Brailsford's tough call

The Sky is the limit?

Photo by Laurent Cipriani , downloaded here.

This afternoon, the media got informed of Edvald Boasson Hagen's rash. Seems a bit strange that a rash would get so much attention but I found myself gutted, as well as thousands of other cycling fans.

Herpes-zoster or shingles, is something everyone who has had chickenpox, can get. The virus remains dormant in the nerve roots, awaken when it decides to. So now, it was EBH's turn, again so to speak.

Injuries are a normal part of any athlete's life. Edvald has had his share the recent years. Two years ago he got an achilles problem, keeping him out on the entire classics season. This season, it was his attempt to floor a tree, using his own body, which led to broken ribs. Having returned, in great shape, one can start to wonder, why him? This incredible talent, stepping up when cycling is in desperate need for new, fresh blood and again he's stopped.

As mentioned, I'm gutted. Not only because he's Norwegian, but also because he could do so well this year. He is in great shape, won the Norwegian TT again, destroyed the likes of Ivan Basso in the Dauphine uphill(!) and sprinting very good lately.

Luckily, EBH is a pro cyclist. This means he's trying to stay positive and keeping his edge. After all, no reason to think and rethink why this happened.
Let's hope that the medication work. I've heard people get well in six days, the normal period is from what I've heard six-twelve.

Like Twisted Spoke wrote today, Bradley Wiggins, apparently in super form, is probably not interested in having an infectious rider living closely with him. I don't think Brailsford can or will take that chance. Shingles is very contagious and precaution has to be made.

This will be a race against the clock, and time is not on EBH's side.