellow Australian's Sarah Gigante and Amanda Spratt.
Bradbury, who has been with Canyon-SRAM since starting her professional racing career at 18 after winning the Zwift Academy, is hopeful that before long she will be another name added to that list.
“I’ve been told that the surgery went really well, and that I’ve got the worst of it out of the way, so I’m excited for the road ahead. I keep motivated by having faith that I’ll be back at the pointy end of races again”, Bradbury said.
